Providing Expert Assistance to Schools and Teachers. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. (Working paper prepared in collaboration with the National Conference of State Legislatures.) Before its too late: A report to the nation from the national commission on mathematics and science teaching for the 21st century. At this time, however, some educators have begun to question seriously the effectiveness and the role of laboratory work, and the case for laboratory . DeSimone, L.M., Porter, A.S., Garet, M.S., Yoon, K.S., and Birman, B. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. ), The student laboratory and the curriculum (pp. Second group of factors are the environmental factors. The traditional didactic pedagogy to which teacher candidates are exposed in university science courses equips learners with only minimal conceptual understandings of their science disciplines (Duschl, 1983; Gallagher, 1991; Pomeroy, 1993, cited in Windschitl, 2004). Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39(3), 205-236. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Value-Added Research and Assessment Center. Available at: http://www.horizon-research.com/reports/2002/2000survey/trends.php [accessed May 2005]. London, England: Kluwer Academic. Zip. How can school organization contribute to effective laboratory teaching. (1994). Atkin, P. Black, and J. Coffey (Eds.). goals of laboratory experiences. Linn, M.C. Available at: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/KTobin_71204_HSLabs_Mtg.pdf [accessed August 2005]. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Do all student have access to laboratory experiences? The. They knew little about how various ideas were related to each other, nor could they readily explain the overall content and character of biology. However, 66 percent of teachers indicated that they regularly shared ideas and materials with their colleagues, perhaps indicating that they do so on their own time, outside school hours (Hudson et al., 2002). Washington, DC: Author. To be successful in leading students across the range of laboratory experiences we have described, teachers must choose laboratory experiences that are appropriate at any given time. (ED 409-634.) Other duties include reinforcing laboratory housekeeping and safety protocol, coordinating with other engineering departments, and receiving, installing, and maintaining laboratory supplies and equipment. New York: City College Workshop Center. Enforcing laboratory rules . Drawing up suitable assessments and delivering helpful feedback to students, parents, and other teachers. Paper prepared for the Committee on High School Science Laboratories: Role and Vision, July 12-13, National Research Council, Washington, DC. However, the undergraduate education of future science teachers does not currently prepare them for effective laboratory teaching. The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) suggests that physics teachers should be required to teach no more than 275 instructional minutes per day. Loucks-Horsley, S., Love, N., Stiles, K.E., Mundry, S., and Hewson, P.W. ASCP understands your role in the medical laboratory and has developed cost effective learning products, tools to manage your re-certification, and opportunities for you to grow as a leader in the laboratory. Guiding students through the complexity and ambiguity of empirical. Professional development opportunities for science teachers are limited in quality, availability, and scope and place little emphasis on laboratory instruction. To determine the current role of laboratory schools in the United States, the 123 existing laboratory schools were surveyed. Between sessions, teacher participants reflected on what they were learning and applied some of it in their classrooms, following the active learning approach suggested by the research on professional development for science teachers. What does research tell us about learning in high school science labs? The National Science Teachers Association takes a slightly different position, suggesting that administrators provide teachers with a competent paraprofessional. (2004). They found that a heat-flow model was better able to connect to middle school students knowledge about heat and temperature than a molecular-kinetic model (Linn, Davis, and Bell, 2004). The teacher strives to fathom what the student is saying and what is implied about the students knowledge in his or her statements, questions, work and actions. National Science Teachers Association. Student outcomes and the professional preparation of eighth-grade teachers in science and mathematics: NSF/NELS. Laboratory teaching assumes that first-hand experience in observation and manipulation of the materials of science is superior to other methods of developing understanding and appreciation. Hanusek, E., Kain, J., and Rivkin, S. (1999). 357-382). Pre-service education and in-service professional development for science teachers rarely address laboratory experiences and do not provide teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to lead laboratory experiences. ), How students learn: Reforming schools through learner-centered education (pp. AAPT guidelines for high school physics programs. The limited quality and availability of professional development focusing on laboratory teaching is a reflection of the weaknesses in the larger system of professional development for science teachers. In chemistry laboratories at large universities, the instructors of record are typically graduate or undergraduate . thus expanding the teaching or training role; sometimes they are excluded purposely, such as in the case of France, where teachers are only responsible for the actual instruction and the remainder of . (2001). In the ICAN program, teachers participate in science internships with working scientists as one element in a larger program of instruction that includes an initial orientation and monthly workshops. We do not yet know how best to develop the knowledge and skills that teachers require to lead laboratory experiences that help students master science subject matter, develop scientific reasoning skills, and attain the other goals of laboratory education. Administrators allocate time, like other resources, as a way to support teachers in carrying out these routines. In C. Jencks and M. Phillips (Eds. The Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory has provided professional development programs for science teachers for several years (Javonovic and King, 1998). Over the course of a years worth of pedagogical preparation and field experiences, the new teachers began to reorganize their knowledge of biology according to how they thought it should be taught. Tobin (Eds. East Lansing, MI: National Center for Research in Teacher Education. National Research Council. Shulman (1986, p. 8) has defined pedagogical content knowledge as: [A] special amalgam of content and pedagogy that is uniquely the province of teachers, their own form of professional understanding. American Educational Research Journal 35(3), 477-496. Lederman, N.G. Priestley, W., Priestley, H., and Schmuckler, J. Gamoran and colleagues found that, although the educational researchers provided an infusion of expertise from outside each of the six school sites, the professional development created in collaboration with the local schools had its greatest impact in supporting local teachers in developing their own communities. Knowledge of students cultures and languages and the ability to communicate across cultures are necessary to carry out laboratory experiences that build on diverse students sense of wonder and engage them in science learning. Block scheduling is one approach schools have used to provide longer periods of time for laboratory activities and discussion. or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one. Glagovich, N., and Swierczynski, A. The institute included a blend of modeling, small group work, cooperative learning activities, and theoretical and research-based suggestions (p. 122). (2004). The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science, http://www.bayerus.com/msms/news/facts.cfm?mode=detailandid-survey04, http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/July_1213_2004_High_School_Labs_Meeting_Agenda.html, http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/June_3-4_2004_High_School_Labs_Meeting_Agenda.html, http://epx.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/613, http://www.educationnext.org/20021/50.html, http://www.sedl.org/connections/research-syntheses.html, http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/July_12-13_2004_High_School_Labs_Meeting_Agenda.html, http://www.nsta.org/positionstatementandpsid=16, http://www.horizon-research.com/reports/2002/2000survey/trends.php, http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/March_29-30_2004_High_School_Labs_Meeting_Agenda.html, http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/KTobin_71204_HSLabs_Mtg.pdf, http://www.nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2004/section4/indicator24.asp, http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/LSTPD/about.htm. Hegarty-Hazel, E. (1990). (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. These changes persisted several years after the teachers concluded their professional development experiences.. 4. Gitomer, D.H., and Duschl, R.A. (1998). The teaching communities that developed, with their new leaders, succeeded in obtaining additional resources (such as shared teacher planning time) from within the schools and districts (Gamoran et al., 2003) and also from outside of them. They further report (Lederman, 2004, p. 8): By observing practicing scientists and writing up their reflections, teachers gained insight into what scientists do in various research areas, such as crystallization, vascular tissue engineering, thermal processing of materials, nutrition, biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, protein purification and genetics. Their previous, closely prescribed laboratory experiences had not helped them to understand that there are many different ways to effect a particular chemical transformation. What do they contribute to science learning? teacher in the classroom and thus cause tension like tools, materials, negative working conditions, student violence on teachers, increasing teacher expectations and tiredness of teacher. Bell, P. (2004). They reported that the chief function of their school was instruction, followed, in order of emphasis, by preservice teacher education, research, and inservice teacher education. The Higher Education Chemistry (RSC), 5 (2), 42-51. Pedagogical content knowledge can help teachers and curriculum developers identify attainable science learning goals, an essential step toward designing laboratory experiences with clear learning goals in mind. Wright, S.P., Horn, S., and Sanders, W. (1997). Crime scenes are set up and the students play the role of Crime Scene Investigators to process the scene. Marjolein Dobber a. , Rosanne Zwart b. , Marijn Tanis a b 1. , Bert van Oers a. Teacher and classroom context effects on student achievement: Implications for teacher evaluation. As we have discussed, teachers face an ongoing tension between allowing students greater autonomy in the laboratory and guiding them toward accepted scientific knowledge. In N.M. Lambert and B.L. Supovitz, J.A., and Turner, H.M. (2000). teacher is teaching both chemistry and physics, requiring more preparation time (American Association of Physics Teachers, 2002). The literature provides an overview of a range of factors motivating and demotivating pre-service and in-service teachers, and the role teacher motivation plays in possible links with other areas. Chapel Hill, NC: Horizon Research. It will show you how laboratory sessions can differ with respect to their aim and expected learning . Key words: Laboratory, chemistry, teaching, achievement, students. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, April, St. Louis, MO. Westbrook, S., and Marek, E. (1992). Introduction The laboratory in the school has been defined by several authors in different ways. Providing more focused, effective, and sustained professional development activities for more science teachers requires not only substantial financial resources and knowledge of effective professional development approaches, but also a coherent, coordinated approach at the school and district level. New York: Teachers College Press. Volkmann, M., and Abell, S. (2003). However, it also reveals some gaps in the . Windschitl, M. (2004). A study of a much smaller sample of teachers yielded similar findings (Catley, 2004). (2004). In a study of 100 preservice science teachers, only 20 percent reported having laboratory experiences that gave them opportunities to ask their own questions and to design their own science investigations (Windschitl, 2004). van Zee, E., and Minstrell, J. Fulfilling the promise: Biology education in the nations schools. The laboratory has been given a central and distinctive role in science education, and science educators have suggested that there are rich benefits in learning from using laboratory activities. The role of the laboratory in science learning. Specifically, it challenges the assumption that having a college degree in science, by itself, is sufficient to teach high school science. instructors and laboratory assistants working in school or college settings in vocational . Building on existing teacher internship programs at several of the national laboratories, the program will engage teachers as summer research associates at the laboratories, beginning with a four-week stint the first summer, followed by shorter two-week internships the following two summers (U.S. Department of Energy, 2004). light, such as reflection, transmission, and absorption. In reviewing the state of biology education in 1990, an NRC committee concluded that few teachers had the knowledge or skill to lead effective laboratory experiences and recommended that major new programs should be developed for providing in-service education on laboratory activities (National Research Council, 1990, p. 34). Time constraints can also discourage teachers from the challenges of setting up and testing laboratory equipment and materials. More than 90 percent of the class indicated that the experiment was highly effective in demonstrating the difficulty of scientific investigations and the possibility of failure in science (Glagovich and Swierczynski, 2004). During the school year, teachers may access kits of materials supporting laboratory experiences that use biomedical research tools. Currently, few teachers lead this type of sense-making discussion (Smith, Banilower, McMahon, and Weiss, 2002). Committee on Science and Mathematics Teacher Preparation, Center for Education. Do you enjoy reading reports from the Academies online for free? Science Educator, 12(1), 1-9. The school science laboratory: Considerations of learning, technology, and scientific practice. fessional development aligned with the curricula leads to increases in students progress toward the goals of laboratory experiences (Slotta, 2004). Not a MyNAP member yet? Olsen, T.P., Hewson, P.W., and Lyons, L. (1996). Deng, Z. U.S. Department of Education. Research conducted in teacher education programs provides some evidence of the quality of preservice science education (Windschitl, 2004). Most states do not regulate the quality and content of professional development required for renewal of teaching certificates (Hirsch, Koppich, and Knapp, 2001). Other studies report that undergraduate laboratory work consists primarily of verification activities, with few opportunities for ongoing discussion and reflection on how scientists evaluate new knowledge (e.g., Trumbull and Kerr, 1993, cited in Windschitl, 2004). Washington, DC: Author. The impact of longer term intervention on reforming the approaches to instructions in chemistry by urban teachers of physical and life sciences at the secondary school level. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. We then go on to describe approaches to supporting teachers and improving their capacity to lead laboratory experiences through improvements in professional development and use of time. The available evidence indicates that the current science teaching workforce lacks the knowledge and skills required to lead a range of effective laboratory experiences. Gamoran and others studied six sites where teachers and educational researchers collaborated to reform science and mathematics teaching, focusing on teaching for understanding. Harlen, W. (2000). (1995). In B.J. 9-13 Thus, medical laboratory professionals can be key members of the interprofessional health care team. Science Education, 77(3), 301-317. Responsibilities of Teachers Clinical Supervision of Medical Students Resident, Fellow and Graduate Teaching Assistant as Teacher Policy Responsibilities of Learners Course Directors' Expectations of Students The teacher-learner relationship confers rights and responsibilities on both parties. The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, a science curriculum development organization, has long been engaged in the preservice education of science teachers and also offers professional development for inservice teachers. The paraprofessional would help with setup, cleanup, community contacts, searching for resources, and other types of support (National Science Teachers Association, 1990). 791-810). Literature review: The role of the teacher in inquiry-based education. (1998). Younger workers in a variety of occupations change jobs more frequently than their older counterparts (National Research Council, 1999). of habitual errors aids pupil in understanding nature of satisfactory performance Managing Practice Effectively laboratory and clinical experiences not merely repeating same exercise essential to goal attainment in psycho-motor and cognitive areas a teacher can manipulate whole-part approaches Helping Students . For example, Western science promotes a critical and questioning stance, and these values and attitudes may be discontinuous with the norms of cultures that favor cooperation, social and emotional support, consensus building, and acceptance of the authority (p. 470). In another approach, schools can schedule science classes for double periods to allow more time for both carrying out investigations and reflecting on the meaning of those investigations. Teacher participants at the institute experienced firsthand learning as students in several laboratory sessions led by high school instructors who were regarded as master laboratory teachers. 13-Week Science Methodology Course. Laboratory experiences and their role in science education. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 20, 745-754. Available at: http://www.bayerus.com/msms/news/facts.cfm?mode=detailandid-survey04 [accessed Dec. 2004]. Kennedy, M., Ball, D., McDiarmid, G.W., and Schmidt, W. (1991). Implications of teachers beliefs about the nature of science: Comparisons of the beliefs of scientists, secondary science teachers, and elementary science teachers. This earlier research indicated that, just as engaging students in laboratory experiences in isolation led to little or no increase in their understanding of the nature of science, engaging prospective or current science teachers in laboratory activities led to little or no increase in their understanding of the nature of science. Gather people close to focus them on what you are doing and consider the range of visual and auditory needs among your students to provide equitable access to the demonstration. . Understanding cellular respiration: An analysis of conceptual change in college biology. The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study. (2001b). Note: The suggestions below were generated by a group of U-M GSIs based on their experiences teaching in a physics lab course. 1. People working in the clinical laboratory are responsible for conducting tests that provide crucial information for detecting, diagnosing, treating, and monitoring disease. Laboratory Demonstrations: Do start class by demonstrating key techniques or equipment operation or describing the location and handling of special materials. (1991). They also modeled longer postlaboratory activities focused on using student data and observations as the engine for further instruction. (2004). Meaning making in secondary science classrooms. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 4(2), 103-126. Hofstein, A., and Lunetta, V.N. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. University researchers inchoate critiques of science teaching: Implications for the content of pre-service science teacher education. Among those who had, an overwhelming majority said the experience had helped them better understand science content and improved both their teaching practice and their enthusiasm (Bayer Corporation, 2004). Committee on Classroom Assessment and the National Science Education Standards, J.M. Program faculty report that many teachers tend to dwell on hands-on activities with their students at the expense of linking them with the nature of science and with abilities associated with scientific inquiry. In this section we describe the difficulty school administrators encounter when they try to support effective laboratory teaching. Educating teachers of science, mathematics, and technology. In addition to the many programs to increase teachers knowledge and abilities discussed above, the scientific community sometimes engages scientists to work directly with students. Perhaps this is because, among scientists, decisions about the kinds of questions to be asked and the kinds of answers to be sought are often developed by the scientific community rather than by an isolated individual (Millar, 2004). A professor engaged upper level chemistry majors in trying to create a foolproof laboratory activity to illustrate the chemistry of amines for introductory students. Laboratory activities have long had a distinct and central role in the science curriculum as a means of making sense of the natural world. Given the vast array of possible courses led by Teaching Assistants at UWM, their individual roles will vary considerably. Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features? (1996). Another analysis of the data from the National Center for Education Statistics found that students in high schools with higher concentrations of minority students and poor students were more likely than students in other high schools to be taught science by a teacher without a major or minor in the subject being taught (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). As is known, it is suggested that closedended - experiments cannot contribute much to meaningful the learning of students [13]. Deng (2001) describes pedagogical content knowledge for science teachers as an understanding of key scientific concepts that is somewhat different from that of a scientist. McComas and Colburn (1995) established an inservice program called Laboratory Learning: An Inservice Institute, which incorporated some of the design elements that support student learning in laboratory experiences. Gess-Newsome, J., and Lederman, N. (1993). Mortimer, E., and Scott, P. (2003). One study found that, when laboratories were easily accessible, 14- and 15-year-old students who used the facilities during their free time reported increased interest in academics and took advanced science courses (Henderson and Mapp, 2002). This is a culminating project for a Forensics course or unit. Songer, C., and Mintzes, J. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. (1990). Available at: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/July_1213_2004_High_School_Labs_Meeting_Agenda.html. Teachers require deep conceptual knowledge of a science discipline not only to lead laboratory experiences that are designed according to the research, but also to lead a full range of laboratory experiences reflecting the range of activities of scientists (see Chapter 1). The design of this professional development program incorporated the principle of integrating laboratory experiences into the stream of instruction and the goal of providing a full range of laboratory experiences, including opportunities for students to participate in developing research questions and procedures. They are relevant for new lab instructors in a wide range of disciplines. Harrison and Killion (2007) defined the roles of . Laboratory experiments Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 27, 761-776. The poor quality of laboratory experiences of most high school students today results partly from the challenges that laboratory teaching and learning pose to school administrators. Mathematics and science teachers reported more frequently than other teachers that job dissatisfaction was the reason they left their jobs. To make these choices, they must be aware not only of their own capabilities, but also of students needs and readiness to engage in the various types of laboratory experiences. We begin by identifying some of the knowledge and skills required to lead laboratory experiences aligned with the goals and design principles we have identified. Currently, teachers rarely provide opportunities for students to participate in formulating questions to be addressed in the laboratory. Synergy research and knowledge integration. Linn, M.C., Davis, E.A., and Bell, P. (2004). Journal of Research on Science Teaching, 37, 963-980. They should advise teachers where any concerns arise regarding safety, scheduling or resourcing of (1990). The group employs a variety of long-term strategies, such as engaging teachers in curriculum development and adaptation, action research, and providing on-site support by lead teachers (Linn, 1997; Lederman, 2004). Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text. When students have more freedom to pose questions or to identify and carry out procedures, they require greater guidance to ensure that their laboratory activities help them to master science subject matter and progress toward the other goals of laboratory experiences. Examining the effects of a highly rated curriculum unit on diverse students: Results from a planning grant. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum. Brown, A.L., and Campione, J.C. (1998). Playing this critical role requires that teachers know much more than how to set up equipment, carry out procedures, and manage students physical activities. Sign up for email notifications and we'll let you know about new publications in your areas of interest when they're released. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum. As already known, most of the teacher candidates carry out closeended laboratory - practices throughout their university education [14]. A supportive school administration could help teachers overcome their isolation and learn from each other by providing time and space to reflect on their laboratory teaching and on student learning in the company of colleagues (Gamoran, 2004). In the Seattle program, teachers attend a 13-day summer workshop in which they work closely with each other, master teachers, and program staff to develop expertise in molecular biology. ), Internet environments for science education.