Laboratory Work

What is Laboratory Work ?

Laboratory work engages students in finding out and learning how through first hand experiences. It permits students to plan and participate in investigations or to take part in activities that will help them to improve their technical laboratory.

Generally, laboratory work can be used to promote the following learning outcomes:

1. Attitudes toward science
2. Scientific attitudes
3. Scientific inquiry
4. Conceptual development
5. Technical skills

In 1960s, the curriculum reform project were very laboratory oriented while in 1990s, it emphasize scientific literacy and stress the need for students to have experiences that permit them to adapt to a changing world.

Actually, the ultimate success of a laboratory work lies with science teachers who determine the frequency, importance, and purpose of this enterprise in a science course. For example, if a teacher believe that laboratory work is important, then the chances are good that students will frequently engage in meaningful firsthand experiences. If a teacher believes that the function of a science program is to transmit knowledge, then the laboratory will serve only to verify knowledge.

Approaches to Laboratory Work

Most approaches can be classified into five categories:

1. Science process skill
2. Deduction or verification
3. Inductive
4. Technical Skill
5. Problem Solving

Science Process Skill Laboratory

Since the major purpose for including laboratory work is to develop in students a sense for the nature of science. This aim requires that students use inquiry skills to engage in investigation. Some of the mental processes associated with science and, in particular, with laboratory work are often referred to as science process skills.

Deductive or Verification Laboratory

The purpose of this type of laboratory is to confirm concepts, principles and laws that have been addressed during classroom discussion and reading, as well as for students to gain firsthand experiences with them.

Many concepts, principles and laws can be best developed through a deductive approach, whereby they are first discussed by the teacher, then followed by a laboratory activity to verify the relationships.

Inductive Laboratory

The inductive laboratory is the opposite of the deductive laboratory. The inductive laboratory provides students with opportunity to develop concepts, principles, and laws through firsthand experiences before these ideas are discussed in the classroom.

Although science teachers frequently use deductive laboratories, they should also use inductive laboratories to help students acquire fundamental science concepts and principles.

Technical Skill Laboratory

Science educators have placed too little emphasis upon developing proficiency in laboratory skills and techniques. Since laboratory work often relies on students’ abilities to manipulate equipment and techniques; therefore, the emphasis of some laboratories should involve the development and use of these skills and techniques.

Examples : Using a analytic balance, dissecting a frog or a worm, focusing a microscope.

Furthermore, psychomotor and mental practices are beneficial in improving the accuracy and precision of a student’s laboratory measurements.

Problem Solving Laboratory

Problem Solving laboratory give the opportunity to students in order to identify a problem, design procedures, collect information, organize data, and report findings. This type of laboratory investigation can involve authentic inquiry experiences for students. Furthermore, students are involved in organizing their own learning, which may incline a better understanding towards the experiment and motivate students in learning.

Teaching Approaches

Basically, teaching of science can be divided to two basic approaches; namely the inductive and deductive approach. The inductive approach provides students with learning situations in which they can discover a concept or principles. In deductive approach on the other hand, a concept or principle is given and discussed, followed by experiences to further illustrate the idea presented.

Inquiry Learning

Inquiry based learning is mainly involving learners and leading them to understand. Inquiry here implies on the possessing skills and attitude of learners, which allows them to ask questions about new resolutions and issues while they are gaining new knowledge. Generally, inquiry refers to the act of finding out and focuses on the desire to answer a question or to know more about a situation. In science, the act of finding out involves scientific investigation.

Constructivism

Constructivism is a philosophy of learning founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world we live in. Each of us generates our own “rules” and “mental models,” which we use to make sense of our experiences. Learning, therefore, is simply the process of adjusting our mental models to accommodate new experiences.

The purpose of learning is for an individual to construct his or her own meaning, not just memorize the “right” answers and regurgitate someone else meaning. Since education is inherently interdisciplinary, the only valuable way to measure learning is to make the assessment part of the learning process, ensuring it provides students with information on the quality of their learning.

Contextual Learning

According to Hull's (1993) definition of contextual learning, learning occurs only when learners connect information to their own frame of reference:

"According to contextual learning theory, learning occurs only when students (learners) process new information or knowledge in such a way that it makes sense to them in their frame of reference (their own inner world of memory, experience, and response). This approach to learning and teaching assumes that the mind naturally seeks meaning in context--that is, in the environment where the person is located--and that it does so through searching for relationships that make sense and appear useful." (p. 41)

Science, Technology and Society

Science and technology is the best thing society could ever ask for. Since the industrial revolution in the 18th century science has been in progress. Some sectors that have been boosted by science and technology are energy, physical sciences, information and communication. The society has greatly gained with the invention of technology.

Infrastructure in the society has grown with the help of science and technology. Modes of transport like electronic railway lines were realized and these actually benefited the society by offering them a better means of transport. In the past, almost everything was analog but thanks to the science and technology we are now being digitalized by the day. The invention of the telephone and radio services has broadened human communication.

Without society then there would be no science and technology and that is why the invention of certain tools and equipment have helped achieve big things. Society cannot do without the industries we have today. The society needs science and technology. The creation of computers is work of art by individuals was a milestone that would come a long way in helping the society. A computer helps us to leverage ourselves by gaining valuable information that we can use to enrich our lives. The impact of science and technology can seriously be recognized.

Mastery Learning

Mastery learning proposes that all children can learn when provided with the appropriate learning conditions in the classroom.

The application of mastery learning is based on Benjamin Bloom’s Learning for Mastery model, with refinements made by Block. Mastery learning is predominantly a group-based, teacher-paced instructional approach, in which students learn by cooperating with their classmates. However, some mastery learning strategies require students to work independently, rather than with classmates.

Two problems often arise with mastery learning.

· First, grouping and scheduling may become difficult. Teachers often find it easier to force people to work at a constant pace and to complete tasks at a predictable rate than to permit wide variations in activities within a class.

· Second, while slow learners spend extra time on minimum standards, the faster learners may be forced to wait when they could be progressing to higher levels of achievement.