Practical Work in Science

Trends in Practical Work

The Nuffield Foundation spearheads the Practical Work for Learning project, wherein practical work means “tasks in which students observe or manipulate real objects or materials or they witness a teacher demonstration”. Their website features teaching resources for physics, chemistry, and biology, and are suitable for Key Stages 3-5. Research summaries are also provided, for those who want to delve further into the evidence underpinning the development of the resources. You can explore more on the three approaches on practical work: (1) Argumentation, (2) Model-based Inquiry, and (3) Science in the workplace, through their website: http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/practical-work-learning/about-project

On the other hand, the Science Community Representing Education (SCORE), also based in the UK, found that practical work in science includes the core activities and the directly related activities. The complementary activities are important in supporting the development of conceptual understanding in science through practical work.

Practical work in science Core activities

·       Investigations

·       Laboratory procedures and techniques

·       Fieldwork

Directly related activities

·       Designing and planning investigations

·       Data analysis using ICT

·       Analysing results

·       Teacher demonstrations

·       Experiencing phenomena

Complementary activities

·       Science-related visits Surveys

·       Presentations and role play

·       Simulations including use of ICT Models and modeling

·       Group discussion

·       Group text-based activities

Millar (2009) cautioned us that not all practical work activities may effectively accomplish our instructional objectives. Figure 1 shows that the effectiveness of practical work lies in the alignment of the objective with what students are intended and actually do during practical work. Basically, there are two types of practical work according to Millar – practical work carried out by the students and practical demonstrations carried out by the teacher wherein students may help. The model shows that there are two attributes to the effectiveness (1) coherence of intended and actual student action, and (2) coherence of objective with learning outcomes.

Effectiveness is also influenced by several factors - the developer’s views of science (e.g. what s/he thinks is important to teach to the group of students in question; his/her ideas about the nature of science and of the enquiry process); the developer’s views of learning (e.g. what s/he thinks is appropriate for learners of the age and stage for which the activity is intended; how s/he thinks learning occurs); and the context in which the activity will be used (e.g. the curriculum or course being followed; how students are assessed; the resources available) (Millar, 2009).

Furthermore, practical works are done so that students can make sensible connections between tow domains (Figure 2): the domain of objects and observables (things we can see and handle) and the domain of ideas (which we cannot observe directly)

 

 

Table 1 sets this out in more detail. It identifies the kind of evidence that would indicate that a practical activity was effective in each of the senses identified above, in each of the two domains.

 

A comprehensive handbook for evaluating the effectiveness of practical work can be downloaded from http://www.york.ac.uk/media/educationalstudies/documents/research/Analysing%20practical%20activities.pdf

According to Hattingh, Aldous and Rogan (2007), the quality of practical work in science classroom depends primarily on the teachers' perceptions of their learners. Also important, but to a lesser extent, is the attitude of teachers towards innovation. A well functioning school also appears to be an important factor. In their study, they classified practical according to level of complexity as shown in Table 1 below. The classification was also attributed to Rogan and Grayson (2002) by Merle Tan (n.d.).

Based on the findings of this research, when teachers perceive that their learners are motivated and non-disruptive, then they are more likely to engage learners in higher-level types of practical work. Common sense tells us that if there is minimal deviant behavior and if the teacher has a very good classroom management skill, then there will be more time for creativity rather than resolving conflicts. Another important factor, although not as significant as teacher perception, is the attitude of teachers towards innovation. If innovation is generally supported in the school, science teachers engage in higher levels of practical work. A well functioning school also appears to be an important factor.

“If learners have the strongest influence in motivating teachers to provide higher level types of practical work, then creative ways can be sought to capitalise on this finding. Our results suggest that the possibility of an upwards spiral exists. In our experience, both as teachers and observers of classroom practice, we have witnessed how excited learners often become when given the opportunity to do interesting hands-on science. Motivated learners in turn motivate teachers, who then provide more interesting kinds of practical work” (Hattingh, Aldous and Rogan, 2007).

A very surprising implication from this study is that doing of practical work is not significantly dependent on whether teachers have physical resources (e.g. laboratories, science apparatus or portable laboratory stations). “It seems that those who are motivated to do practical work will find ways to do so even in the most poorly resourced of schools. Conversely those who are not motivated will not do practical work even when they have access to the best of resources. At the moment there appears to be no link between the provision of resources and the capacity of teachers”. This is contrary to the eternal lament of local teachers about insufficient laboratory equipment, facilities and supplies.

To be successful and effective, practical work has to:

ü  be interesting, and even exciting

ü  have a clear purpose, shared with pupils

ü  be well planned

ü  timed and managed to achieve its purpose

ü  be manageable by pupils.  (CLEAPSS, 2009).

Challenges and Issues

In a research commissioned in the UK, it was found out that according to student respondents, the largest factor contributing to the lack of lab skills was limited exposure to practical work at school. Teachers provide very little practical work and relied heavily on demonstrations and/or videos.

“Many students are telling us that they have done no practical work at school so they struggle with basic skills like using a microscope, with which they previously would have had some experience”

“Many of them claim to never have carried out an experiment only watched teacher/videos of. Most of them have no idea how to act in a lab or where to even begin when carrying out an experiment, ie no idea what equipment is called.” (Gatsby, 2011).

In Ghana, Yeboah (2012)concluded that learning of biology in the senior high schools has of late not been very effective since the practical aspect of the subject is neglected by many teachers He found out that revealed that teachers who taught biology did not offer biology as area of specialization. Again teachers lacked in-service training, workshops, refresher courses for teachers of science, equipment and chemicals, lack of incentives, laboratory assistance, professional teachers and lack of laboratories for practical work were the various causes for the poor performance of biology students.

In a comparative analysis of secondary high school syllabi in Slovenia, Šorgo and Špernjak (2011) importance is given to practical work in the syllabi of chemistry and physics, where it is recognized as a basic method, while in the biology syllabus the construction of concepts is valued much higher. This issue on practical biology work agrees with Yeboah’s findings. As a biology teacher, myself, I humbly admit that a lion’s share of instructional time is spent on discussion of concepts, processes, issues. I think biology teachers should bring the students more to field observations and investigative work to break the notion that Biology is difficult because of the memorization work. It has also been a personal struggle to promote biology as an opportunity for a lucrative career in the academe, research and industry because a lot of my students think that those who major in Biology would either end up a doctor or a teacher.   Perhaps practical work would uplift Biology’s popularity.

In a study conducted with Rachel Sharpe (2012) to English secondary students, she found out that there is a general positive attitude towards practical work. However, the extent of attitude towards practical work differed not only across the three sciences , but also significantly as students progressed through their secondary school education. The reason for this being that the relative importance of the cognitive, affective and behavioural domains changed as students moved away from a focus on the enjoyment of science towards one that was examination orientated.

“By understanding how students formulate their attitudes and what can impact on their attitudes is integral to effectively enhancing their school science experience. This study has shown that it is no longer realistic to discuss students’ attitudes to science practical work per se since students hold different attitudes to biology, chemistry and physics practical work and these attitudes differ according to particular times in their academic life. Whilst researching and finding out about students’ attitudes to practical work is beneficial, it is what happens with that knowledge that will directly impact on students and influence their attitudes.”

Sharpe’s conclusion may be high in ecological generalizability in her context, but do we also observe the same trend among our high school students. It would be interesting to find out if attitude of Filipino learners towards practical work and the extent of their experience of PW have significant implications to their choice of college course and career path, which eventually impact the progress of science and engineering in our country.

In a position paper by the Society of Biology in the UK, released in December 2010, they emphasized the nature of Biology as a practical science.

“Biology is a practical science. High quality, appropriate biology experiments and investigations are the key to enhanced learning, and clarification and consolidation of theory. Practical activities are not just motivational and fun: they also enable students to apply and extend their knowledge and understanding of biology in novel investigative situations, which can stimulate interest and aid learning and retention. Crucially, practical work gives students an understanding of how biological knowledge is generated by experiment and observation.”

Importance of practical work in science

Practical work is a key factor in engaging, enthusing and inspiring students, thus stimulating lifelong interest in science. High quality, appropriate practical work is central to effective learning in science.

The Society of Biology believes that it is important to support and promote practical work in science because it:

·       Stimulates creativity, curiosity and critical thinking

·       Underpins and illustrates concepts, knowledge and principles

·       Promotes student engagement with the scientific method

·       Encourages active learning and problem-solving

·       Allows collaborative working

·       Provides opportunities to collect and analyse data and apply mathematical skills

The Society of Biology believes that it is important to support and promote high quality practical work in biology because it:

·       Illustrates the beauty and complexity of the living world

·       Promotes understanding of how to extract information from complex living systems

·       Provides experience of analysing and evaluating variable data

·       Highlights and promotes discussion of ethical issues

·       Gives students the skills to tackle global challenges

Practical Biology Resources

To support the delivery of high quality practical work at all levels, the Society of Biology recommends the following resources and websites:

·       Practical Biology Website: www.practicalbiology.org

·       Getting Practical - Improving Practical Work in Science: www.gettingpractical.org.uk

·       The Higher Education Academy UK Centre for Bioscience Resources to support practical biology in HE: http://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/themes/practicals.aspx

·       SCORE Practical Work in Science: http://www.scoreeducation.org/2projects/practical_work.htm

·       The Language of Measurement, ASE and Nuffield Foundation 2010                              (ISBN: 978 0 86357 424 5)

·       Analysing Practical Science Activities to Assess and Improve Their Effectiveness,              ASE 2010 (9 78 086357 425 2)

·       Biological Nomenclature 4th Edition, Institute of Biology, 2009 (978 0 900490 39 2)

 

Beyond Science Literacy: A Conclusion

“Our world is profoundly shaped by science and technology. Preserving the environment, reducing poverty and improving health: each of these challenges and many more require scientists capable of developing effective and feasible responses – and citizens who can engage in active debate on them.”

 - UNESCO

Macedo (2006) identified the four pillars for learning: (1) learning to live together; (2) learning to be; (3) learning to do; and (4) learning to know. UNESCO declares that these four pillars help us decide what we should include in scientific literacy for all. Through these four pillars, students should have opportunities to develop their imagination and creativity, as they become active learners. In the longer term, such developments will support the students to lead more fruitful lives individually and as members of future societies.

Implications to practical work:

“ Learning to live together. School science necessarily implies practical work of different sorts. For a number of reasons, both for managing the class and for good pedagogical reasons, students work in groups to carry out science investigations.  

Learning to do. Through science learning, students will learn to define, refine and resolve problems and ideas. They will learn to do this through practical data gathering, collecting information from a range of sources, transforming that data to make broader generalizations, explaining their outcomes and justifying their positions.”

Needless to say, the key to quality practical work and their effective implementation in science is the teacher. The Society of Biology strongly advocates teacher training responsive to advancement of practical work as a staple teaching strategy. Nieda and Macedo (1997) offer a succinct summary of the outcomes of research on classroom climate and teacher-student relations. Two of five conclusive statements stipulated in the UNESCO document further signify the relevance of practical work.

·       Teachers have high expectations for all the students in their class and are able to convey these expectations to their students.

·       The more the students are involved in their tasks the more the outcomes increase, provided that the tasks are within the reach of students and of their peers working together.

In conclusion, practical work is indeed a significant determiner of interest and attitude toward science. It is an effective tool for developing scientific culture, critical and creative thinking. Practical work can only be utilized if teachers are properly trained and if academic supervision and educational administration are supportive of innovations and are adept in empowering teachers despite insufficient, if not lack, of updated and sophisticated technology.

The cartoon below depicts a teacher who has all the reasons in the world why he cannot engage in practical work. Do we or do we not identify with him? I hope I’m not and never will be!

© CLEAPSS 2009  

Sources:

CLEAPSS (2009) Successful Science Practicals, June 2009. http://www.cleapss.org.uk/attachments/article/0/G30.pdf?Secondary/Science/Guides/?New%20teachers/

Hattingh, Annemarie, Aldous, Colleen and Rogan, John (2007). Some factors influencing the quality of practical work in science classrooms. African Journal of Research in SMT Education, Volume 11(1) 2007, pp. 75-90.

Retrieved https://www.academia.edu/582259/Some_factors_influencing_the_quality_of_practical_work_in_science_classrooms

Millar, R. (2009). Analysing practical activities to assess and improve effectiveness: The Practical Activity Analysis Inventory (PAAI). York: Centre for Innovation and Research in Science Education, University of York. Available from http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/educ/research/ResearchPaperSeries/index.htm

Science & Engineering Education Team The Gatsby Charitable Foundation (2011). Practical experiments in School science lessons. Science Education from 14 to 19’ (July 2002), House of Commons Committee on Science & Technology. Retrieved Oct. 1, 2014 from http://www.gatsby.org.uk/~/media/Files/Education/4%20Evidence%20to%20HoC%20Science%20Experiments%20Inquiry%20May%202011.ashx

Science Community Representing Education (SCORE). (n.d.) Practical work in science:

A report and proposal for a strategic framework. Retrieved Oct. 1, 2014 from  http://www.score-education.org/media/3668/report.pdf

Sharpe, Rachel May (2012). Secondary school students’ attitudes to practical work in school science. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of York Education.

Retrieved http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/3783/1/Rachael_Sharpe_PhD_Thesis_2012.pdf

Society of Biology (2010). Practical Biology Position Statement: The Importance of Practical Biology: from School to Higher Education. Retrieved Oct. 1, 2014 from www.societyofbiology.org.

Šorgo, Andrej and Špernjak, Andreja. (2011). Practical Work in Biology, Chemistry and Physics at Lower Secondary and General Upper Secondary Schools in Slovenia. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 2012, 8(1), 11-19.

Retrieved from  http://www.ejmste.com/v8n1/eurasia_v8n1_sorgo.pdf.

UNESCO (n.d.). Current challenges in basic science education. Paris, France: UNESCO

Retrieved

Yeboah, E. (2012). A survey of biology practical work in selected senior high schools in the eastern region of ghana. University of Education, Winneba Institutional Repository, Nov. 12, 2012. Retrieved Oct.1, 2014 from http://ir.uew.edu.gh:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/184