Didactics of Physics - Projects

LSE - Labwork in Science Education

Project Overview (1996-1998) This project stems from a concern to recognise science education as an important component of a general education, not only for future scientists and engineers, but also for any future citizen in a European society which is increasingly dependent upon science and technology. Research has focused upon the role of laboratory work ('labwork') in science teaching at the levels of upper secondary school and the first two years of undergraduate study, in physics, chemistry, and biology. Various forms of labwork have been identified and investigated, including 'typical' activities in which pairs of students work on activities following precise instructions, open-ended project work in which students design and carry out empirical investigations, and the use of modern technologies for modelling, simulating and data processing. The main objectives of the project were to clarify and differentiate learning objectives for labwork, and to conduct investigations yielding information that might be used in the design of labwork approaches that are as effective as possible in promoting student learning. A survey was conducted to allow for better description of existing labwork practices in the countries involved. There are great variations from country to country in the time devoted to labwork, the assessment of students' performance in labwork and the equipment available. However, the forms of labwork activity used between countries are remarkably similar. In each country, the most frequent activity involves students following precise instructions in pairs or threes. A document has been produced describing the place of labwork in science education in each country. A second survey was conducted to study the learning objectives attributed to labwork by teachers. There are some differences between countries in terms of the relative importance given to the teaching of laboratory skills. Motivation for science learning is not attributed particularly high status as an objective for labwork learning. In each country, the main goal for labwork teaching in the view of teachers surveyed concerns enabling students to form links 'between theory and practice'. A third piece of survey work was conducted to investigate the images of science drawn upon by students during labwork, and the image of science conveyed to students by teachers during labwork. These surveys were based upon the hypothesis that epistemological and sociological ideas about science are prominent during labwork. 22 case studies were carried out in order to clarify the variety of knowledge, attitudes and competencies that can be promoted through labwork. The case studies focused upon both empirical labwork and labwork involving computer modelling and simulation. The work has resulted in an analysis of the effectiveness of labwork, leading to recommendations about policy. It is hoped that teachers and policy makers with responsibilities in science education generally, and labwork in particular, will find these useful in informing future practice with respect to possible objectives for labwork, links between objectives, methods of organisation of labwork and ways of observing and evaluating the effectiveness of labwork in promoting student learning.

Publications:

Book
Psillos, D., Niedderer, H. (Eds.): Teaching and Learning in the Science Laboratory - A book based on the European Project "Labwork in Science Education", Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers (2002)
Sander, Florian: Verbindung von Theorie und Experiment im Physikalischen Praktikum. In: H. Niedderer & H. Fischler (Hrsg.). Studien zum Physiklernen, Bd. 13 (Dissertation Universität Bremen), Berlin: Logos (2000)

Article in journals
Niedderer, H.: Recherche et dévelopment en didactique de la physique à l'université; résultats et tendences. (Research and development in physics didactics at university; issues and trends). In: Didaskalia no 14 (1999), 95-113
Welzel, M., Haller, K., Bandiera, M., Hammelev, D., Koumaras, P., Niedderer, H., Paulsen, A., Robinault, K. & Aufschnaiter, S. v.: Ziele, die Lehrende mit experimentellen Arbeiten in der naturwissenschaftlichen Ausbildung verbinden - Ergebnisse einer europäischen Umfrage. In: Zeitschrift für Didaktik der Naturwissenschaften, 4(1) (1998), 29-44

self-published
Niedderer, H., Tiberghien, A., Buty, C., Haller, K., Hucke, L., Sander, F., Fischer, H.E., Schecker, H., v. Aufschnaiter, S., Welzel, M.: Category Based Analysis of Videotapes from labwork (CBAV) - the method and results from four case studies. In: Working Paper 9 from the European project Labwork in Science Education (Targeted Socio-Economic Research Programme, Project PL 95-2005), 41 pages (1998)
Séré, M.G., Tiberghien, A., Paulsen, A. C., Leach, J., Niedderer, H., Psillos, D., Vicentini, M.: Labwork in Science Education - Executive Summary. In: Working paper from the European project Labwork in Science Education (Targeted Socio-Economic Research Programme, Project PL 95-2005), 16 pages (1998)
Andrée Tiberghien, Karine Bécu-Robinault, Christian Buty, Manuel Fernandez, Hans Fischer, John Leach, Jean-François Le Maréchal, Anastasios Molohides, Albert Chr.Paulsen, Didier Pol, Dimitris Psillos, Naoum Salame, Carlo Tarsitani, Eugenio Torracca, Laurent Veillard, Stefan v. Aufschnaiter and Jean Winther: Science Teaching and Labwork Practice in Several European Countries Volume 1: Description of Science Teaching at Secondary Level. In: Working Paper 2, Vol. 1, from the European project Labwork in Science Education (Targeted Socio-Economic Research Programme, Project PL 95-2005), 71 pages (1998)
Leach, J., Millar, R., Ryder, J., Séré, M.-G., Niedderer, H., Paulsen, A. & Tselfes, V.: Survey 2: Students' 'Images of Science' as they relate to labwork learning. In: WORKING PAPER 4 from the European project LABWORK IN SCIENCE EDUCATION (Targeted Socio-Economic Research Programme, Project PL 95-2005), 83 pages (1998)
Andrée Tiberghien, Karine Bécu-Robinault, Christian Buty, Hans Fischer, Kerstin Haller, Dorte Hammelev, Lorenz Hucke, Petros Kariotoglou, Helge Kudahl, John Leach, Jean-François Le Maréchal, Jenny Lewis, Hans Niedderer, Albert Chr.Paulsen, Dimitris Psillos, Florian Sander, Horst Schecker, Marie-Geneviève Séré, Carlo Tarsitani, Eugenio Torracca, Laurent Veillard, Stefan v. Aufschnaiter, Manuela Welzel, and Jean Winther: Teachers' Labwork Practice, an Analysis Based on Questionnaires. In: WORKING PAPER 2, Vol. 2, from the European project LABWORK IN SCIENCE EDUCATION (Targeted Socio-Economic Research Programme, Project PL 95-2005), 32 pages (1998)
Welzel, M., Haller, K., Bandiera, M., Hammelev, D., Koumaras, P., Niedderer, H., Paulsen, A., Robinault, K., von Aufschnaiter, S.: Teachers' Objectives For Labwork. Research Tool And Cross Country Results. In: Working Paper 6 from the European project Labwork in Science Education (Targeted Socio-Economic Research Programme, Project PL 95-2005), 109 pages (1998)