Practical Work in Science Education: Recent Research Studies

This book contains 18 reviewed papers originally presented at the conference "Practical Work in Science Education - The Face of Science in Schools", held at the Royal Danish School of Educational Studies in Copenhagen, in May 1998. The text contains contributions by researchers from England, France, Germany, Norway, Israel, Italy, Sweden and South Africa and adds important aspects to a varied and balanced view of practical work. Some of the papers are conceptual, addressing aims and rationales for practical work from a theoretical and critical perspective. Most papers, however, encounter recent empirical research. Important aspects about the outcome of students' practice of science both inside and outside the conventional laboratory are addressed and make a substantial contribution to our understanding of the effectiveness of practical work for conceptual learning and the attainment of skills and processes normally associated with science.

Table of Contents:
Introduction; J. Leach, A. Paulsen. Section 1: Aims and rationales for practical work. Introduction; A. Paulsen. Practical work in School Science - some questions to be answered; E.W. Jenkins. 'Mapping' the domain - varieties of practical work; R.H. Millar, et al. Envisionment in Practical Work. Helping pupils to imagine concepts while carrying out experiments; J. Solomon. TIMSS Performance Assessment - a cross national comparison of practical work; P.M. Kind. Touched by a disgusting fish. Dissecting squid in biology lessons in a comprehensive school; P. Szybek. Section 2: Practical work and learning about science. Introduction; J. Leach. A marriage of inconvenience? School science practical work and the nature of science; G.M. Ntombela. Learning science in the laboratory. The importance of epistemological understanding; J. Leach. The interaction between teaching styles and pupil autonomy in practical science investigations - a case study; R. Watson, et al. Is authentic appropriate? The use of work contexts in science practical activity. S. Molyneux-Hodgson, et al. Section 3: Practical work and teaching scientific concepts. Introduction; J. Leach. Labwork activity and learning physics - an approach based on modelling; A. Tiberghien. Modelling Student's cognitive activity during resolution of problems based on experimental facts in chemical education; J.-F. Le Marechal. A challenge for lifelong science understanding. The role of 'lab work' in primary school science; M. Gagliardi, et al. Longitudinal study on lab work and 10-12-year-olds' development of the concepts of transformation of matter; O. Ekilsson. Section 4: Practical work outside the laboratory. Introduction; A. Paulsen. The theoretical and practical aspects of actively involved enquiry learning in a controlled environment (the Educational Greenhouse). A case study based analysis; M. Dvir, D. Chen. Changing teachers' practise. Practical work in environmental education; P. van Marion. Section 5: Models of student cognition in practical work: Perspectives from one research programme. Introduction; A. Paulsen. The influence of students' individual experiences of physics learning environments on cognitive processes; C. von Aufschnaiter, et al. The influence of learning environments on cognitive processes; A. Schoster, S. von Aufschnaiter. How to interact with students? The role of teachers in a learning situation; M. Welzel, et al. Contact details for first authors of chapters in this book

Review :
`All in all, this is a book well worth having, for practioners as well as for the researchers who are most likely to read it. The book covers a lot of ground in its 18 chapters.'
Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technolgy Education, (2001)P