Analysis of nine high school biology laboratory manuals: Promoting scientific inquiry

Abstract

This was a descriptive study of nine high school biology laboratory manuals to determine how well they promote the basic and integrated science process skills that are involved in scientific inquiry. A total of 90 activities were selected from the reviewed manuals in 11 topic areas. These activities included two subsamples of 5 experimental and 5 descriptive exercises. The lab investigations were evaluated for science process skills using a modification of Tamir and Lunetta's Laboratory Structure and Task Analysis Inventory. Results indicate that while some manuals have made efforts to include a few science process skills, they seldom call upon students to use their knowledge and experience to pose questions, solve problems, investigate natural phenomena, or construct answers or generalizations. These findings are discussed using a modification of Schwab and Herron's framework for inquiry. Suggestions are offered for modifying "cookbook" laboratories to promote student inquiry.

Analysis of Undergraduate Biology Laboratory Manuals

“…Laboratory manuals are handbook, or worksheet (Hofstein and Lunetta, 2003) that should provide step-by step detailed instructions in each laboratory exercise (Germann , et al, 1996). Laboratory exercise is defined as an individual experiment or observation set up in a laboratory manual to investigate a particular problem or hypothesis (Peters, 2006).…”

“…Each activity in each course was evaluated with seven categories of Laboratory Task Analysis Instrument (LAI) modified version of Tweedy and Hoese (2005) laboratory task analysis unventory . The instrument was first developed by Tamir and Lunetta (1978) and Germann et al (1996) with certain modification. There are two main reasons for the need to modify the laboratory task analysis used by Tweedy and Hoese (2005).…”

“…Sundberg and Moncada (1994) stated that manuals for implementing an investigative laboratory program in a classroom should contain awareness and purpose of investigation, initial series of activities that prepare students to investigate, formulate problems and investigatory procedures, to repeat and/or modify experiments and prepare written and/or oral reports. Similarly, Germann, Haskins and Auls (1996) stated that the laboratory manuals should provide students with step-by-step detailed instructions and ask them to manipulate materials, make observations and measurements, record results, make qualitative and quantitative relationships, draw conclusion, make inferences and generalizations, and communicate and interpret the results. Manuals should also include much inquiry and they often engage students in the planning and designing of the activities, and they should also encourage students to apply the skills or techniques they have learned to new situations (Tweedy and Hoese, 2005).…”

“…For example, Tamir and Lunetta (1978) Germann, Haskins and Auls (1996) studied seven high school biology laboratory manuals using a modified version of Tamir and Lunetta(1978) lab manual inventory. Germann et al (1996) concluded that most manuals did not provide opportunities for students to pose a question to be investigated, formulate a hypothesis to be tested, or predict experimental results; to design observations, measurements, and experimental procedures; to work according to their own design; or to formulate new questions or apply an experimental technique based on the investigation they performed. Basey, Mendelow and Ramos (2000) investigated laboratory manuals at six randomly chosen community colleges in Colorado on how science inquiry and technology were incorporated into lab exercises.…”

Elementary School Students' Perceptions on Free Science Inquiry Activities Applying a Brain-Based Evolutionary Approach

“…(Hodson, 1998), 실제적 탐구가 적 절히 반영되지 못하고 있다 (Jang, 2006;Shim et al, 2007). 교사가 실험이나 탐구 활동 과정을 제시하고 설명하면 학생은 활동의 목적이나 의미 등 중요한 내용을 적절히 이해하지 못한 상태에서 교사 지시 에 따라 수동적으로 활동한다 (Germann et al, 1996;Peters, 2005). 또한 과학 탐구 요소를 위주로 한 단 편적․지시적 확인 실험으로 인해 포괄적이고 종 합적인 과학 탐구, 즉 학생이 스스로 문제를 찾아 해결해 볼 수 있는 기회가 적어 과학적 과정의 이 해나 이에 필요한 능력을 기르는 데 한계를 보인다 (Yoon & Pak, 2000 Lim, 2009Lim, , 2012 은 실제과학적 자유탐구 자체와 그에 대한 체계적 인 연구에 효과적이라고 판단된다.…”