Laboratory Teaching Competencies For Secondary Biology Teachers*

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONScience educators have watched the meteoric rise of Competency Based Teacher Education (CBTE) during the past decade. The strength of this model lies in its public statement of objectives, provision for alternative learning modes, individualization, and a mechanism for feedback and revision. Its field based philosophy offers the opportunity for teacher education programs to keep pace with the needs of today's schools, and to establish a collaborative effort between college-bound science educators and field-centered practitioners.The purpose of this study was to gain practitioner input into the designation of competencies in the limited area of laboratory skills thought necessary for the successful teaching of high school biology courses.