Labwork in Science Education

February 1996 - April 1998

(Contact: Professor John Leach or Marie-Geneviève Séré (Co-ordinator) - Université Paris XI, France)

Funded By: The European Commission

Other project members:
Dr Jim Ryder
Dr Jenny Lewis
Professor Robin Millar - University of York
Albert Chr. Paulsen - Roskilde University, Denmark
Andrée Tiberghien - ENS-Lyon, France
Hans Niedderer - Bremen University, Germany
Dimitris Psillos - Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Matilde Vicentini - University of Rome 1 and 3

Aims - Page 1 | Publications - Page 2

Aims - Page 1

This project focused upon teaching and learning through laboratory work at the upper secondary level (i.e. age 16-18) and early undergraduate level (i.e. age 18-20). A number of related pieces of work were conducted:

  • Production of a typology of labwork, for use in identifying teachers' learning aims in labwork, what students actually learn, various forms of organisation of labwork, and what students actually do (contact: Robin Millar; see Working Paper 1 below).
  • Survey to identify the different ways in which labwork is used in teaching in the different participating countries (contact: Andrée Tiberghien; see Working Papers 2 and 3, volumes 1-3 below).
  • Survey to identify the range of images of science drawn upon by students during labwork (contact: John Leach; see Working Paper 4 below).
  • Survey to identify teachers' images of science (contact: Matilde Vicentini; see Working Paper 5 below).
  • Survey to identify teachers' intentions for student learning during labwork (contact: Hans Niedderer; see Working Paper 6 below).
  • Case studies of student learning during labwork in each participating country (contact: Dimitris Psillos; see Working Papers 7 - 9 below).

The case studies carried out in the UK relate to undergraduate learning in biochemistry, genetics and Earth Sciences.

Aims - Page 1 | Publications - Page 2

This project last updated by Jim Ryder on 21st November 2005.