Practical and investigating work in science

This work have many names in school context, e.g.: experiments, investigations, observations, analyzing, tests, research, demonstrate, simulate, explore, re-examine etc.

What is practical and investigating work?

Millar* categories and classifies practical and investigative work, as he describes this kind of work as activities, where the student has to use:• a method for observation or •a measurement instrument or •an other kind of instrument or •a lab-arrangement or •a lab-procedure or•Demonstrate an object•Make or build something or•Tell about an object•Produce a materiel or stuff•Make something happen•Observe an object •Collect data from an measurement instrument*Millar (1999)

Many find practical work motivating and giving good learning. It seems to play a major role in science teaching. Up till 50 % of the time is spend with practical work in Denmark.

Totzki (2000)

How much practical work in science?

Some reasons to spend a lot of the time in science classes on practical work in lab, seems to be tradition explain Jenkins. It is not because of pedagogical conviction. Jenkins (1999)

Why practical work?

All these practical work seems to be inflated by the ”learning by doing-movement”, curriculum strategies in the 60’ and 70’. The students must work as reel ”scientists” and be acquainted to ”the scientific method”. Theory and practice must alternate.

•The aims for the activity is not clear for anyone. Even if the teacher seems to

have high expectations and claims, the purpose of the activity is not explicit

told or written accordingly to the aims that might be. The student is doing and

doing without knowing why and what to learn or experience.•The children are seldom given the freedom independently to plan an

experiment or research. They are given a prescription or recipe to follow step

by step•The students possibility for independent planning or practical use of

instruments is depending of their theoretical knowledge

Common problems with dealing to practical work:

•De data, som eleverne ifølge den ofte foreskrevne planlægning har

indsamlet og det deraf følgende resultat, bliver kun sjældent underkastet

en ræsonnerende vurdering og diskussion.

•Evaluering af det praktiske arbejde sker ikke på baggrund af specifikke

mål relaterede kriterier.

•Det erkendelsesteoretiske grundlag for det eksperimentelle arbejde er

uklart, idet der kun sjældent bliver redegjort for teorigrundlaget for det

enkelte eksperiment og spurgt efter de forventninger, eleverne måtte

have til eksperimentets udførelse og resultat. De ræsonnementer, som

fører til et eksperiment eller en undersøgelse, bliver sjældent gennemført

Natur/teknik or science in Denmark

We teach science to children from the age of 6 until the age of 12 or 13. We teach science for 6 years. The next three years science is divided into physics an chemistry, biology and geography.

The main themes are:

•The surroundings close to you

•The surroundings further away

•The human being in interaction with nature

•Ways of working and thinking in science

Description of natur/teknik, science in Denmark:The knowledge and skills the students ought to gain through the science education are more precisely described through several aims, called: Fælles Mål or aims for all.

The main purpose is:•To make the student wonder and use his imagination and curiosity to experience, investigate, read, think and make experiments •To understand and experience how science knowledge appears as an interplay between peoples observations, investigations, reading, thinking and experiments•To develop the students language, use of scientific conceptions and develop their skills to argue, evaluate and reflect.

In part to in the main aim for the subject it says:

The students observations and experiments shall contribute in the process to build up the students practical capacity, creativity and ability to co-operate with other people. The education has to maintain and develop the students pleasure in dealing with nature, technology, vital necessities and conditions of life and their inclination to ask questions and explore

Goldbech and Totzki (2005) argue that using practical work in science education is a way to:

•Present phenomena's

•Help students to know and use scientific conceptions

•Learn to use scientific process’ and methods

•Develop practical skills

•make bridge between theory and practical work

•Develop the students capacity to reason and argue.

The purpose and aim for practical work in science

has changed, but a resume is here to see:

•Deduce and see scientific laws and relations

•Confirm laws and theories

•Use classical and historical experiments

•Use theory in practice

•Learn to use measurement instruments and

technical apparatus

•develop motivation, self-confidence and good

working habits.

Svein Sjøberg (2004)

A practical assignment can be open or closed in the way of:

•Problem

•Procedure or method•Result

ProblemProblem procedureprocedure ResultResult

dictated / closeddictated / closed dictated / closeddictated / closed dictated / closeddictated / closed

dictated / closeddictated / closed dictated / closeddictated / closed openopen

dictated / closeddictated / closed open open dictated / closeddictated / closed

open open dictated / closeddictated / closed dictated / closeddictated / closed

dictated / closeddictated / closed open open open open

open open dictated / closeddictated / closed open open

openopen open open dictated / closeddictated / closed

open open openopen openopen

Degrees of openness or freedom in way to act:

Degrees of

opennessProblemProblem procedureprocedure ResultResult

00dictated / dictated / closed closed

dictated / dictated / closed closed

dictated / dictated / closed closed

11dictated / dictated / closed closed

dictated / dictated / closedclosed ÅbenÅben

22dictated / dictated /

closedclosed openopen openopen

33 openopen openopen openopen

Løfdahl (1987)

Activity?Activity? What to do?What to do? What is used?What is used? Degrees of Degrees of freedom?freedom?

To experienceTo experience

See, hear, feel, play, See, hear, feel, play, be inflicted by, be be inflicted by, be common in or do common in or do together….together….

Senses, feelings …Senses, feelings … manymany

To observeTo observe Remark, record, Remark, record, count, describe…count, describe…

Senses, telescope, Senses, telescope, thermometer or …thermometer or …

Varies Varies accordingly to accordingly to the assignmentthe assignment

To investigateTo investigateMeasure, weigh, Measure, weigh, disassemble, change disassemble, change conditions ….conditions ….

Equipment as Equipment as balance, graduated balance, graduated glass, tape glass, tape measure, measure, thermometer, thermometer, aquarium, tools …aquarium, tools …

Varies Varies accordingly to accordingly to the assignmentthe assignment

To experimentTo experiment

Predict, gain data, Predict, gain data, vary conditions in the vary conditions in the experiment, experiment, pronounce pronounce hypothesis, verify…..hypothesis, verify…..

Glass equipment, Glass equipment, apparatus of apparatus of different kind, tools different kind, tools and so onand so on

Varies Varies accordingly to accordingly to the assignmentthe assignment

To exploreTo explore Work with own ideas, Work with own ideas, plan independently, plan independently, use and mix several use and mix several procedures from procedures from aboveabove

Glass equipment, Glass equipment, apparatus of apparatus of different kind different kind suitable to the suitable to the assignmentassignment

ManyManyTo invent or To invent or constructconstruct

(Prinds, 1998)

Learning Learning place:place:

Educationel sceneEducationel scene trainingtraining studystudy

ActivityActivity Sharing knowledgeSharing knowledge Learning the Learning the subjectsubject

Doing projectsDoing projects

Teachers Teachers jobjob

IntermediaryIntermediaryThe teacher organizeThe teacher organize

CoachCoachThe teacher asks The teacher asks questionsquestions

ConsultantConsultantAdviser Adviser Make room for Make room for curiosity and curiosity and open minded open minded thinkingthinking

Students jobStudents job Receive knowledgeReceive knowledge Be an apprenticeBe an apprentice StudentStudent

OrganizationOrganization The whole classThe whole class Individually/groupsIndividually/groups Individually/groupsIndividually/groups

IKTIKT Representation toolsRepresentation toolsMaking notesMaking notes

Do simulationsDo simulationsDatabaseDatabase

InternetInternetCommunicationCommunication

Evaluate the following Evaluate the following

By using the criteria told By using the criteria told

Eksempler på lukkede opgaver

NATEK 1

Make a Make a trap to trap to capturcapture small e small animalanimalss

Make Make a fuse a fuse for the for the “bomb“bomb” ”

Eksempler på lukkede opgaver

Energikonsulenten

Examine Examine different kinds different kinds of material and of material and their ability to their ability to keep the keep the temperaturetemperature

Here it is hot Here it is hot water in a water in a glassglass

You could use You could use icecubesicecubes

Investigate Investigate icebergs.icebergs.

Use anUse an aquarium or aquarium or tanktank

Put an “iceberg” into Put an “iceberg” into itit

Draw a picture of the Draw a picture of the iceberg in the tank, iceberg in the tank, measure the level in measure the level in which the water which the water reachesreaches

Measure the Measure the temperature every temperature every second minute, don’t second minute, don’t take the thermometer take the thermometer up from the water up from the water while doing itwhile doing it

Eksempler på lukkede opgaver

Investigate this paper Investigate this paper airplaneairplane

Put paper clips in the front Put paper clips in the front of the airplane. Make of the airplane. Make systematic examinations systematic examinations of the way it now fly. Use of the way it now fly. Use first one clips, then two first one clips, then two and then …and then …

Collect data as you make Collect data as you make your researchyour research

Make a conclusionMake a conclusion Examine and change the Examine and change the

wings.wings. Make flaps in the back of Make flaps in the back of

the wingthe wing Make experiments with Make experiments with

changing the position of changing the position of the flapsthe flaps

Collect data as you make Collect data as you make your researchyour research

2 types of open assignments:

Work as a scientist

Work as an inventor