This manual has been designed for a class of twenty- four students concurrently enrolled in the lecture course. The laboratory aids in the learning process and fosters an interest in the science of genetics. This manual and the experiments contained within are both informative and fun. The manual correlates with and expands upon the genetics course. Each investigation, with the exception of the Drosophila melanogaster project, can be completed in a 3-4 hour timeframe. This manual provides a “hands on” experience of theories simply discussed in the lecture course. This manual is intended to be a one-source manual where each investigation is designed to include an adequate introduction. Special attention has been given for each investigation with both the student and instructor in mind.

University of Macau / Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences

This creative project is a teacher's manual to accompany the student materials previously developed for "Physics for Freshmen: A Laboratory Survey of Some Major Topics in Physics." The manual is divided into four sections for each of the 62 laboratory investigations. The teaser is intended to arouse interest in the principle to be studied. The equipment list is to aid the teacher in the preparation of materials. The introduction includes directions for preparation of materials, notes for introducing subject matter to the students, and directions and/or references for the operation of the equipment. The conclusion is basically notes to use in leading the students' discussion following their experimental work.The manual is intended for an experienced physics teacher or for someone trained in the field with a great deal of personal reference study.

This curriculum project reviews the current research on laboratory activity formats and their effectiveness. The literature concerning laboratory safety and teacher liability is also reviewed. The revision of Florida state high school science requirements is presented and the curriculum developed corresponds to these revisions. The project includes laboratory activities that correspond to the course student performance standards as designated by the state of Florida for the Physics I course and strives to aid teachers in fulfilling the 72 hour laboratory time requirement to meet eligibility requirements for additional state funding. The criteria for selecting activities and materials are also included in this project. A sample evaluation form is included, as well as a summary of these teacher evaluations of the developed curriculum.

ABSTRACT This project describes the development and evaluation of two laboratory courses in First Year Biology, each of which is part of a larger full-year course of instruction given by the Biology Department at McMaster University. Introductory Human Physiology is prepared for Physical Education students. Adaptation in the Biological World - a general Biology course - is prepared for Natural Sciences students. Design of the laboratory exercises utilizes a variety of different educational models which are intended to stimulate the students' interest in Biology. The exercises give students first-hand experience with important principles and concepts related to the lecture material. This project stresses the role of the Teaching Assistants who supervise activities in the laboratories and who demonstrate the basic skills we expect students to learn. Conclusions drawn from this project are: 1. The majority of students consider the laboratory courses to be useful. 2. Educational goals established for the courses are being met. 3 • Change and improvement are important ongoing components of the curriculum. 4. As funds become available, we must introduce more interesting techniques and methodologies to the curriculum. 5. It is essential to maintain a high level of efficiency and organization within the team of people associated with laboratories. / Thesis / Master of Science (Teaching)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the undergraduate biology practical instructions and the level of competence of undergraduate biology students in practical laboratory skills in some Ethiopian universities using skill performance rubric and questionnaires. A sample of 208 third year students and 26 instructors and laboratory assistants from three universities were selected as sample of the study. Students reported that more than 84.2% of the laboratory activities are below the average number of laboratory activities recommended by the curriculum with no significant difference between universities. The laboratory skill performance test score was below the midpoint. None of the students could be able to estimate and determine fields of vision of a microscope. There is a significant and a positively linear relationship between the students’ grade point average (GPA) with identification of laboratory equipment, handling of microscope, setting of microscope, estimation of diameter of field of vision and measuring liquid. Laboratory skill performance test score is correlated with higher education entrance exam score but not with students’ high school laboratory back ground. There is no significant difference in instructor’s manipulative skills among universities (p ≥ 0.09) and instructors manipulative skills is neither correlated with qualification nor teaching experience (P≥0.056). The most common method of assessment instructors’ use in the laboratory is laboratory report and identification of specimen examination (46.4%) and written exam and identification of specimen examination (35.7%). The number of courses having laboratory manuals is as low as 14.3%, in the new university. Manipulating materials, measuring and using numbers, and pre lab activity were common activities, and were found in every manual and in every university. Moreover, the result also revealed that the manuals contain high percentage rate of basic science process skills (75.4%) as compared to the integrated science process skills (24.6%). Correlation and multiple regression analyses revealed that students’ laboratory performance skills is significantly positively correlated with higher education entrance exam score, availability of laboratory resources and instructors experiences. Instructors’ experience has significant positive regression weights. / Life and Consumer Sciences / D. Phil. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)

Laboratory work is considered important for student achievements in science education. This thesis will contribute with increased knowledge about lab work in science education in Swedish secondary school. The main purposes are to describe secondary school science teachers’ objectives for lab work and to describe how these objectives are implemented during laboratory exercises. The thesis shows and discusses, from a teacher perspective, the complexity involved in lab work.The thesis is comprised of four papers based on empirical analysis of teacher interviews, laboratory manuals and laboratory exercises. Two interview studies identified which objectives the teachers consider important and compared these to international studies. Two case studies identified how the teachers’ objectives are put forward during lab work and what factors are important for the implementation of objectives.The results from the interview studies show that Swedish secondary school science teachers express general objectives including the development of students’ understanding of concepts and phenomena, of their interest in science and ability to think and reflect upon labwork. This is to a large extent in accordance with objectives identified in international studies. However, when the teachers describe specific laboratory exercises they emphasize the activity and the laboratory skills. Some of the teachers describe lab work that includes scientific inquiry but not specifically, knowledge about the nature of science. Scientific inquiry was mostly used to develop interest in science and not to develop knowledge about how to systematically investigate phenomena in nature. The teachers express their objectives differently in different contexts. The laboratory manuals mostly put forward objectives to help students identify objects and phenomena and to learn facts, which is not always in accordance with the teachers objectives. Results from the case studies show that the teachers’ objectives do not always correspond to the students’ views of important things to learn. It is not obvious that lab work in itself make students understand a certain scientific content, they need help to “see what is intended to be seen”. Interactions between the teacher and the students are important to help students perceive the teacher’s objectives. Many interactions have a starting point in the laboratory manuals, and if the objectives in the manual correspond to the teacher’s objectives it makes it easier for both the students and the teacher to reach the intentions for the laboratory exercise. Implications for science teaching are discussed. / Att laborationer har en naturlig och central plats i naturvetenskaplig undervisning håller de flesta med om men hur stor vikt svenska grundskollärare lägger på det laborativa arbetet och dess betydelse för elevers lärande i naturvetenskap är inte klarlagt. Denna avhandling ska ge ytterligare kunskap om det laborativa arbetet i svensk grundskola. Avhandlingen har två huvudsyften. Det ena är att ge en beskrivning av de mål för laborativt arbete som lärare i den svenska grundskolans senare år anser viktiga. Det andra är att beskriva hur laborationer som genomförs i skolpraktiken förverkligar de uppsatta målen. Avhandlingen uppmärksammar och diskuterar det laborativa arbetets komplexitet utifrån ett lärarperspektiv.De fyra delstudierna bygger på empiriska undersökningar av intervjuer med lärare, deras laborationsinstruktioner och av det laborativa arbetets genomförande. I två intervjustudier analyseras vilka mål som anses viktiga och hur dessa förhåller sig till internationell forskning om mål med laborationer. I två fallstudier analyseras hur lärarens mål framträder under det laborativa arbetet och vilka faktorer som har betydelse för hur målen implementeras.Resultaten från intervjustudierna visar bland annat att lärare i den svenskagrundskolan uttrycker generella mål för laborativt arbete som att eleverna skautveckla sin förståelse av naturvetenskapliga begrepp och fenomen, sitt intresse för naturvetenskap, och sitt reflekterande över laborativt arbete. Detta överensstämmer i stor utsträckning med mål som framträder i internationella undersökningar. När lärarna talar om specifika laborationer betonar de istället själva aktiviteten och de laborativa färdigheterna. Lärarna uttrycker således sina mål olika i olika sammanhang. Lärarna erbjuder laborationer där undersökande arbete förekommer men de utnyttjar inte laborationerna till att skapa förståelse av naturvetenskapens karaktär. Det undersökande arbetet utnyttjas främst för att öka intresset för naturvetenskap och inte för att ge kunskap om metoder för naturvetenskapliga undersökningar. Laborationsinstruktionerna innehåller i stor utsträckning mål för att hjälpa elever att identifiera objekt och att lära sig fakta. Instruktionernas mål stämmer inte alltid överens med lärarnas mål med laborationerna. Resultaten från fallstudierna visar att lärarna ofta har fler mål med laborationerna än de som kommer fram under genomförandet och att lärarnas mål inte alltid överensstämmer med vad eleverna uppfattar som viktigt. Det är inte självklart att det laborativa arbetet i sig medför att eleverna förstår ett visst naturvetenskapligt innehåll, eleverna behöver hjälp att ”se vad som är avsett att se”. Interaktionerna mellan lärare och elever och mellan elever och elever är mycket viktiga för att eleverna ska uppfatta målen. Mycket av interaktionerna tar sin utgångspunkt i laborationsinstruktionen. Om målen i denna överensstämmer med de mål läraren vill eftersträva underlättar det både för läraren och för eleverna. I avhandlingen diskuteras konsekvenser för undervisningen.