The impact of an authentic science module on high school chemistry students' perceptions and mental models of laboratory work in school science and professional science

Laura Jane Nikstad, Purdue University

Abstract

The laboratory has long been a mainstay of high school science education. The goals of the laboratory, however, are often not clearly defined, nor is it clear how those goals are to be achieved. In a pilot and full study, a laboratory curriculum approach that attempts to better represent the work of professional scientists than traditional laboratory experiences at the high school level was implemented. Through this curriculum, students engaged in carrying out authentic research tasks as part of the scientific research of a practicing scientist. Students who experienced the research-based curriculum were more likely to perceive their work in the school science laboratory as purposeful. Students in the comparison group, taught with traditional laboratory curricula, were more likely to talk about their experiments as having a well-characterized, anticipated outcome. Participants from the treatment group were more likely to perceive themselves as working autonomously in the laboratory, whereas participants in the control group perceive their teacher to be in control of the laboratory. Based on these results, two possible mental models of school science and professional science are suggested: the separation and embedded models. In the separation model, students view school science as distinct from professional science, whereas in the embedded model, students view school science as a subset of professional science. The results suggest that research-based curricula can positively influence students’ views of their work in the school science laboratory.

Degree

M.S.

Advisors

Weaver, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Chemistry|Secondary education|Science education

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