High School Teaching Laboratories

Germann P J, Haskins S, and Auls S (1996) Analysis of nine high school biology laboratory manuals Promoting scientific inquiry. J Res Sci Teach 33(5) 475 99. 

Roth, W-M. (1994). Experimenting in a constructivist high school physics laboratory. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 31,197-223. 

High school students should have a greater understanding of global environmental issues. This can be accomplished by using environmentally-relevant examples to teach high school chemistry. Appropriate demonstrations and laboratory experiments that illustrate these topics are suggested. To incorporate additional environmental chemistry in die secondary curriculum, help from environmental scientists will be needed. 

Mendeleev soon got a post teaching mathematics and physics at an Odessa high school. Granted permission to use the library and laboratory at Novorossisk University, he launched into research for his master s thesis. By May of 1856 he had completed a first draft. He revised it during the summer and was awarded a master of physics and chemistry degree by the University of St. Petersburg in September. 

During his university career. Professor Herron was active in research and curriculum development at many levels. He was on the author team that developed the Intermediate Science Curriculum Study (ISCS), an individualised, laboratory-centred program for middle school science, and he co-ordinated the field trial of those materials in Indiana. He is the senior author of Heath Chemistry (a high school text 2nd ed. 1993) and the sole author of Understanding Chemistry A Preparatory Course (college prep course 2nd ed. 1986) and The Chemistry Classroom Formulas for Successful Teaching (ACS Books, 1996), a book summarising much of his research in chemistry education. 

Two other features of the course structure deserve comment First, there is a heavy emphasis on laboratory work, since high school teachers of chemistry are often insufficiently prepared to run labs safely, economically, and efficiently. Second, there is a decided thrust of all the courses in the direction of practical chemistry (demonstrations, molecular basis of devices, consumer chemicals) to enable the teacher to teach relevant chemistry in a less-than-optimal environment The intent is to equip the teacher to solve the real problems of teaching in a setting where equipment is primitive, support is minimal, facilities are inadequate, and professional isolation prevails. 

Small colleges and high schools often do not have an environmental health and safety office or the resources to manage laboratory waste. Teachers are thus left to shouldw the burden of waste disposal, and their attention can be diverted from core science teaching as a result. 

In order to support the teaching of laboratory courses in small colleges and high schools, the committee recommends a careful review of current record-keeping requirements to avoid excessive burdens on teachers at small institutions. 

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