Inquiry, laboratory instruction

Totally expository laboratories ntiss some of the desirable aims of laboratory work belonging to the receptive forms of teaching and learning. The reform movement in science educatiorr, which is based on standards (National Research Council, 1996 2000), recommends a break away from exclusively receptive instruction. On the other hand, totally inquiry laboratories are crrrrently probably impracticable not only in schools but also in universities. Nevertheless, Johnstone and Al-Shuaih (2001, p. 49) supported the idea that a core of expository laboratories with substantial irrserts of inqtriry will go a long way towards achieving the desirable aims of laboratory work . 

Domin (138) distinguished four types of laboratory instruction expository, inquiry, discovery, and problem-based. These styles can be differentiated by their outcome, their approach, and their procedure. Expository and problem-based activities typically follow a deductive approach, while inquiry and discovery activities are inductive. 

The adopted styles for laboratory instructions/iinpleinentation can be either expository, inquiry-based, discovery-based, or problem-based [3]. 

Blanchard, M. R., Southerland, S. A., Osborne, J. W., Sampson, V. D., Armetta, L. A., GrangCT, E. M. (2010). Is inquiry possible in light of accountability A quantitative comparison of the relative effectiveness of guided inquiry and verification laboratory instruction. Science Education, 94(A), 577-616. 

These two classes represent two different approaches of instruction for practical work a traditional confirmatory laboratory using recipe style instructions in Sarah s class and an inquiry laboratory in David s class. The two approaches differ in terms of ... 

In contrast, in the first phase of the experiment in David s class, when the students were experiencing the inquiry laboratory, they had to follow a very brief traditional recipe style set of instructions. However, in the second phase the teacher transfers certain responsibilities across to the students in so far as the students now have to plan how to record all their observations and distinguish between observation and interpretation. Following the observations students are encouraged to ask as many low-level and high level questions related to the phenomena that they observed. 

Laboratory tests are affected by many factors, such as recent intake of food, alcohol, or drugs, and by smoking, exercise, stress, sleep, posture during specimen collection, and other variables (see Chapter 17). Proper patient preparation is essential for the test results to be meaningful. Although responsibility for this usually resides with personnel outside the laboratory, the laboratory must define the instructions and procedures for patient preparation and specimen acquisition. These procedures should be included in hospital procedure manuals and should be transmitted to patients in both oral and written instructions. Compliance with these instructions is monitored directly when the laboratory employs its own phlebotomists. Specific inquiry should be made regarding patient preparation before specimens are collected, and efforts should be made to correct noncompli-ance. For tests in which standardization of the collection is very important (such as for plasma catecholamines), specimens should be collected in a controlled environment, such as a clinical testing unit. 

Cheung, D. (2006). Inquiry-based laboratory work in chemistry Teacher s guide. Hong Kong Department of Curriculum and Instruction, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. 

---