Innovation in Practicals

This study highlights the fact that practical work in science teaching needs radical changes, if we want our students to become problem solver' scientists. WHAT I SET OUT TO DO I introduced the skills of hypothesizing, planning the experiment and inferring, in the conduct of practical work, in a government school. The time I had was 28 days. WHAT I DID I worked 4 days a week, during which I conducted interviews before and after the introduction of the new approach. In my sample were 2 teachers and 5 students. Initially the teachers planned the lesson with me, and then they brought it to action in the science classroom. WHAT I FOUND OUT It was found that presently the emphasis was on rote learning. Students blindly followed the procedure directed by the teacher. All the instruction and even conclusions were determined before. Also found was the fact that the new strategy of hypothesizing, planning the experiment and inferring which I introduced in my study, provides opportunities for the students to think and reflect upon their work. This would aid their cognitive development and help them to become real problem solving scientists. Also studied in this dissertation were the various constraints such as time and resources. The effect of the present examination system which promotes rote learning has also been discussed.