Lab Science, 3/2007

Total responses so far: 379

NSTA's newest position statement (http://www.nsta.org/position) asserts that lab science should play an integral role in science instruction. Yet the current quality of lab experiences is very poor for many students. High school labs in many districts are constricted by lack of funds for needed equipment and materials, and/or are hampered by poor or unsafe conditions. Many teachers are simply not qualified to lead lab investigations. What are the problems with the lab experience in your school?

We do not get enough money to buy the proper equipment to do newer engaging labs, maybe more inquiry style. Cookbook labs are done most often and the kids get very little from the labs. The kids have no idea what the goal was, even if I tell them over and over. The kids are uninterested in the labs, but feel it is better than taking notes [4/27/2007 12:04:09 PM]

Students break in to the store room and steal chemicals. There are too many SPED students without help enough to do labs. 31 is too large a size for lab. Many students are SPED but there families won't agree to that category so that you end up with 20/31 as SPED in one class. Students can't understand adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing on a 4th grade level. Students in 9th-12th grade are reading on a 1st to 5th grade level. One or two students read at a college level. The curriculum is too simple for the kids in terms of they've heard all the topics before...yet, they still can't write about them . They don't like to write more than one sentence during class. They have iPODS and cell phones. There's too much drugs and sex in their lives. The gangs control the school and the administrators pretend not to see. Teachers that truly teach are forced out of the system because"everyone knows 'they' are creating a new prison/slave labor force" Students do not have books [4/7/2007 7:35:09 AM]

1) lack of adequate time to set up lab between class periods 2) Lab design is too small for the size of the classes [4/4/2007 8:10:28 PM]

I think one of the problems with a student's lab experience is that its too "sterile": They are limited to experiences only in a classroom facility that is mainly "recipe" oriented. It would be nice to be able to go outside (within the school property or nearby) to conduct field laboratory activities. This would help encourage students to realize and work on real-life problems. Our schools are mostly concrete and lawns. Not much for trees, insects, birds, native plants, gardens, wetlands/ponds and ... curiosity. [3/29/2007 4:48:56 PM]

The lab experiences in my school are simply varification of facts presented by the teacher via lecture. This of course poorly reflects what a scientist actually does and students fail to grasp even basic scientific concepts and processes. Until my collegeaues embrace the pegagocical practice of "science as inquiry," the students will struggle to think as a scientist. [3/27/2007 5:34:48 PM]

The biggest problem with lab experience at my school is class size. Most classes have 36 students. Some have 40. And, it's not even a supplies issue or classroom management issue. We are lucky enough to have the equipment and supplies. And the teachers are competent at managing classrooms that large. It's the grading. Most of us have 160 students or more. Grading labs takes much more time than worksheets. I am the only teacher that does labs on a regular basis, but I work 70 hours per week. It's not fair to expect all teachers to work that many hours to be able to do labs. [3/24/2007 3:44:39 PM]

money....we are only 90% in compliance with the OSHA and local safety rules and regulations. The Board has no intention on upgrading. They answer this problem by not keeping science teachers that refuse to include lab situations regardless of any dangers. [3/20/2007 6:17:48 PM]

In my school we have highly qualified teachers and some materials and equipment. Our main constraints are lack of equipment and infrastructure. I work in a classroom built in 1964 and not updated since. I have inadequate power, old glassware and only 2 working scales. The gas lines to my room freeze on very cold days and I do not have hot plates (or the power to run them). I do what I can with what I have (much of it purchased with my own funds). [3/19/2007 9:43:53 AM]

While funds, equipment, and materials have been satisfactory over the past 10 years, I beleive the greatest problem is the lack of preparation time allowed for our teachers to conduct lab investigations on a regular basis. There is a "planning period" and after school time, but on many occasions those time periods are superceded by "meetings". [3/18/2007 9:28:03 AM]

I agree that lab experiences play an integral role in science instruction. I teach high school AP Biology, marine biology, and biotechnology. These would be dramatically poor classes without labs. AP Bio. requires the "dirty dozen" lab investigations, however I add many more relavent lab exercises during the year. Our problem at this high school is lab space and number of science teachers. There is not enough of each. I share my AP lab with chemistry and so far we help each other out by giving away time in the lab for the other. Also, safety is an issue. The chem. lab is designed for 24 students max yet I have 27 students in one of my two AP Bio. classes. I guess I can't complain too much as I read of other schools with little or no lab facilities. [3/18/2007 8:46:51 AM]

The main problems for me are that: 1.) the students tend to fool around and lab safety becomes an issue. 2.) the students lack focus and do not try to make connections to what they are doing. In other words, they go through the motions of doing a lab, but make little attempt to understand why thay are doing it or what they are supposed to learn. For example, students want to do "fun" labs, but make very little effort in writing the lab reports associated with them. [3/17/2007 9:38:01 PM]

I am a middle school teacher and I totally agree on the need of equipment and the poor conditions of the lab. Simply because many teachers need organizational skills to keep the storage and lab organized and in order. I my self worked at least 4 to 5 hours after school to organize and cleanup the storage and the classroom from the junk the previous teachers left behind. I would be glad to help other teachers g. allen [3/17/2007 10:31:52 AM]

I am actually an elementary science teacher, but I have 2 children in high school science classes. One of my children is lucky enough to have the county's "teacher of the year". Labs are an integral part of her program. The other high school and middle school science classes have had fewer than a lab a month in some instances. Dreadful. Our public district does have money, parents pay. The teachers have the qualifications on paper. I don't know what is going on. The way to engage, and therefore encourage future scientists, is through active participation. [3/16/2007 4:02:44 PM]

I teach Juniors and Seniors in Honors and Advance Placement Physics. Equipment needs in my lab are grossly underfunded. I am more than qualified to use the equipment. I still work with stuff that is more than 30 years old. My computers for lab analysis are over 10 years old and the district will not replace them. My district wants to move in the direction of new technology but has failed to plan for the need to update the equipment. I get work done on a wing and a prayer. And yet, I continue to pull off a program that allows my graduates to stand-out in top university science and engineering programs. A whopping 80% of my students get a 3 or better on the AP exam. [3/15/2007 10:01:21 AM]

Funding for adequate levels of basic equipment and for more advanced equipment, e.g., Spec. 20's [3/15/2007 9:36:36 AM]

~ not enough money for equipment & supplies ~ building not up to code (no hood or safety shield limits my ability to do demos) ~ improper ventilation ~ old chemicals that need disposing of [3/14/2007 4:13:33 PM]

Science Labs are an integral part of science. With funding cuts these might become the thing of the past. I look for labs that I can do with toys(physics types) and labs that I can do with household items that I can ask students to bring in. Students also need to use the equipment that they might use in college. Students need to be able to write up a lab. Sharon Rinehart High School Science Teacher Bear Lake, MI 49613 [3/14/2007 8:41:50 AM]

We have excellent lab experiences in all of our science classes and have strong support from the administration. However, I believe regardless of the effort to incorporate inquiry labs into the science curriculum, the United States will continue to fall behind the rest of the world unless we purge the nation of standard units of measurement. Follow Canada's lead now, today!! Set a five year plan and get in step with the rest of the planet. As I tell my students; inches are evil, Fahrenheit is fools, and miles are for morons. [3/13/2007 3:12:36 PM]

There are a variety of problems concerning science labs at my middle school. The main problem is a lack of resorces which makes it nearly impossible to allow the students the hand-on experiences that labs give them. Another problem is that although our school is only 3 years old the science classrooms are not set up with labs in mind. There is insufficient counterspace and the materials the counters are made of are not lab grade. I feel that some science teachers are qualified to lead lab investigations, but many at our school are not. Science has always been a "hands-on" subject, yet we are unable to facilitate that and capture the students' attention and facination with the world of science because of current teaching conditions. [3/13/2007 11:44:52 AM]

I think that labs are extremely important to science instruction. In NYC there is a position in schools- a lab specialist- which is a person whose full-time job it is to organize labs, maintain equipment, and assist the science teachers. I think that this is important because this person is trained in many safety techniques and can help with labs techniques that teachers may not be familar. Yes, money is still a problem as far as getting enough and the right equipment for labs, and many of us have become quite resourceful and creative. But nothing is as impressive to students as being able to see and feel for themselves. Hands-on instruction has to become a priority. [3/13/2007 11:03:29 AM]

Outdated and under-equipped labs. We are an urban parochial school with no money. [3/13/2007 8:11:17 AM]

My problem is finding lab manuals that use simple equipment. Funding is not available for large pieces of equipment--especially if more than one is needed for the class size. [3/12/2007 2:00:52 PM]

The lab is outdated and nonfunctional. It needs a complete overhaul, but funding is not available. I've looked for grants but have not found anything so far. [3/12/2007 11:16:17 AM]

Being the only physics teacher in my building, physics class sizes are 35 students. The classroom is not big enough to do some of the investigations I think engage students in the content as well as develop thier understanding. There are not enough qualified teachers to be able to get those class sizes down. [3/12/2007 9:53:31 AM]

1. Student to lab space ratio is very high. Inquiry that should be limited to single or two students at most is performed with as many as four students although labs can be done in shifts. 2. Design of student labs is poor. Supervision is difficult as work stations are obstructed or not clearly visible in one glance. 3. Ideally, more than one hood per lab classroom. [3/11/2007 8:34:36 PM]

Many new science teachers are simply not taught how to conduct a lab investigation. My methods classes only allowed for 10-15 minute lessons to be presented and critiqued. This was not adequate preparation for the actual 60-90 minute lessons and lab set-ups that I do. There was only cursory information about lab safety and equipment. I feel the high school students need to be more aware of the hazards of lab work. They need to be more disciplined in order for a lab to run smoothly and safely. [3/11/2007 7:09:13 PM]

Safety, lack of equipment and not having time built into the school day to prepare for labs are chief concerns [3/11/2007 5:13:10 PM]

Labs at my school have little or no electrical outlets, no gas for chemistry labs, nearly no equipment for doing much and very little allowed in the budget for expendibles, much less any real equipment. Much of the money over the past 15 years has been poured into staff development. While I think staff development is a good thing, it must be accompanied with the funds for doing at least basic lab experiences for the students. This is the first year my department has had a budget to spend. The main reason we got money was because so much of the few things we did have were lost due to the flood (Katrina). Until states, districts, and principals mandate spending on science equipment and facilities, very little will change in achievement. [3/10/2007 9:40:26 PM]

lack of funds; large class size; poor quality labs [3/10/2007 6:10:54 PM]

We have a good chem lab and I can get what I need as long as I order in the beginning of the school year. But, I have a tough time with waste disposal...I don't know how to save wastes...in what containers...what to save...what I don't have to save. I also think that leading lab investigations should be a course in science teacher certification programs. Student teachers shouldn't be expected to know how to teach lab, just because they can "do" lab. Just because you have taked a biology course doesn't mean you should know how to teach it well to high school students. [3/10/2007 4:24:33 PM]

Problems: I must spend my own money to buy consumables. Large numbers of students in a classroom lend itself to unsafe conditions. Class periods not long enough to accomodate labs. Students lack attitudes and skills from previous teachers, however this is what I am suppose to develop but it would be nice to build upon something. It would be nice to have a "list" of attitudes and "skills" that students should be able to do or perform so that teachers would have some type of gauge of where they are and what they need to do. This list should not be lost in verbage but easily accessible and straight forward. [3/10/2007 12:19:39 PM]

I was a medical technologist for 15 years and just this year became a certified teacher. I teach biology, chemistry, and biotechnology. In biology we have a lab activity at least every 8-10 days of instruction. Labs do not have to be elaborate (DNA extraction from strawberry) or expensive (mitosis with pipe cleaners, straws). Getting the kids engaged is the key. In biotechnology we are in the lab average 3 days/week. The exposure is what I strive for during activities. [3/10/2007 10:35:40 AM]

I tutor a high school biology student. Her class hasn't done a lab activity all year! They watch videos and do worksheets. [3/10/2007 9:52:04 AM]

Our labs are over crowded. 35-39 students in 900 sq feet. labs are too often cookbook or mind labs with little or no real interaction. Labs need to be fewer but more realistic. Students should not be taught "science problem solving" (sci. method) once but be given the opportunity to apply the procedure for many labs. ALL lab activities should have content pieces. Grade rubrics should be given out at the beginning of the lab with the content piece bearing a significant portion. [3/9/2007 2:25:12 PM]

Too many students in one room to adequately supervise activities. Materials used in activites disappearing if every piece of eqipment doesn't go through a check in process which takes time and another body to supervise check in. Lack of adequate sinks so that students can clean their own materials. Lack of time to prepare/get out all the materials for the activity. mix chemicals, etc.. Teachers without chemistry background have no clue how to mix solutions needed for some labs. Lack of funding to purchase necessary supplies. [3/9/2007 2:00:53 PM]

The students sometimes are not ready for the discipline needed in the lab. Sometimes the wrong mix of students result in horrible results. Administration does not understand the necessity of the class size in a lab science. They do not understand that more numbers in a class means for an unsafe lab. [3/9/2007 1:46:00 PM]

Much of the problem is that universities do not incorporate labs into their classes. They have separate labs taught by grad students completely disconnected from the class. Everyone knows the mantra that you teach the way you were taught. New teachers rarely do labs because they have rarely experienced labs and never experienced scientific inquiry. The universities could help out a lot in these two areas (but don't hold your breath). Of course money is a problem but it's deeper than that. The money is there, the priority for teaching science is not. Until science is on each state's exit exam and on more grade-level standardized tests, it will not be a priority in the budget. I like the idea of a position statement, but you're preaching to the choir. How many principals and school board members will ever see it. Only science teachers who already agree with you will see it. How can you get it into the hands of the decision makers? [3/9/2007 11:50:52 AM]

Integrating real experimental based labs that require thought from the students is hindered by time. With the amount of standards that need to be addressed, content comes before cognition. I think integrating laboratory standards into each discipline rather than being tacked on as an afterthought (CA standards) may help to integrate the actual content the standards are addressing with labs. . . .just a thought! [3/9/2007 10:44:19 AM]

lack of time-we have a long block (80min) each day to do labs but the administration uses it for assemblys and meetings. [3/9/2007 6:31:27 AM]

Some of our teachers are very clear on the nature of science and integrate that understanding into lab investigations and other class activities (even lectures). Other teachers carry out lab activities with a poor understanding of the nature of science; that means the students see the activity either as verifying facts or "fun." We are fairly well funded and do a variety of labs throughout the curriculum--some for verification, yes, and some for investigation of variables' effects. [3/8/2007 6:55:48 PM]

Problems: Sometimes the weather conditions or sometimes to avoid accidents with just one or two disruptive students. Sometimes lack of chemicals [3/8/2007 5:52:55 PM]

1. Minimal--laughable--budget. I've already spent 2x out of my own pocket as compared to the class fee money to cover consumables. 2. There is no other budget for new or major equipment. No long term planning nor budget planning. 3. I feel I am well qualified to lead lab investigations having worked as a scientist in industry and academia, however I feel my hands are incredibly tied due to the lack of funding, supplies and resources. There's so much I could do.... 4. I'm always looking for grant or funding opportunities, but they all seem to want to fund snazzy pizazzi projects. Noone wants to fund beakers and fundamentally basic supplies. 5. The obsession with standardized testing and subsequent "teaching to the test" has forced me to make tough decisions: Essentially, I knowingly don't cover all the standards so that I can spend more time in the laboratory. I just hope the day doesn't come when my students have to take the magic "test." [3/8/2007 4:56:53 PM]

Problems with labs-1) students don't have to pay a lab fee in Cleveland, this helps to support the importance of being careful, etc. 2) new teachers are not certified in Ohio in a specific area like chemistry. This waqs done to make it easier for administrators to move them around & teachers are insecure in teaching labs & create more hazards. 3) school systems expect more paper work from the teacher which takes away time & a lab assistance should be hired for the whole department to handle equipment-storage,ordering,organizing [3/8/2007 4:31:48 PM]

My school has limited funds for supplies and only two relatively up to date labs - holding 24 students each- for 2000 students. More than the funding, however, is the preparation time. Allteachers have full course loads with no time to prepare labs. In addition, the Labs therselves are occupied most of the day with lecture classes due to the lack of space in the building. These curcumstances prohibit any significant Lab experience for all but the two teachers assigned to hold classes in the Labs. [3/8/2007 4:30:49 PM]

Admittedly, there is a lack of funds in our building for buying expensive equipment and large amounts of highly expensive chemicals, but quality labs don't require all of these things. If labs are inquiry-based and student centered, materials from the grocery store, from home, from inside a regular classroom, or from outside can be used. [3/8/2007 4:09:04 PM]

My problem is TIME! With all the emphasis on testing and covering a specific curriculum, we must cover way too much stuff in biology and that leaves little space for labs which require TIME! [3/8/2007 2:51:10 PM]

All of the above. Right now with science not being part of NCLB accountability, math and reading are the main focus of spending and support. There exists unsafe and poor conditions in some of our labs and the materials are lacking as well. [3/8/2007 2:04:15 PM]

Labs have 25-31 students, inadequate personal space and outlets for so many. The # of preps (3)- therefore set up and clean up crowds out Instructional Planning. Our budget is $5.00/student & I end up paying for extras or ask students to pay for dissections or high-tech experiments like DNA digests. As a beginner, I wonder why lab prep wasn't a bigger part of my training. We "did" labs but never "set up" labs in college, so I wasn't fully prepared. Most troubling, I wonder if kids are getting the connections between science content and labs since write ups suggest they don't. [3/8/2007 1:28:03 PM]

Gosh, where do I begin? Shrinking budget for supplies, class sizes getting larger and larger (30 kids in a room built for 24), Outdated and obsolete equipment, Teachers being asked to teach extra sections so that they now only have one period of prep time, teachers sharing rooms (I teach in 3 different classrooms), teaching a class in a room that was designed for a different class (teaching physical science in a Biology room, for example), lack of enough equipment for the three teachers who need the same equipment in three different rooms at the same time, huge increase in the amount of documentation and paperwork to comply with district mandates and NCLB. In summary, no time, no money, no room, no way. [3/8/2007 12:53:47 PM]

For seven years, I served as a lab instructor in an elementary school. I wrote lessons and provided hands on science experience. The job was funded under sight based managment, a small stipend to be sure. Each year the program was on the block to be cut because of funds. In the end, it was cut due to lack of funds. The lab was closed and materials dispersed throughout the school, some never seen again. The students were provided with a foundation in science and many of the students returned to visit and were sorry to see the lab gone. Because of the dedication of the school principal to provide quality education and his fortune to find some one with science education and a desire to teach, a program was developed. Materials were every day material found in the home and those discarded. Discarded materials from any school were adapted and used. The saddest part of teaching allowed me to see the lack of science instruction in the classroom or follow up concept instruction. Much of t [3/8/2007 12:31:27 PM]

The lab experience in our school does not happen until 7th grade (we're 7-12). Our elementary school does very little science. I really lack the preparation time for the labs. I teach 5 different high school science classes out of 6 (Earth Science, 7th grade science, Chemistry, Physics and Environmental Science). I get the same 50 minutes of prep time as any other teacher that teaches 2-3 different classes. I like to try different labs but often I just don't have the time to practice the labs before class. Because my school is small and far from other schools (most activites require about a 4-6 hour bus ride to get there) I may have lots of students absent due to school activities (sports, debate, band, etc.) on the day of a lab. My time after school which is also to supposed to be prep time is spent helping students make up labs or work, on the average 3 days a week. I have a long list of state standards and objectives that I have to cover in the course of 9 months (state tes [3/8/2007 12:12:52 PM]

Thank you for allowing me to express what makes me "hot under my collar"...... Being a 51 year old Biology and Anatomy & Physiology high school teacher, this is what I have noticed recently concerning lab science at my school ...........I am "old school" and do many labs with all my students....and I am the only teacher out of 4 biology teachers that does labs. 1. Most new/rookie teachers are not doing labs.....maybe they don't have the experience, or perhaps colleges are not teaching the importance of learning through labs, but the DESIRE to do labs with students is lacking as well. I do try to model good lab science, but it just isn't "sticking" with new teachers 2. These new teachers are doing worksheet after worksheet. That's the way they are teaching. Their students are not touching any living biological material. 3. The administration does not support lab science. Administrators want one thing in science courses - get those kids through the Virginia SOL (for Bio I) [3/8/2007 10:22:08 AM]

We are constricted by lack of funding for new equipment. How am I supposed to do gel electrophoresis for 150 students with three working set ups (which take several hours to run to completion) and no money to buy more or faster systems? Also class size, with limited space and materials, students do not get the individualized attention needed. I don't have materials for every student to conduct an experiment in a 42 minute class period (which raises concerns of time constriants). [3/8/2007 7:22:22 AM]

Although we have excellent facilities, I believe our greatest problem is the lack of inquiry in our labs. Generally, the labs are "cookbook" in nature. Students are presented with a concept and then follow specific directions in lab to "see" the concept. Typically, students do not see the connection and are not engaed in lab. It has become clear to me that the students must be taught from the first day in class about lab and taught how to design experiments and ask good questions to be investigated. Rather than try to cover every sentence in a chemistry book, I believe more time should be given to labs and the lab experience because that teaches students more about what science is. [3/8/2007 6:46:07 AM]

I am a temporary, 50% time teacher of lab science for k-8. I provide one lab for each grade every week...and in some cases, this is the ONLY science these students are receiving at all. Our school is unique in it's lab situation- I have a classroom, as well as a lab full of live animal 'pets', plants, fish, reptiles, amphibians and insects. I am paid at the bottom of the payscale and I volunteer for half time. The students at our school LOVE the science lab. I keep it open during recess, lunch breaks and before school, and the lab is always full of eager students. They tell me it is the only part of school they love. Funding for my position and the lab will be gone next year, as the forest funding bill will not be renewed. It is very sad, and the students will loose a love of learning that they now are embracing. I would love to give you more information about our unique lab situation, and do whatever I can to help labs like ours be established and sustained in public school d [3/8/2007 12:24:11 AM]

Yes, labs are important. However, time is the big factor. In a 182-day year, we teachers are forced to do "everything" and that is just not possible. The standards, the tests, the reading assigments, the fundamentals, the applications, the connections, the "wrting across the curriculum" and the much needed hands-on! Then we need to inject some fun to make it exciting and inviting for most of the students. The reason why labs are not working because of a failure of the system to recognize the flaw, not the underfunding or instructor prep. The flawed educational system is pointing the finger in the wrong direction by expecting us to create magic out of a overburdened expectation! [3/7/2007 11:16:32 PM]

My classroom is not a lab classroom. I must borrow lab equipment from a building across campus. If the lab involves equipment that is too bulky to carry across campus, I skip it. For example, I chose not to do a ripple tank lab with my physics class because it was too difficult to transport 8 ripple tanks. I taught biology last semester in a math classroom, with no sinks or microscopes. And this is Los Alamos, NM, where we have a town full of scientists and science is king! I can only imagine the limitations in other towns. [3/7/2007 10:38:49 PM]

Insufficient chemicals, inadequate equipment, no fume hoods, no rubber/Neoprene gloves [3/7/2007 10:37:41 PM]

I teach in an old, run-down building with inadequate safe storage, inadequate access to running water - hot or cold, drainage that doesn't include pea traps or chemical waste handling features and inadequate electrical supply. In addition, safety equipment is outdate, in poor repair or missing. When I plan a lab, I must plan on purchasing many of the consumable supplies (except chemicals) and provide cleaning supplies as well. Microscopes are in need of repair, supplies are outdated and in poor repair or available in inadequate quantities. In spite of these obstacles, I am able to plan and execute many inquiry based labs which seem to provide the students with the tools for discovering information for themselves. Our budget gets cut repeatedly and repairs are postponed in favor of landscaping for the gym and polishing the granite landing in front of the main office. These make teaching science difficult but not impossible and certainly no less important. [3/7/2007 9:11:10 PM]

Lab periods are too short and too far between. The lab space is grossly inadequate. Supplies and equipment are adequate but minimal. Several of our teachers are very well qualified to do labs, but it is currently an exercise in frustration. [3/7/2007 8:48:09 PM]

poor lab facilities [3/7/2007 8:43:19 PM]

I try to provide my students with some lab experience. It is a challenge because my department has only been in existence for about 6 years. It was developed without a science instructor and poorly designed. Equipment provided based on cost. Lot of junior high equipment. I am slowly adding what I need. Safety is a big issue. It is a constant struggle between high expectation labs and competancy of my students. [3/7/2007 7:38:26 PM]

Class sizes that exceed lab capacity by 10 students, very low budget for supplies and equipment [3/7/2007 7:18:30 PM]

More students than the lab is designed to hold. Teachers don't want to spend the time gathering supplies and paying for consumables out of their pocket. [3/7/2007 6:23:04 PM]

I would love to have more labs. I have no time to prepare the labs with the little equipment, supplies, and support that I get and students are rowdy with no consequences for behavior. I can't teach the way I want to because the ill-behaved students ruin it for everyone. [3/7/2007 5:46:36 PM]

As a district coordinator, I think teachers feel that they do not have time to do labs. They do not understand that concepts can be taught by doing science via labs. I also think that some teachers do not feel comfortable allowing students to use the materials, chemicals, glassware, etc, fearing that something might happen. We have ample materials and funds to purchase more materials, they just choose not to use them. Their main focus is the state test, and they tend to have students work on problems similar to the state test. [3/7/2007 5:23:08 PM]

Lack of time (50 minute classes) Too much (broad) content - I did hands on activities a lot at the first of the year, and the students really got the concepts down well...but now I'm behind and have to rush to teach everything required by the end of the year and hope that they still get the concepts ok. When asked to teach "Integrated Science," I know that this is where those students will get most if not all of their exposure to Physics and Earth Science, and in some cases Chemistry. However, as a biology teacher by trade, I have no concept of how to set up labs in these areas. Chemistry in particular is difficult due to my room with no fume hoods, no active knowledge of chemicals I can use in reactions safely, no idea what chemicals to order from companies. I dislike the general science approach at high school level because it makes me teach things at a pretty detailed level that I am not very qualified in while the state still gets to say I'm "highly qualified" because it's "g [3/7/2007 4:08:13 PM]

We have a time issue...our periods are to short to conduct a quality lab and there are to many students assigned to science classes [3/7/2007 4:06:52 PM]

Not addressing the lack of appropriated dollars for science lab equipment and consumables, my past experiences with science labs at the middle school level are that a good deal of what is in the middle school texts are 'activities' with little content depth and not labs. In my opinion, labs are detailed experimentations or explorations that build dimension to content material and allow for higher order thinking, inquiry, exploration and discovery. While activities allowing students either concrete, kinesthetic, or tactile learning experiences are not bad and more easily accomplished in short class periods. They do not build inquiry skills, foster discovery, or encourage higher order thinking. Add to that, the time and money now devoted to instructing students how to answer specific types of questions on standardized tests and how to bubble correctly and you get little to no time for meaningful science content much less detailed learning in quality laboratory experiences. [3/7/2007 3:34:23 PM]

Science lab should be taught as another class. In college you take the science class and then the lab as separate classes. There should be a science class teacher, and a science lab teacher. Even in middle school this would be beneficial. We need grants for labs equipped with materials, teachers ect. [3/7/2007 3:25:59 PM]

I am a teacher, though I'm now back at university level. I do a lot in print and on line. But the sad truth is most teachers should not try lab centered activities until they know how to manage them, and can do it securely and confidently. The LSU/NSF Physical Science Program in 1995-1999 provided 120 teachers with 18 credits in physics, chemistry, and methods, especially with graphing calculators and computers using probes or sensors. I wish we could have more programs like that! I put up http://getyourhandsonscience.com to help adults enjoy hands on science, but I have a couple of youth pages up now, and they get hits. The whole idea is, with the book 700 Science Experiments (title) you can learn to collect "stuff" and use makeshift things to do some really sophisticated science. I retired without ever having done one CBL type activity with my high schoolers because I'm an old time, ruler/pencil/scissors guy, and can make planes, boats, carts, catapults, and a host of other ve [3/7/2007 2:53:20 PM]

I am in a classroom that is not a science lab so we are limited by the lack of safety equipment. I am also limited by my supplies. Earth science is brand new to the high school curriculum in my area so there are simply no lab supplies. I am a first year teacher that has had to pay for all of my supplies out of pocket this has definately hindered my lab abilities. I try to incorporate mini labs as often as I can. [3/7/2007 1:34:07 PM]

Teachers here are not given enough time to perform lab experiences. We have so many concepts to cover, if we stop giving notes and supplying content directly, we will fall behind and not finish the curriculum. "Finishing" is now considered the most important goal, ahead of student understanding. [3/7/2007 1:02:27 PM]

I agree that lab work is a motivator for student engagement in science concepts. In many schools labs are being dismantled and the space is re appropriated for classrooms and administrative offices. The zest for breaking up large schools has all but removed science as a lab experience for our kids. This trend is totally unacceptable and must be reversed. [3/7/2007 12:56:36 PM]

Our problem is two fold: class sizes that are too large to manage (35+) and time contratints due to school schedules and an enormous number of state standards in science. Put the two together and the time that is allocated for labs is never adeququate and the safety concerns that arise due to such large numbers of students make the investigations to a large degree "pointless". [3/7/2007 12:28:03 PM]

Not enough space for equipment setup with groups that are too large Constant set up and take down because of many different courses are taught in the same lab Not enough fume hoods [3/7/2007 12:25:01 PM]

I believe my answer to this will be redundant. Funds and Time (planning and implementation). [3/7/2007 11:35:32 AM]

Many students do not appreciate the equipment and how expensive it is. They are sneaky and do little things to destroy the best equipment. IE microscopes. We do not have the repai dollers. i need training on how tofix these. [3/7/2007 11:22:24 AM]

With the amount of material I have been mandated to cover by the state standards and the lack of funds for materials labs are just not practical. I am already losing enough class time to testing. [3/7/2007 10:53:26 AM]

My school is a small rural school. Even tho the science teachers do an adequate and good job with labs, the equipment is old and outdated (antique, dinosauric) or not even available at all. For sophisticated labs requiring hi tech, the only solution is to not do them or to have a connection with a local college or university where you are able to borrow the things you need (as in electrophoresis). In the physics area, when it has been taught, equipment to do most of the labs just basic to a program is either incomplete or non existent. Budgeting and funding, except for the occasional grant (if someone wants to take on the daunting task of writing one!), is scarce--the P.E. dept is sometimes a priority. Our school would benefit from an overhaul but I am not sure who or what could accomplish it. Sometimes the staff of these smaller schools is behind on what is current in their field either due to lack of funds to attend workshops etc or bring in presenters. The one area of which I [3/7/2007 10:32:30 AM]

When I taught lab in college, all lab instructors were required (and paid the time) to conduct each and every lab prior to teaching the students. This happens for some high school teachers, but not for many. Science teachers at all levels would teach more and safer labs if they were given adequate training and practice prior to instruction. [3/7/2007 10:28:33 AM]

Here's a piece of good news for you. We have no problems with lab in our school. I teach at a Career and Technical center at a NYS BOCES. I was given total freedon to design the curriculum, as long as my topics and activities met NYS learning standards, so I created a lab- heavy program. I have a budget to buy what I need and am certified in three of the four high school sciences. It's the best of all worlds. [3/7/2007 9:53:21 AM]

We have an older facility so make modifications to lab exercises as needed. Lab is an essential component in every science class we teach, core as well as all electives. We use a wide variety of laboratory exercises, from "cookbook" to complete student design. Teaching science without a laboratory component is not teaching science. [3/7/2007 9:49:09 AM]

My biggest problem in doing labs is class size. At the first of this year, my classes averaged 38 students. It is difficult, to say the least, to moniter 19 separate lab groups. If I make the groups larger, then one student does the work and the others merely copy the one's answer, drawings, procedures, etc. My school was built 40 years age and designed for 25 desks. We have taken out desks and replaces them with tables, but even then I only have places for 32 students. The others sit on stools around the class perimeter. That limits where we can even do the labs. Labs should be fun, but they end up a class management nightmare, so I have reduced the number that we do each year. [3/7/2007 9:05:08 AM]

Lack of time. When including a lab, one has to choose wisely( hit multiple targets) due to the time constraints caused by curricular scope and sequence and state testing issues. Pre/post lab (especially post-labs) are consciously rushed through in order to get back on track (lock step with district wide timelines). A second preparation period would help the practioner gather and assemble a lab (colleges and universities have lab technicians or work-study students assist) but budget constraints, lack of understanding or and under appreciation for this practice inhibits progress in this area. Another issue to struggle with is multiple preparations, two or more content preps and lab preps can be daunting and to the inexperienced or incompetent more than overwhelming. [3/7/2007 9:03:26 AM]

Sometimes just to many students....our lab was designed for 32 students, but ONE teaching watching 32 in a lab setting is sometimes difficult. [3/7/2007 8:58:24 AM]

The curriculum is so rushed that there is pressure to teach a lot of material without time for lab experiences. Also there are too many students in a class to conduct many labs with the proper supervison. [3/7/2007 8:47:38 AM]

I struggle with making the lab experience integral...ie, not a "once a week actvity." It's in doing this that we advance the principles of inquiry. [3/7/2007 8:45:52 AM]

Law suits. Right now there is a pending law suit for an accident that occurred in the classroom. This does scare the veterens from doing creative labs and as far as the newer teachers they do not have the qualifications or knowledge. [3/7/2007 8:03:40 AM]

Lack of equipment: I have trouble rounding up enough fundamental materials like meter sticks or spring balances or stopwatches for simplest of labs. I make much of my own equipment for the students at home. Lack of lab space: I teach 9th grade integrated science in a standard classroom with no lab facilities whatsoever. Every lab requires considerable adaptation, and wet labs must be conducted as demonstrations on my little cart. I don't even have water in my classroom. I attribute these deficiencies to inadequate funding. [3/7/2007 1:02:43 AM]

Out-dated facilities, lack of space for safe lab experiments, and some experiments I feel unsure of whether I know enough to answer questions about what is going on with the experiment. [3/7/2007 12:23:44 AM]

The problem is that we have too many state mandated tests to give. We have to teach to the test and teach all the objectives that are going to be on the state test. This leaves little time for experiments. [3/7/2007 12:01:56 AM]

Most of the elementary schools in our district and most other district in California don't even have space or funding for Science Labs or the materials necessary to upkeep one. With a Science Lab, one must also a hired specialist or paid staff/ teacher... who will committ themselves to upkeeping a lab. When do regular elementary school classroom teachers have extra time to organize lab materials, and make sure materials are up to date and replenished if the Science LAb is on another floor or wing of the school? This is why there should be funding for a Science Lab Teachers and funding for a Lab at every elementary school. Good luck on finding funding! [3/6/2007 11:31:03 PM]

Many of the teachers are not prepared to teach lab science in today's high schools. They do not know anything about lab safety or how to set-up labs for their students. The colleges teach concepts but do not teach how to organize, safety and administor a lab in the high school. I have been teaching for 20 years and I have only see a couple of teachers that do hands on labs in their science class. Most of the teaches do paper labs and call them a lab. I think part of the problems with science teachers doing labs are: poor training by colleges, school districts lack of understanding the need for extra time to set-up and clean-up a lab, the cost of the equipment, and lab safety. These are just a few of my ideas. i would need more time and space to give all of my probems with science teachers in the high school science lab. [3/6/2007 11:20:27 PM]

I have the ability, desire, and most of the equipment needed to carry out quality lab experiences but am lacking the time to find the good labs and the time to prepare for them. [3/6/2007 10:48:17 PM]

classes are too large to conduct labs not enough money alotted for lab supplies for introductory biology classes some administrators feel "virtual" labs fill the requirement for lab work facilities not adequate for running labs (biology) old/broken equipment AND THIS IS IN A WEALTHY SUBURBAN DISTRICT NEAR MANY PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES!!!!! [3/6/2007 10:40:31 PM]

The biggest problem I have with labs are the students mishandling and purposely destroying the equipment. Also, students not listening when we go over safety/purpose/procedure causes problems and ineffective lab time. Often they tend to do the hands-on part, but don't (think through why/what they're doing and) come to conclusions/apply what they learned. This makes the lab a "waste of time" in the sense that they missed the point even when we go over it after the lab. [3/6/2007 10:24:03 PM]

District interference in with our school's choice to adopt a program that is more lab focused than the traditional textbook/worksheet program. Lack of funding and continued support by the district beyond the textbook adoption year. Lack of state and federal govenment support of science education at the k12 level. We'd rather build and drop bombs than educate our citizens. [3/6/2007 10:23:56 PM]

We don't have enough time to do as many labs as I would like. [3/6/2007 10:18:19 PM]

1) labs are not in any condition to safely conduct experiments. 2) many teachers are not qualified to conduct experiments. 3) teachers have very little authority to handle unruly students. Several instructors have elimniated lab activities from their plans because of safety issues. Class sizes are large (approx. 30 students), students are behavior problems and one teacher cannot ensure that proper safety procedures are followed. Even in smaller classes, teachers are powerless as any threats of recompense for bad behavior ultimately has no consequence. [3/6/2007 10:10:49 PM]

lackof funds, limited space, too large group. only one chemistry teacher i like a lab tech but they dont have $ [3/6/2007 9:51:20 PM]

We have inadequate lab space, no proper ventilation for our chemical storage, inadequate wiring (using more than 8 hotplates starts tripping circuits), one lab to share among 5 teachers, unsafe class sizes (many more than the ideal maximum of 24), lack of storage space, and class periods that are really too short to accommodate inquiry type labs. [3/6/2007 9:50:15 PM]

I teach high school science and I feel that I am very qualified to lead lab investigations. I take this as a personal insult and find it very disturbing that others might feel as though we are not qualified to do so. The biggest hurdle that I have to face as a science teacher is the lack of funding for instructional supplies in the laboratory setting. These items are not thought of as necessities; this is the one area where the budget can be cut. So, I basically spend a lot of time trying to figure out which labs I can do with the lack of materials that I have. It ends up to be a lot of "kitchen science." If I could have an unlimited budget my students would benefit tremendously in the laboratory setting. I do the best I can with what I have...so blame someone else besides the "unqualified science teacher!" [3/6/2007 9:35:21 PM]

Lack of funds for needed equipment and materials. The lab is conditional because it was improved a year ago, but a science teacher teaching both the core and the lab for different grade levels is too much. Science teachers should have extra pay or if not, there should be somebody incharge for the preparation and disbursing and retrieving of the materials for the safety of the students and everybody. [3/6/2007 9:20:40 PM]

Indeed the lack of capital funds for equiping a lab science room is a major stumbling block for our district. However, many of our buildings went through a major remodel about 9 years ago; the the designers failed to consult the national standards for square footage in a science lab space or what constitutes a science lab room. On our building maps, five of our seven labs are labeled classrooms not labs. Needless to say the remodel was disappointing at best. In our district, it really depends upon who you know and what building you teach in. Our in building budgets have seen 70% decrease in funds to support consumable lab materials compared to what it was 10 years ago (based on per pupil spending). It has increased 20%, to now have us at 50% of what we had 10 years ago. Our grade 9 science teachers have cut most of the labs because the classrooms they are assigned to teach in are only suppose to have 17.4 students in each of those two rooms (based on national safety square foota [3/6/2007 9:18:21 PM]

My school is pretty supportive of lab experiences but there are problems with crowding (too many students for # of lab stations), not enough time to set up labs properly, and not enough equipment for some types of physical science experiments. [3/6/2007 8:53:13 PM]

Greetings, Unfortunately my experience with labs in the classroom has been extremely frustrating. I teach biology in a large (2400 students) school. Our class sizes range from 30 to 35 students. Even doing the most basic of labs is a challenge with so many students. Safety is a huge concern. As a result, many labs are simply out of the question. I anguish daily over the fact that students are present with a view of science that focuses more on vocabulary and memorization that actual scientific inquiry. I purchase the materials that we use in the experiments we are able to do out of my own funds due to lack of departmental funding. It saddens me that students are not able to experience the true nature and excitement of science in my classroom. [3/6/2007 8:51:33 PM]

The budget and lack of storage space limit the extent of lab experience that can be offered to students. [3/6/2007 8:33:55 PM]

There is a lack of funds for proper and modern supplies, space, and equipment. Also a lack of commitment to proper science education. I teach in a relatively wealthy suburban district and it lacks $ to modernize its science facilties. No gas, little electric, sinks don't work, computers out of date. Hands are tied by the emphasis put on English, Math and Social Studies due to NCLB. NSTA needs to push for additional funding earmarked ONLY for science lab space and equipment. If NCLB is not going to go away, at least add science testing to the list, so districts take it seriously. [3/6/2007 8:32:31 PM]

1. Over crowded classes Some classes in Biology and Chemistry have more than 30 students 2. Lack of funds Equipment and facilities are expensive and not a priority for most districts. 3. Lack of Teacher Time Laboratories and lectures with demostrations take time to prepare. Most teachers have heavy class loads and it is a struggle to find prep time. [3/6/2007 8:23:53 PM]

I am a high school Honors Biology teacher who was moved out of a science lab classroom I had been in for two years to a regular classroom and told to continue what I was doing. Obviousy, I couldn't. The rationale behind the move was that biology teachers do not need a lab area, only chemistry teachers. I used to do more labs than all of the chemistry teachers combined ( and we have 5). I have been teaching for 38 years and stay on top of my field. I have always taught with inquiry labs, before they were in vogue. The attitude that is around me is rediculous, but in this new District I can't fight "city hall" and ignorance. [3/6/2007 8:21:51 PM]

There are many problems with with the lab experience in my school. I teach in a public, suburban high school in northern NJ. One of the most significant problems is that the massive amount of content I am required to teach my students makes it necessary to move through the curriculum at a very fast pace. In the contstant struggle to "get through" the material, there is very little time left for meaningful labs and inquiry learning. Furthermore, class periods are very short, which makes it even more difficult to successfully complete labs. Finally, teachers today are heavily pressured to prepare students for standardized tests; this pressures teachers to "teach for the test" instead of teaching science in a meaningful way. [3/6/2007 8:16:56 PM]

We have a pretty good lab set up where I teach (Middle school) but funds are always at a premimum- When it is time to reorder supplies I list the state standards being addressed by the lab- sometimes that works. [3/6/2007 8:11:00 PM]

I am currently teaching Anatomy and Physiology and Chemistry. I have nothing in the way of lab equipment for anatomy and no funding to purchase anything. (I wanted to purchase fetal pigs and use them throughout the year for various systems - a big NO!). I have a limited amount of lab equipment for chemistry, just a few pieces of glassware, no test tubes, bunsen burners but no gas source, etc . . . I do what I can for labs, but have spent over $1000 of my own money and still don't have much to show for it. I make my lessons as inquiry based as possible, but it's not always possible since I have little material to let the students utilize in any kind of investigation. I am teaching at a 9-12 Arts Charter school in SE Michigan. [3/6/2007 7:54:14 PM]

Lab is an important part of science. My school is on a tight budget. I look for alternative ways to get materials. Colleges and business have donated equipment if you make the right connections. It takes time and effort to put it together. [3/6/2007 7:48:21 PM]

The major problem is an administration that lacks experience and education. They are unable to understand how laboratory activities are an integral part of learning science. Let's demand that administrators are "highly qualified"! [3/6/2007 7:45:38 PM]

My class sizes are too large and the administrators have fostered a disruptive climate; students with behavior problems interfere with teaching. Also, labs are difficult to make up when students are absent, suspended, or in outside agencies [3/6/2007 7:29:41 PM]

Mostly a lack of time. It has helped immensely going with a mainly microscale format but time constraints still limit the types of labs I can do with the kids. I also find that the kids are not coming to me with the math skills needed to be able to do some of the things I'd like to do, because I get bogged down in explaining the simple algebra [3/6/2007 7:24:55 PM]

The problems in my school are outdated and broken equipment...we don't even really have any equipment. The person who runs our lab is not knowledgeable about anything and the school refuses to place any emphasis on science instruction. I end up and have to spend my own money and I am already in debt. Sometimes I feel like I am in a sinking ship. : ( [3/6/2007 7:11:13 PM]

Students lack skills and motivation to prepare for labs. In early grades, labs are treated as fun with no accountability to learning. In high school, when labs become more complex, students do not study or prepare for them, and as a result, the labs are not the best use of time. [3/6/2007 7:06:53 PM]

As a current high school and junior college science teacher and a former research chemist in private industry, I agree that lab science should play an integral role in science instruction at the high school level. At my school, I have tried as a teacher and a former department chair to maintain a high standard for lab instruction; but it certainly has become an uphill struggle. There are a number of reasons for this: 1) Complex state and federal safety regulations that make it very difficult and expensive to maintain a safe, yet meaningful lab program. 2) Fear of litigation by parents make for overkill on safety standards. 3) Increasing enrollment coupled with decreasing budgets make it difficult to provide adequate supplies and equipment. In 2000, I had a total of 60 students and an annual lab budget of $1000; now I have 85 students amd an annual lab budget of $600. Without a meaningful lab science program, students enter college and the technical workforce without t [3/6/2007 6:51:34 PM]

I teach in an at-risk, alternative education program. It is positioned in a former elementary school, so there are no facilities to carry out the type of experiments necessary to teach such current science topics as molecular biology. We do make use of field experiences for Ecology/Environmental Science. Kids are with us for a limited time, but they're certainly missing out while they're with us. [3/6/2007 6:47:33 PM]

There is not enough time in the school year to offer as many labs as I would like to. Most chemistry labs at the high school level are done as application of scientific concepts learned in lecture. Because of the nature (poorly controlled conditions) of student-conducted experiments, it is not practical to expect students to correctly learn concepts and derive mathematical relationships based on their lab data (ex. Boyle's law experiments show qualitative relationships, but they never show exact mathematical relationships so derive P1V1 = P2V2). So demonstrations or lectures are a better use of time to convey that concept. Teachers have to weigh the time commitment to doing a lab versus the benefit/learning the student will get from it. We do the best we can with the time and equipment we have. And, unfortunately, we have to be concerned with "State Science Standards". If a lab, even a very good one, doesn't cover a standard, can we justify doing it? [3/6/2007 6:35:14 PM]

My school does not have proper lab desks for students and there is no designated area for lab materials to be stored. This year we have not been able to even access the lab materials because of work being done on the school. Safety issues have not been addressed at all. [3/6/2007 6:31:17 PM]

My entire science budget for a General Physical Science class in an alternative Ed. high school is $500. From this I must pay for xeroxing charges, ink cartridges for my 2 printers, & postage for letters home to parents and guardians, AND lab equpment. The previous teacher made do with demonstrations only, but of all students in this district my special ed and EL students desperately need hands on activities. From the lab manual supplied with my text book I had enough lab materials for everyone to do exactly ONE experiment (in which students measured a stack of pennies in centimeters - hardly an engaging activity). In order to remedy the situation I spend HOURS scouring the internet for cheap lab activities, I buy supplies at Home Depot (with my own funds), & I am an active member of a local foundation which hopefully will trickle funds into my school. It is simply not right; not to me and especially not to my students. [3/6/2007 6:28:36 PM]

The main probem is that there are too many student in class (26-30). This is an ongoing problem that effects the types of laboratory experiences that students can experience safely. [3/6/2007 6:23:34 PM]

money money money!! [3/6/2007 6:20:34 PM]

Firstly, I'd like to say that, in my experience, NOTHING takes the place of a hands-on experience to teach students. However, overcrowding in lab classes is common, leading many of my colleagues to question the safety of the lab experience (especially where sharp instruments, chemicals, and flames are concerned). In my physics class I have to continually be concerned about the safety and security of my equipment. Accidents are more common in crowded conditions, and equipment loss is hard to re-fund. To sum, properly funded lab classes combined with class sizes designed to fit in the rooms provided are a good and proper tool to prepare students for the challenges of life and college. Under funded and or overcrowded, lab classes create safety and probably monetary problems that may outweigh the benefits of lab courses. [3/6/2007 6:12:33 PM]

Too cookie cutter. Too limited due to lack of materials or lack of time [3/6/2007 6:03:35 PM]

The biggest problem that we have in performing many chemistry experiments is the lack of equipment. We can do a lot of qualitative and descriptive chemistry, but many of the quantitative experiments are beyond the equipment that we posess. [3/6/2007 5:50:23 PM]

I teach biology in a portable without any sinks, no storage, and only four outlets. It's such a challenge to put together a real lab. My portable is far away from the real science labs so it's hard to even get materials over here. There's no prep area out here so I have to go to one of the main buildings to prep. Yet those prep rooms are not easily accessed if you don't have an attached classroom. There are no extra goggles or goggle cabinets to use either. My room has carpet so I am reluctant to use many chemicals because they are difficult to clean up if spilled. I feel like everything that I could have going against having real labs is a reality at this affluent school. [3/6/2007 5:35:33 PM]

1. Space. We have too many students/per classroom for safety. 2. Poorly designed lab arrangements. Mine has 2 counters on opposite sides of room where students must stand with their backs to me and I can't scan for safety/other issues. So I must use beat up lab tables that are uneven. 3. Too little money. We get decent funds for consumables but no money for purchasing technology or major pieces of equipment like a still or new microscopes. If it is a safety issue, e.g. goggle sterilizer, we can get it. 4. All our IB teachers are qualified but the teachers for regular students often come and go. 5. Unruly students often prevent teachers from doing labs. 6. Middle school students are not prepared to think beyond cookbook labs. They usually have few manipulative skills. 7. Many mediocre students are not interested in thinking about research questions. They have trivial ideas or none at all. It takes a very knowledgeable and energetic teacher to get them excited enough to th [3/6/2007 5:30:26 PM]

Besides funding for lab science, my own school has 1964 construction, which means, the science rooms were built in a time when the accepted teaching method was direct instruction and not inquiry based learning. There is no space for ongoing projects. Students tend to take even the most insignificant items, so it is not possible to leave any type of material out in the classroom. [3/6/2007 5:26:44 PM]

We do not have any rooms to use as actual laboratories. Although we have lots of equipment, we have no place to safely use it and few teachers who know how to use it. Currently the one room that had been a lab is used by teachers to sell hot chocolate and nachos to students to raise money for trips to Washington, DC for a very small group of students...the lab cannot be used as a lab...they removed the lab tables and installed desks for all the student. [3/6/2007 5:16:04 PM]

A major deterent to lab-based science is the increased use of standardized tests that do not require students to have participated in lab work. [3/6/2007 4:35:36 PM]

Old facility- the gas for the bunsen burners does not work. Need new balances and more funding for supplies. One of the classes has 27 which is too large for the lab space to do labs effectively. [3/6/2007 4:27:47 PM]

Here is a method we use with elementary education majors at OSU in the Department of Physics. The Science Education faculty at OSU are really supportive of this class for accomplishing the goals of a laboratory experience. See also HBL4U.org. Science Scope Hypothesis Based Learning (HBL) by Kristy VanDorn , Mwarumba Mavita, Luis Montes, Bruce J Ackerson, and Mark Rockley Abstract Inquiry is the current teaching paradigm stimulated largely by the National Science Education Standards [National Research Council 1996]. Students need science literacy (how to do science) and need to be scientifically literate (have content knowledge). These needs often pull in opposite directions when exacerbated by the demands for national testing and accountability. Is inquiry here to stay or is it a passing fad? Can it be improved? How, for example, can inquiry based curricula like Science and Technology Concepts for Middle Schools (STC) [National Academy of Sciences 2000] be i [3/6/2007 4:20:15 PM]

1. Not enough space (working and storage) , not enough supervision. 2. Time constraints: I have a lot of material to cover. Labs take up time, especially if they are to be more inquery based. 3. Students: Students expect to be walked through procedures. Students need to learn how to take inititive and be able to problem solve &/or trouble shoot. Maturity levels. 4. As far as equipment, we are lucky in that we have access to Science in Motion and can do many complex labs if we had the time [3/6/2007 4:16:45 PM]

If this country is serious about educating our children in science then we need to provide designasted laboratory teachers and updated equiptment to these 50 year old facilities. Administrators need to be adequately trained or have someone who is, to give advice and support. Each school needs a lab budget, and not be dependent on the pockets of the struggling teacher who are already supporting several undeclared dependents and working multiple jobs in order to do so. [3/6/2007 4:16:14 PM]

When you really get into it, although labs are undoubtedly beneficial, many substances have been banned from even having on school premises. And even lab books that do small scale quantities of 'safer' substitutions certainly require waste management that can become very expensive. Put this together with the liability that a teacher may easily incur, should a student use a substance incorrectly when teacher's back is turned... then it's easy to see how a teacher might become a little "lab shy". [3/6/2007 3:57:20 PM]

I feel I do a great job with labs considering the equipment we have and the building itself. I do many labs with my students, however, they just want to do the "FUN" stuff all the time. My classes have mixed ability students, and a fair number have behavior issues. I feel these behavior problems are complicated by the fact that other techers have never done labs with them (due to their behavior), and the necessary prep time involved. Hence, when they get into a high school lab, they do not know how to behave. [3/6/2007 3:46:00 PM]

We have an excellent facility, a generous lab fee that we can spend on updated equipment and supplies, access to 12 computers on carts with electronic probes for all areas, and teachers willing and qualified to lead lab investigations. However, we have only 50 minutes per day (Ohio's minimum for a lab science) -- to prepare students for a 10th grade graduation test covering wide-ranging standards and to help them construct ideas. It is very difficult to make enough time for meaningful lab work! [3/6/2007 3:37:58 PM]

I am a high school science teacher for Colorado Virtual Academy (www.covahighschool.org), which is an online school under the umbrella of K12 Inc (www.k12.com). This is our second year of high school and labs are quite a challenge. Currently we offer Earth Science, Biology, and Chemistry. K12 has provided students with some lab materials for ES and Biology, but not for Chemistry. In chemistry students perform 'dry' labs where they do everything but actually perform the lab. They are given a set of data to analyze instead. The materials provided for ES and biology have been ok, but certain things have not been supplied and have made some of the labs difficult for students to complete. As a teacher it is very difficult. For example, in biology students were to perform a rate of diffusion lab where they were given a sample of agar and phenothalien. Well, most student's agar wouldn't set. As a teacher this was hard because I couldnt' see what they were actually doing to try t [3/6/2007 3:34:40 PM]

First and foremost we have a challenge with class size in science labs. According to our teaching contract the administration can assign us a total of 160 students for 5 classes. However, this sometimes results in having 33 or more students in a laboratory class. We have set "limits" for each of our laboratory classrooms. For example the chemistry lab has a limit of 30. These are based on the size of the room, number of lab stations, grade of students, type of class etc. However, we have no ability to enforce our limits. Sometimes the administration will ignore them. I always have students 'sit out' if there are more than the maximum we have established. Other challenges include lack of preparation time for the science teacher. We have a "study hall duty". Yet I have been unable to convince the administration to give science teachers "laboratory preparation" for our additional duty. Our budget is adequate but our technology budget is not. We have some technology s [3/6/2007 3:28:04 PM]

25 year old science hall at least 3 science teachers in reg classroom planning time lack [3/6/2007 3:19:18 PM]

I am our district's K-12 science coordinator and have taught high school for many years in our district and in other districts. The two biggest problems I see (and hear from other teachers) too many students in classes and not being supported financially. Some principals feel science is too expensive. Currently due to the lack of support our AP Chemistry labs are taught, by the classroom teachers, at the local university. [3/6/2007 3:07:28 PM]

My school is very rural (less than 130 students). The lack of funding I'm sure is an issue, but also, the lack of motivation to find funding such as grants. The science department only has one compound light microscope for labs of 10-15. I'm sure the lack of microscopes stems from a lack of need, meaning very little lab oriented activities occur in the science department. This is probably due to the lack of state end-of-the-year tests demanding labratory skills. Also, our lab is completely outdated. [3/6/2007 2:49:12 PM]

I teacher upper middle school Science. We have NO equipment to do Science labs. Our school is five years old and no equipment was bought when the school was built. There is no way I can I do labs without the basic equipment. The students beg for lab work but I have to say no because lack of funding. [3/6/2007 2:36:51 PM]

The funding for high tech equipment is my biggest problem. We do many inquiry labs but they are the low tech versions. [3/6/2007 2:35:42 PM]

I teach in two schools, 70 miles apart, each 65 miles from my home. It takes about 3 hours to drive from one end of our district to the other. My first two classes take place in the morning and the final three hours occur at a different school in the afternoon. I only have 3 preps(few for our district). After my second class, I jump in my car and drive 70 miles while eating lunch to get to my next class with 10 minutes to spare. I then teach 3 more classes in a row and the school day is over. Lab setup and take down is difficult and unsafe under these circumstances, especially when other classes use the rooms when I am not present. Our small schools and the need for highly qualified teachers forces many teaches to drive between schools. You need 4 science certifications in order to spend an entire day in one school. I believe students would be better served by having a science instructor present with time to prepare, rather than an instructor who is a specialist, but is travelin [3/6/2007 2:34:32 PM]

Some of our teachers feel that their students are not well behaved enough to do labs, so they don't do them. The problem is more likely a lack of teacher control in the classroom. I have no problem doing labs with all levels of our student population. Although, I admit it does take more control and patience to work with those students who are less academically focused than others. These are the students who often get more out of the lab experience, though. [3/6/2007 2:32:04 PM]

facilities, lack of equipment and overcrowded classrooms [3/6/2007 2:27:10 PM]

Absolutely lack of funds is the biggest problem. I wish there were more labs written for schools with such low funding. [3/6/2007 2:23:31 PM]

I love for my students to do labs. I schedule them as often as possible. Lack of equipment, etc. as mentioned are the biggest problems. One other problem that I sometimes encounter is that some students simply view a lab period as "recess." They don't care about grades, so they don't care what grade they receive on the lab. They don't want to be at school, so they don't care whether they're doing a lab or not. These students don't pay attention, then destroy equipment because they don't pay attention to instructions and cause chaos. [3/6/2007 2:20:05 PM]

I'm in a new building with very nice lab spaces, but we still have two problems: Insufficient equipment and no funds to get more. Too many students to safely conduct many labs, especially in AP Classes and Chemistry. Innovative teachers make do or find ways to get around the equipment issue, but no one is happy with the 34 students in a chem lab! [3/6/2007 2:05:01 PM]

Lack of professional development has allowed our program to be rather stagnent. I teach physics through inquiry lab questions and try to teach science as a creative endeavor that does not always have known answers. We need to be energized to reconsider how we teach what we teach. [3/6/2007 2:03:47 PM]

Lab science like inquiry should be an important part of every students experience in science! [3/6/2007 2:02:34 PM]

Other teachers think that labs take away from direct instruction time. Other teachers don't want to spend the time to set up and take down labs. Other teachers don't want to work that hard to get the students to learn from their laboratory experiences. Other teachers don't know how to help students design their own experiments. [3/6/2007 1:57:34 PM]

As a 5th year high school teacher, I too have felt the frustrations of laboratory experiments. Lack of resources is one factor however, it is also an issue of time. Labs take longer to perform. Because of standards, it is not wise of a teacher to spend too much time on any activity. Another major hinderence is the numbers. Take for example a teacher who has 100 students (I had 150 in the past). If they were to assign just one lab report a semester, that amounts to a mountain of work. I just don't feel like Superman anymore. [3/6/2007 1:51:30 PM]

I'm an non traditional teacher who was fortunate to spend 8 years as a Research Associate in the Biotech industry. Since becoming a science teacher, I have been able to incorporate skills I learned in industry and share them with the students. Such skills make my science courses more relavent to the students and the interest in such activities is high. What I suggest for teachers without a strong lab experiance is to seek education which allows them to exposure to how science is being used in the "real world" The problems with Lab experiance in the schools falls a lot on the the teachers experiance, access to resoures, and relevant experimentation who's purpose is to honestly answer questions-and not an experiment based on "cook-book" practices. [3/6/2007 1:50:55 PM]

I have a very well equiped laboratory and provide as many laboratory investigations (30+ per class in some years) as I can for each of my courses (Chemistry). In addition to traditional "canned" labs I conduct several open ended investigations which the students must design and carry out. Students are also required to develop writing skills consistant with technical writing models which are most often foreign to traditional writing assignments in the high school English curriculum. Currently my Honors and Academic courses have extended laboratory time once per week (a double lab period) to provide an extended timeframe for conducting lab work. My "Practical" course's do not have this same extended time component. I simply must try to use the time available to conduct lab work that can be done in a very short time frame (or carried over from day to day) for those classes. This can be cunbersome and does limit the extent of the lab experience for those students. Last summer I also [3/6/2007 1:28:12 PM]

I agree labs should fulfill a huge role in a science class. At my school, we do some labs, but do not have enough funds to use the lab like I want too. I feel this is a problem in all schools in my area. I feel the teachers are qualified to lead the labs, it is basically just the lack of funds. [3/6/2007 1:26:42 PM]

In our school district, the quality of lab experiences are hindered by the large class sizes(36 in a class). Along with the large class sizes comes unsafe conditions, including lack of space. A number of teachers also lack lab experience and are not qualified to lead labs corretly. Our district would benefit from teacher trainings on lab experience and labs that meet state standards. [3/6/2007 1:22:21 PM]

My greatest "problems" are: 1. the maturity of the students and 2. the time necessary to teach them to use the equipment/technology. We have good equipment but I don't always use it because it takes too much training time or because of a concern that they may break it and then no-one will be able to use it (we share labs for 7-12th grade). [3/6/2007 1:15:59 PM]

*Our school has minimal funding for improving the quality of lab sciences. Individual teachers are encouraged to write for grants using their own time without pay. *Three of our four science rooms do not have eye wash stations or proper venting equipment. *There is no interest in funding the purchase of electronic data collection equipment/computer based labs by the adminsitration. *Little effort is made in our district to train teachers to improve the quality of lab experiments and the necessary follow-up assessment. *The philosopy that science should be fun needs to be changed to include that science in high school requires effort to master and can be fun. Thanks for this opportunity to share my thoughts. Christine Sandahl [3/6/2007 1:13:38 PM]

Currently we have two equipped lab rooms that 12 teachers have to share. This makes set up and prep very difficult for teachers. We have cut back on the number of labs that students actually perform. We also have curbed the labs so students do not have to set up their own equipment...they move from mini station to mini station. [3/6/2007 1:04:51 PM]

Most lab experiences I've seen or taken part in fail to truly engage students. Rather than encouraging inquiry or discovery, they are actually glorified demonstrations that require students to follow a set of predefined steps leading to a predetermined outcome. While they may be well written and may even demonstrate important concepts, they often fail to inspire a student's passion for science. This is especially true of high school and even college-level science courses. [3/6/2007 1:03:54 PM]

The problems with lab experience in my school have nothing to do with the lab itself...I love leading students in open-ended, problem solving type labs AND in the more traditional lab where they have to meticulously follow directions. I think all of these are useful. However, due to lack of diligent supervision I have seen some very unsafe practices in the labs of other teachers at my school. I have a very small budget and tend to do labs with household/grocery store type materials and I find that they are still very useful learning activities. The main problem is the lack of follow-up on assignments related to the lab...students do not turn in their lab reports and they do not follow through on doing calculations related to the experiements. [3/6/2007 12:42:48 PM]

We do not have adequate materials for labs at our school. We have 1 set of materials for each discipline (earth science, biology, chemistry and physics) and 5 or 6 teachers trying to use the materials for their class. The budget for our science department (high school of about 1900 students and growing) is $6,000/year. A second problem is SOL testing and a 4x4 block. Our SOL tests are given about a month before the end of the term. Many of the fun exploratory and enrichment labs I used to do get dropped because of a lack of time. [3/6/2007 12:41:07 PM]

I teach at a private school with high academic expectations. I value science content over lab experiences. We do have many labs and use up-to-date-equipment, CBLs and computers with "Graphical Analysis". We do teach adaquate lab skills but do not comsume valuble class time with inquiry-only activities. Our students perform very well on the ACT and SAT instruments and are well prepared for university level courses. Motivated students do not require excessive lab, "fun" activities to keep them focused on the topic. [3/6/2007 12:36:23 PM]

Multifaceted issue. 1. Safety-the number of students in the classroom (I am lucky with class sizes of 24 this year but two years ago I had 28 in a class designed for 24.) I requested that it be noted and if an emergency or unsafe act happened then I was not liable since I had notified administration of my safety concern. 2. Behavior of students in labs is a concern. 3. Equipment- some is extremely old and unsafe and funds are not available to get new and the reaction is do with what we have. 4. support of administation & parentswhen you send a student out of class because of behavior. The safety of the class is paramount but parents state it is their child's right, I didn't have classroom control or thier child was bored. (excusses by parents). 5. I have spent over $1,000 on different lab manuals & books &training aides to help with labs so that the students just don't get the two the textbook gives. 60-75%of my class is lab and we work through concepts while doing the labs [3/6/2007 12:34:05 PM]

Too many schedule changes and too little time total in the teaching year. Lack of understanding on the part of administrrators of the time involved for the teacher in doing labs. They take an enormous amount of time to set up and take down- add that make-ups, and you are always doing labs. Science teachers still have papers to grade- more than most English teachers- yet we are expected to put in more time doing labs also. At our school the science teachers put in more time than anyone else- no one else is even close. Money is not the major problem- time is #1. That involves time for the teacher and time in class to do the labs. We have a lot to teach plus the lab time. Example - at our school, most teacher do not mind a short day or a day without classes. Science teachers always do! The other classes regularly do reading and homework in class. In science we are too busy learning to waste time. [3/6/2007 12:31:46 PM]

It's a facility problem - too many students in a too small (and not well laid out) space. (Less than 20 square feet per student for some classes) [3/6/2007 12:28:24 PM]

1- Liability - if a student doesn't take it seriously (and many do not) & someone gets hurt, then my job is on the line. 2- Classes are very large these days and it is difficult to keep and eye on them, the equipment, the materials, ect. 2- Equipment & materials are expensive and I have to try to get a lot of "bang for my buck" when buying versus the best lab for the content. 3-Lack of committment from students. Students will not spend the time required to prepare or research their findings. [3/6/2007 12:23:12 PM]

The major problems are lack of storage space for equipment and lack of funds to repair equipment or replace equipment with more modern and student accessible equipment. [3/6/2007 12:14:31 PM]

Labs need to be included in the curriculum, but not be the curriculum. Gathering data without the background knowledge to use and interpret it is wasted time. 1 per week sounds overly ambitious to me. As I try to balance what I believe constitutes a good foundation with the hands-on opportunities labs provide, I find I do approximately one per every 2 weeks. Also, the one resource I need the most is never supplied by the ongoing budget requests -- time. I need more to prep, analyze student responses, and tear down. My students need more (often) just to complete the data gathering so analysis and discussion can take place. As a result, I do a lot of set-up work just so they have a chance to gather info in amounts necessary to meet the requirements of statistical relevance. [3/6/2007 12:14:05 PM]

1. It takes a great deal of time to set up and clean up labs. 2. Most of my students come to my classroom with a complete lack of inquiry skills. 3. Teaching them the thinking skills to push them beyond "cookbook" labs takes more classroom time than I have because of all the content that the state requires. Content can be taught through inquiry, but it takes much more time. The pressure to get kids to pass multiple choice tests precludes me from devoting as much time to inquiry as I would like. 4. A helpful solution would be to place much more emphasis at the grade school level on instruction in logical, inferential thinking. [3/6/2007 12:08:40 PM]

Problems with the lab experience include lack of funding for necessary supplies and excessively large classes which make the lab experience unsfafe and a potential lawsuit waiting to happen! [3/6/2007 12:08:10 PM]

Major problem: teachers not willing to take a chance...... There are labs that can be done with little $$. They just take time and effort on the teacher's part. Inservice training would help teachers develop ways of conducting labs and conducting labs with little $. Teachers also need to know that there are ways of obtaining $$ from the corporate world.. [3/6/2007 12:04:23 PM]

My high school building was built in 1970. Eventhough Pennsylvania will reimburse a district to construct new facilities or renovate every 20 years, my district has not renovated any of our high schools eventhough all of them are eligible for State reimbursement. So the basic infrastructure is lacking but the budget for yearly supplies has not changed in the 6 years I have been here. I have a supply budget of $750 per year. I teach between 3 and 4 science subjects per year 7 classes per day. Two of them being chemistry and physics. I have absolutely no supplies to teach electricity and magnetism, or optics. My chemistry supplies are even worse. My lab facilities are set up for physics, but I am expected to teach chemistry in low benches. I don't know a chemist who will use a bunsen burner sitting down. Hence, I do not teach the labs that require bunsen burners because I feel it is unsafe to use the burners in my room. I also do not have a ventilation hood in my room. I have an exhaust [3/6/2007 11:54:38 AM]

I am troubled by the fact that students go into labs expecting it to be an easy grade. Instead they are not willing to do the analytical work. This drags their grade down severely. It's ridiculous that labs are treated like recess by the students, instead of being treated like an enrichment that requires extra attention. [3/6/2007 11:52:44 AM]

The high cost of some of the equipment in some labs is inhibitory. Ex. thermocylcers, etc. There are ways of obtaining this equipment, such as grants and loans but this also put extra time and responsiblity on science teachers to get the equipment. In addition with all of the safety conditions and fear of law suits many teachers are intimidated to do some labs. All is all I still feel that labs are signficant tool in teaching students what science reallly is and should be done as much as possible. It is the responsiblity of experienced teachers to teach the labs to the new teachers and also for science teachers to take classes on the new techniques and equipment. [3/6/2007 11:52:11 AM]

Class size, we have an average of 24-35 students per class making safety an issue. This also but a large demand on resources/funding. Currently we are designing and building larger lab spaces. Most older facilities have improper ventilation that make it unsafe for teachers let alone students to be in. But I think for most teachers "wasting" time on inquiry type activities is the issue. They feel that students don't learn the topics as well because of the activities versuses chalk /talk type teaching. I find it hard to believe that many teachers are not quallified to lead lab investigations since most states now require science teachers to have a minimum of a minor or they must major in a specific science area. Being one of those teachers who majored in science, worked in science and then became a science teacher, I have never in 13 years of teaching met or taught with a science teacher who was not qualified to teach labs. This issue is time, especially if you are still on [3/6/2007 11:48:10 AM]

Why doesn't NSTA set minimum standards for laboratory facilities in teaching science. If the ALA (American Library Assoc.) can set standards why can't NSTA? NSTA should be more assertive in establishing criteria for the teaching of science. [3/6/2007 11:47:52 AM]

The following problems pertain: 1. Cost of equipment 2. Class size and lab personnel capacity 3. Covering the (Georgia) state standards in the time alloted. Time is a real problem. Labs deliver less info per unit time than other learning activities even though the students may learn that limited info better. 4. Is it "cookbook", or is it "inquiry"? AP labs are pretty much all cookbook to meet College Board requirements. 5. Anyone highly qualified in science should have had sufficient lab experience in college to write and conduct labs. 6. Large classes of learning-challenged kids are almost impossible to safely teach with lab. Group size in this situation must be reduced either by effective scheduling or by team-teaching the lab with another teacher. [3/6/2007 11:45:56 AM]

There are usually two problems: 1. Not enough time to do a quality lab 2. lab classes that are too large. For students who do not have lab experience supervision is essential for both safety and pedagological reasons. Furthermore I find that my colleagues are usually competent to provide lab insturction except for one area and that is safety. Many teachers are not familiar with the materials they are dealing with. They may be ignorant about health and/or environmental effects of the lab materials. I also find that there is little leadership regarding this issue. There are many valuable labs that can be done at the high school level that do not involve toxic chemicals or unsafe conditions. [3/6/2007 11:38:07 AM]

They put too many students in the lab, which makes it unsafe to conduct. The labs were made soddy, ex. when you turn on the water, it turns on the gas jets. Yes, they put them that close together. No storage to put equipt. away in, and yes, no chemical room, so a prep room has to be the chemical room. (no edges to shelves because it was suppose to be a prep room.) Moveable hooded vent, which the glass cracks, leaving areas of gas to escape! You do a lab under these conditions! [3/6/2007 11:29:55 AM]

Teachers think that they do not have time to perform labs due to the standardized end-of course exams that are required, perhaps not recognizing the learning opportunies (BEYOND the stated "purpose" of any particular experiment) afforded by the experience. [3/6/2007 11:29:31 AM]

I like to have labs in my classes. I am faced with a shortage of supplies and the funds to get the supplies I would like, but think that a bit of creativity can solve that problem. However - I am torn on the effectiveness of labs on my student’s comprehension of the curriculum. For the more advanced students the labs are a benefit and really do help them build greater understandings of the concepts presented in class. For the lower level and struggling students, the labs seem to further their confusion and can have more of a detrimental effect. They can go through the motions and complete the steps but cannot clearly explain what or why they did what they did. I think that often the labs that are in text books are more complicated than they need to be and more basic versions with more common supplies could be substituted without sacrificing the activities aim. This would help with student confusion and lack of funds for special chemicals and equipment. [3/6/2007 11:17:07 AM]

Lab sciences should be more heavily used to meet the standards, but often time constaints restrict the teacher from doing as may labs as wanted. Also, money plays a part. Many labs require equipment that schools can't afford. [3/6/2007 11:16:55 AM]

Too many students in class-usually over 30 and old equipment that needs to be updated. Limited funds for lab supplies. [3/6/2007 11:13:22 AM]

I teach a lab in the elementary grade level. I feel that my biggest challenge is the financial aspect. It seems almost impossible to recieve the same amount of money other teachers get when your teaching a hands on lab. Therefore, the teachers that teach labs might know as much because they do not have the funding for it. [3/6/2007 11:07:03 AM]

Current situation: 1 biology lab, 22 bio classes; 1 chemistry lab, 19 chemistry classes; no physics lab; bio and chem labs are unsafe, run-down, ill-equipped. Future (2007): new science wing to be built, 15 lab/classroom combos, fully equipped and technologically up-to-date; science educators expect science education here to go from mediocre at best to hands-on, interactive, interesting, creative, ...a very positive experience. There is a definite need for professional development in science labs. Today's teachers have so little experience because of the conditions offered at most public high schools. C Cunha Cumberland HS, RI [3/6/2007 11:03:10 AM]