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Purpose: What can school labs achieve?

Guderian und Priemer (2008) put together the fundamental aims of school labs. They classify them according to different levels. These levels illustrate groups for which a certain effect shall be generated. They found aims in pupil oriented, teacher oriented, research oriented, and institution oriented contexts. This compilation underlines the potential of a visit in a school lab as each field allows for specific effects. Of course no school lab can pursue and satisfy all the aims (cf. [Haupt et al., 2013]). 

a) Pupil oriented aims contain purposes having an impact on pupils:

  • The interest and receptiveness towards natural sciences and technology shall be enhanced so that stimulation and deepening can be achieved.
  • Pupils can deal with authentic ways of working in scientific fields autonomously. 
  • Pupils get to know an appropriate picture of scientific and technological contents and methods as well as corresponding views.
  • It shall be given an understanding of the importance of natural sciences and technology for our society.
  • Pupils fears and prejudices against natural sciences and technology are tried to be reduced so that the a more positive public image of those disciplines can evolve.
  • The introduction of scientific and technological courses of studies and jobs shall secure its next generation.

 

b) Teacher oriented aims are mainly followed by institutions that deal with teacher training programmes.

  • The school lab is integrated into teacher training via modules.
  • Teachers are offered (advanced) training.

 

c) Research oriented aims relate to the chance to answer research questions of a general, didactical, and specificly school lab related kind. It can be distinguished between two aspects, respectively two aims:

 

d) Institution oriented aims include all positive effects which can be obtained by companies from industry or research. This specifically refers to public relations and science communication.

  • The exchange between science and society can be facilitated.
  • The provider of the school lab gains public attention.

 

As the listing and sorting of all the aims show, school labs are serving a broad range of possible effects and impacts. However it is the vagueness of the generally formulated aims which causes a problem for testing the effectiveness of school lab visits. Impact studies are needed urgently in this field as numerous resources from the public domain and industries are invested in school lab projects (cf. [?, page 118]). In the following chapter this problem as well as its present results will be looked at.