I'm begging British science teachers(in Britain all science lessons
take place in labs whether they do practical work or not) to look at
various types of lab layout in catalogues before you make your choice.
Please don't think of the mere physical act of 'doing' but remember
that you are going to do a lot of discussions before and after the
actual practical work. Most of all an average class has a few well-
motivated pupils, some moderately motivated pupils and some
unmotivated pupils.
But all of them have the potential to do well. Therefore we need to
create opportunity to release their potential to achieve excellence.
So we need a layout that doesn't impede this but enhances this. By
choosing 'monstrous'(the very word used by science teachers) lab
layout we are denying the pupils a chance to learn science. Teacher
circulation not only 'checks' off-task pupils but also enables the
teachers to give very crucial JUST-IN-CASE/JUST-IN-TIME help in
cognitive reconstruction(ie. learning). How can pupils take part in
visualisation of the discussions unless they take a long time to
navigate the 'monstrous lab layout' to reach the board?
This is not only to create scientists but also to create good
citizens with knowledgeable science. Also to create good learners. To
develop transferable skills.
In some schools GCSE single science is compulsory. In some GCSE
double science is compulsory. Do science teachers realise the extent
of their responsibility? Some schools 'coerce' their pupils to do
triple sciences when they have these 'monstrous' labs(and in some
cases no textbooks to take home!) and what are we doing to them?
If we are acting on tradition and not on merit and if we aren't
critically looking at our practice then we aren't applying
the 'scientific method' we teach our pupils in SC1.
Also we may not be able to put the following into practice:
...we are in a position not only to suggest better methods of
teaching and learning of the chemical concepts themselves, but also,
we lay the foundation for new methodologies that can be applied to
other school subjects, as well as to the whole education process. Our
ultimate target, our ultimate mission, is to reshape, to restructure
not only chemistry and science education, but also
education.....Georgios Tsaparlis, Chemistry Education:Research and
Practice in Education, 2000, 1(1),5-7


Best wishes
Puni Selvaratnam