Resources
Resource 1: Different types of practical work and their uses
Different types of practical work make different demands on teachers and students, and offer different benefits. Table R1.1 summarises the characteristics and benefits of some types of practical work. As the emphasis of this unit is on group practical work, ‘Demonstration’ is included solely for comparison.
| Type of practical work | What the teacher does/what the students do | Why choose this approach? What are the potential benefits? |
|---|---|---|
| Demonstration | Teacher carries out the practical as the students watch | For more hazardous or complex practical activities: allows greatest control Ensures students see correct procedures and intended results Where specialist equipment needed – reduces equipment demand Teacher can direct attention to chosen focus |
| Structured practical | Students work in groups All groups are doing the same thing at roughly the same time Teacher provides the instruction for them to follow and questions for them to answer Teacher circulates to manage the activity |
‘Hands on’ activity Good for learning and practising standard procedures Possibility for all students to be actively involved Possibility of students helping each other through group discussion |
| ‘Rotating’ or ‘circus’ practical | There are different activity stations around the room. There are as many groups of students as there are activity stations. Each group of students moves from one ‘station’ to another, and carries out the activity at each station The teacher manages the movement of groups around each of the stations |
Reduces the need for equipment As each activity is relatively short, this can inject some pace into the lesson |
| Investigation | Each group of students carries out the investigation The teacher manages the overall activity and circulates around the groups to provide support as necessary |
Potential for all students to be actively engaged Possibility of applying concepts and testing ideas Potential for more open-ended work Possibility for students to develop better understanding of scientific enquiry (in general, or specific aspects) |
| Problem solving | As for ‘Investigation’ | Potential for all students to be actively engaged Possibility of applying concepts and testing ideas Potential for more open-ended work |
4 Summary