Science Laboratory Interest and Preferences of Teacher Education Students: Implications to Science Teaching

One of the key components of effective Science education is the conduct of inquiry-based laboratory activities which support and reinforce concepts, theories and laws learned in the classroom. This descriptive-correlational study aimed to describe the Science laboratory interest and preferences of teacher education students and their implications to Science teaching via a questionnaire. Data gathered were analyzed using frequency, percentage, weighted means and t-test for correlated samples. Results showed that students have very high interest in laboratory activities. They revealed in the interview that doing laboratory activities make them work and discover things on their own, enhance their skills, don’t limit their explorations, make them feel excited and very eager, let them discover a lot about things, and create in them a deeper sense of learning whenever they perform. Students generally prefer structured (steps are given) and actual (hands- on) lab activities using commercial and improvised materials and done collaboratively or by group. Besides strictly observing lab rules and guidelines, students highly prefer separate laboratory rooms per Science subject, a laboratory room with a laboratory assistant and complete with essential features. Teachers who are, above all, personally intelligent, buoyant, fair, approachable, innovative, and who technically facilitate during experiments, give well-planned activities, are organized and orderly are also preferred. Correlation tests showed that students’ grade in Science is not significantly correlated to their interest in laboratory activities but it is significantly correlated to the type of laboratory activities. Students’ interest in laboratory activities is significantly correlated to their laboratory teacher characteristics.

Keywords – Science Laboratory, Interest, Preferences, Performance, Teacher Education Students