A study of the impact of laboratory approach on achievement and process skills in science among ix standard students

Abstract

Science is one of the core components of the school a separate subject has been School curriculum includes curriculum. That is why, science as incorporated in school curriculum. following subjects :-. Language 2. Mathematics 3. Social science 4. Natural Science Introduction of science as a compulsory subject in school curriculum was done with the view to develop scientific attitude, scientific temperament, critical thinking active inquiry, independent work and understanding the physical world from different perspectives. 'Good science education is true to the child, true to life and true to science'. This simple observation leads to cognitive, content, process, historical, environmental and ethical validity of a science curriculum. So it is a powerful means of developing attitudes of critical inquiry, respect for truth, adaptability and systematic work which are a pre-requisite for initiating the process of social change and of national development. At the secondary school stage concepts that are beyond direct experience may come to occupy an important place in the RIE Library Bhopal _ _;;,:- '!--- science curriculum, since not all phenomena are directly observable. Science also relies on influence and interpretation, experimentation often involving quantitative measurement as a tool to discover theoretical principle should be an important part of science teaching. Nature of Science Humans have, always, been curious about the world around them. The inquiring and imaginative human mind has responded to the wonder and awe of nature in different ways. One kind of response from the earliest time has been to observe the physical and biological environment carefully, look for any meaningful patterns and relations, make and use new tools to interact with nature and build conceptual models to understand the world. This Human Endeavour is science. Science is a dynamic, expanding body of knowledge covering ever new domains of experience. How is this knowledge generated ? What is the so called Scientific Method? As with many complex things in life, the Scientific Method is perhaps more easily discerned than defined but broadly speaking, it involves several interconnected steps: observation, looking for regularities, making hypothesis, devising qualitative or mathematical models, deducing their consequences; verification or falsification of theories through observation and controlled experiments and thus arriving at the principles, theories and laws governing the physical world. There is no strict order in these various steps sometimes, a theory may suggest a new theortical model. Speculation and 2 RIE Library Bhopal conjecture also have a place in science, but ultimately a scientific theory, to acceptable must be verified by relevant observation and! or experiments. Thus law of science are never viewed as fixed eternal truth. Even the most established and universal law of science are always regarded as provisional, subject to modification in the light of new observations, experiments and analysis. The methodology of science and its demarcation from other fields continue to be a matter of philosophical debate. It professed value neutrality and objectivity which have been subject to critical sociological analysis. Moreover, while science is at its best in understanding simple linear systems of nature, its predictive or explanatory power is limited when it comes to dealing with non-linear complex system of nature. Yet, with all its limitations and failings, science is unquestionably the most reliable and powerful knowledge system about the physical world known to human. But science is ultimately a social endeavour. Science is knowledge and knowledge is power. With power can come wisdom and liberation or, as sometimes happens unfortunately, power on breed arrogance and tyranny. Science has the potential to be beneficial or harmful, emancipative or oppressive. History, particularly of the twentieth century, is full of examples of this dual role of science.