Teaching practical physics. I

The laboratory in higher science education: Problems, premises and objectives

“…Court, Donald & Fry (1976) took time to scrutinize assessment problems with respect to teaching experimental physics. They conclude that a practical examination should not form a part of a course dedicated to the teaching and application of laboratory skills in performing experiments.…”

“…There is thus a painful absence of a model which might set tangible standards as well a clear concept of how a well-done experiment progresses (Conway, Mendoza & Read, 1963). -The supervision of laboratory work is often inadequate, 9 assessed work is not marked and returned within a period of time so as to have an effect on learning, 9 assessment (and penalization) is often arbitrary and has little teaching value, 9 constructive feedback is often lacking (Reif & St. John, 1979;Court, Donald & Fry, 1976;Fowler, 1969). …”

Undergraduate Science Education: A Review of Research

“…'We wish to develop on the part of the student a critical attitude towards measurement and data taking which leads him to give searching consideration to the methods by which data are obtained and analysed, and to study the reliability and meaning of his results in the widest sense. Then, having understood the basic ideas, the student should be encouraged to apply these techniques in tackling experiments and solving problems himself (Court et al 1976). This is a partial rationale for laboratory work in physics which seems both highly familiar and utterly unexceptionable.…”

Practical work in the sixth form

“…Indeed, it was probably never the most efficient way of imparting basic skills and attitudes. At the university level we find extensive practical courses specifically designed to emphasise particular aims (Court et al 1976). In the sixth form the constraints of the syllabus.…”