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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 15, Issue 2, Article 3 (Dec., 2014) |
Undoubtedly many benefits accrue from engaging students in scientific laboratory activities (Hofstein & Mamlok, 2007; Lunetta et al., 2007), since one of the main aims of practical work is to develop skills in manipulating laboratory apparatus (Trowbridge, Bybee & Powell, 2000). Laboratories can be considered the best place to learn manipulative skills and these skills should be learned as part of a formal instruction in science. The purpose of this study was to explore and investigate the factors affecting the acquisition of students’ manipulative skills during the transition from primary school (Year 6) to secondary school (Form 1) by employing a qualitative approach.
Science education has undergone changes in recent years. New pedagogical techniques are constantly being developed, yet the development in the acquisition of manipulative skills tends to be unwieldy. The reason behind this can be explained by exploring the factors that impinge on the process of skills acquisition in the present environment. These factors are the role of the teacher, the students as performers or executers of manipulative skills, issues in teaching and learning, and the laboratory environment. Based on the findings presented above, it is clear that teachers play the role of experts as well as instructors in the acquisition of manipulative skills by students (Bandura, 1989). Teachers can facilitate or hinder students’ acquisition of skills, but it all depends on the teacher’s attitude toward practical work. The students’ abilities to master manipulative skills will serve as a strong basis for them to further enhance these skills at the upper secondary school. The students’ interest in and their prior experience with manipulative skills also plays an essential role during transition.
The ground has been prepared for innovation in practical work. Current practices at most primary schools may impede students’ development of manipulative skills during transition, however, and the problems are most likely to be transferred to secondary school. Students should be well trained in core manipulative skills that benefit them in higher learning. To develop manipulative skills progressively, students should be given ample opportunities to practice their skills. Providing more experiences of practical work in primary school will help students see practical skills and procedural knowledge in science as something they can always use and that naturally develops, rather than something that starts again in secondary school.
This study is supported by Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), grant number FP077/2010A by the Ministry of Education Malaysia and University of Malaya.
