An Undergraduate Science Laboratory Field Experience for Pre-Service Science Teachers

The consensus among both educational researchers and students bound for teaching careers indicates a need for more direct, practical experience in classrooms prior to student teaching (National Research Council, 1996; Anderson & Mitchener, 1994). The typical practical experience enroute to certification includes a course featuring some field experience (often earlier in the preparation cycle than student's development of research-based repertoire of skills), occasional classroom observations, and then student teaching (Feiman-Hemser & Remillard, 1995). Evidence indicates that more "real world" opportunities for pre-service teachers to practice their skills will help them gain necessary skills faster (Schoon & Sandoval, 1997). The effectiveness of our education courses are said to be "substantially increased" when accompanied by such lab experiences (Conant, 1963). Sociological studies have concluded that pre-service field experiences are important for learning needed practical skills as well as acquiring significant socialization regarding the school environment (Lortie, 1975). Other benefits of the field experience are that it serves as a means of developing career commitment and as a mechanism by which future teachers learn valuable knowledge about themselves (Applegate, 1987). Our most compelling evidence for increasing the amount of field experience in the preparation of future teachers comes from research that indicates that more of such practical experience improves pre-service teacher's performance of the specific behaviors modeled and encouraged in the methods course (Yager, 1996; Sunal, 1980). Yet we share many of the hurdles to expanded field opportunity as many colleges and universities: 1 . Placement and supervision impact finite human resources such as faculty and graduate assistants. 2. The packed degree plans of students working toward teaching certification allow for little additional coursework, including another observation's course.