Combining Education with Science in Graduate Student Work

Science Education and Attitudes Despite the importance of science in our lives, there is little public interest in science (Hazen and Trefil 1991). Scientists know the thrill of discovering something new, but most people never have had the opportunity to experience that thrill. Even in science classes in school, children seldom experience real science. Instead they read about science. If they are lucky, they have a chance to do “hands-on” science⎯they mix reagent A with reagent B and if the resulting mixture does not do what the book says it should, they did it wrong. Students learn the “scientific method” as words to be memorized, not as the dynamic process it is of observing, questioning, and testing. No wonder science is boring and stuffy to many people! The “canned” laboratory exercises often done in school science are no more exciting or educational than reading a textbook (Kreitler and Kreitler 1974, Watson et al. 1995). Science laboratories in school, however, do not have to be boring and uninspiring. Many researchers conclude that hands-on laboratory work can enhance student achievement, particularly in problem-solving, creativity, and attitude; but to do so, laboratories must be student-centered. They must give students opportunity to develop and conduct their own investigations (Hofstein and Lunetta 1982, Renner et al. 1985, Hodson 1990, Tobin 1990, Piburn and Baker 1993). Tobin (1986) suggested that increased student involvement in planning experiments and collecting and processing data increases achievement in sci-