Term Paper Topic: Laboratory Schools It should include the history of the program, the pros and cons what changes could be made to the program (what would you change).

Term Paper Topic: Laboratory Schools Student Name Course Instructor’s Name Date Page Break Laboratory School A laboratory school, also known as a demonstration school, is an elementary and secondary schools that is run in close collaboration with either a university, college, or any other institution of teacher education and is used for the preparation of future educators as well as educational experimentation, research, and specialist development. Between the middle of the 19th and the middle of the 20th century, lab schools significantly expanded in the United States and became a significant component of educational research. John Dewey (1859–1952), a psychologist and philosopher, founded one of the most well-known laboratory school in 1894 in Chicago as part of progressive education (Halepis, 2022). Today's top lab schools include those in UCLA, Washington, Toronto and New York. Dewey was of the opinion that experience should come before education. According to this view, an education is essentially meaningless if it does not provide a student with a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. The history of society's objectives for science education and of people's perspectives on the nature of scientific research have both had an impact on the history of labs in high schools in the United States. Three quite often goals for school scientific teaching have received varying amounts of attention from teachers, scientists, and the general public from 1850 and the present, firstly, a theoretical focus, emphasising the organisation of scientific fields, the advantages of basic scientific studies, and the significance of preparing students for science higher education, secondly, an applied and practical focus, emphasising high school students' capacity to comprehend and adapt the science and mechanisms of everyday objects and the third one was a liberal or situational focus that emphasises the evolution of science historically and its cultural ramifications (Matthews, 1994). The nature and scope of laboratory education have changed as a result of these shifting priorities. British authors and philosophers had developed a vision of science as something of an inductive approach by the middle of the 19th century. They thought that scientists laboriously observed nature to gather data, and that they very carefully derived new hypotheses from these facts after doing so. Scientists and educators, however, didn't put much effort into educating students about these techniques. Like history and other topics, science was taught in high school and college through lectures and texts, followed by memorization and recitation. Science labs were not yet acknowledged as a component of higher education, and lecturers placed a strong emphasis on students' factual knowledge. In the 1880s, things changed pretty quickly. Leading American institutions adopted the German model after being influenced by German chemist Justus von Liebig's example. In this paradigm, laboratories served as a crucial location for faculty research as well as for students' advanced scientific study. With student-run laboratories, the Johns Hopkins University positioned itself as a research centre. High schools, which were just recently created as educational institutions, soon started to develop student scientific laboratories as well. Other prestigious colleges and universities soon followed suit (Erickson et al., 2012). Preparing students for more advanced science education within college and university labs was the main objective of early middle school laboratories. In order to better prepare students for bachelor scientific studies, the National Association for Education published a significant study that noted the "essential necessity of laboratory work" in the high school science program (National Education Association in the year 1894) Colleges and universities started providing summer lab courses for teachers as there was a growing need for secondary school educators who were skilled in laboratory techniques (Erickson et al., 2012). To effectively prepare for more science education during this period, American educators focused on the theoretical and disciplinary purposes of science education. This emphasis encouraged high schools to immediately adopt a thorough list of forty physics experiments written by Harvard professor Edwin Hall. The list described the 40 experiments that had to be successfully completed in order to be admitted to Harvard to study physics, along with the steps to take and the tools needed to do it (Susan et. al, n.d). Successful completing of exercises was eventually became the requirement for entrance to pursue physics at other institutions and universities. Scientific supply businesses started providing whole sets of the necessary equipment to schools. At that time, the majority of educators and scientists thought that exposing students to laboratory experiments would teach them how to accurately observe things and use inductive reasoning. However, the success of early laboratory teaching was constrained by the emphasis on mandating specific experiments and techniques, as demonstrated by the adoption of the Harvard list. Little thought had been given to how students could learn and get benefit from these experiences in the haste to establish laboratory experiments, methods, and equipment. By performing experiments in accordance with predetermined guidelines, students were supposed to simply internalize the principles of inductive reasoning. Between 1890 to 1910, when American high schools rapidly expanded to accommodate a significant number of fresh students, a reaction against the predominate method of laboratory instruction started to emerge. By 1910, a definite conflict had developed between those who favoured a focus on lab experiments and reformers who preferred a focus on engaging, useful science material in high school science. The emphasis on substance, however, also created issues because students were flooded with "interesting" facts (Susan et. al, n.d). John Dewey, a philosopher and educator, offered a resolution to the conflict between proponents of science education that emphasises practical content and those who favour more laboratory experimentation in a significant speech to American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in the year 1909 (Susan et. al, n.d). Dewey criticised rigid laboratory exercises while also criticising science instruction that strictly concentrated on covering vast amounts of previously covered material. Adopting Dewey's five steps to solve the difficulties of daily life, William Kilpatrick from Teachers College wrote an article on the "project method" in 1918 (Erickson et al., 2012). As reformers adopted the concept of involving students in real-world issues while also educating students about what were seen to be scientific procedures, the essay was later reprinted 60,000 times. Despite these unsolved conflicts, laboratory education had established itself, and an increasing number of aspiring high school teachers were receiving training in how to conduct lab lessons. The "Place of Laboratory Work in the Teaching of Science" chapter was followed by three further chapters on how to teach laboratory science in a 1925 textbook for aspiring science teachers (Susan et. al, n.d). The fact that primary, middle, and secondary school students all attend laboratory schools inside the same complex makes for a more relaxing and stress-free learning atmosphere, which is one of the advantages of the Laboratory school. According to the research team's parent surveys, the laboratory school's emphasis on and performance in academics is the attribute that parents most frequently cite as favourable. The literature does, however, show that smaller teacher-to-student ratios were high on the list because they allowed children to feel more at ease around their teachers and allowed teachers to develop strong relationships with their students. Each kid may be known and cherished in a small school, according to Cotton (1996). In the crowd, nobody gets lost. All of the school's adults are able to get to know every student. Smaller schools may be more adaptable to the needs of particular students and their situations is another advantage of laboratory school. A lab school, also known as a university school, provides a setting that encourages students' enthusiasm in higher education because it is established nearby the campus and works closely with a university. The campus environment introduces students to college at a younger age, which reduces some of the additional stress of adjusting to the postsecondary environment when they enrol in college later. This improves the performance of the student. The cost of these lab schools' tuition is among the most frequent excuses given by parents for not enrolling their kids in lab schools. Some parents think their kids can receive the same kind of education for free at a public school. According to Hausfather (2000), "...merely 24% of laboratory school-imposed tuition in 1942, and 45% charged tuition in 1964." The chaotic atmosphere is another perceived shortcoming of laboratory school. The majority of lab schools are created to prepare future teachers. In order to support the year-round monitoring of faculty members and the instructional techniques employed in the classroom, this necessitates educators as well as other university and school officials entering and exiting classrooms often. High staff/faculty turnover rates are a problem in lab schools as well, according to McBride and Hicks (1998), because "having a large number of undergraduate students, educators, and researchers operating in classrooms can start contributing to the sophistication, uncertainty, and stress encountered by members of staff." To enhance instruction through research, laboratory schools were developed. Although there will never be perfect approach to teach, there is always room for advancement. The education of students is still benefited by laboratory schools, despite the fact that there aren't many of them left today. It's crucial to understand the beliefs and strengths of laboratory schools in order to safeguard them. Administrators may identify what really is effective for their schools and where they can make improvements by understanding what influences parents to pick or not send their children to lab schools. As a result, school laboratories are an excellent setting for students to improve their learning by grasping the theoretical principles of science that are delivered in classrooms. In addition to making science experiments enjoyable, well-designed labs aid students in achieving high academic standards. Page Break References Cotton, Kathleen (1996). Affective and Social Benefits of Small-Scale Schooling. ERIC Clearninghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools. EDO-RC-96-5 (December 1996). Retrieved August 14, 2008, from http://ruraledu.org Erickson, P., Gray, N., Wesley, B., & Dunagan, E. (2012). Why Parents Choose Laboratory Schools for their Children. NALS Journal, 2(2). https://digitalcommons.ric.edu/nals/vol2/iss2/2 Hausfather, S. (2000). Laboratory schools to PDSs: The fall and rise of field experiences in teacher education. The Educational Forum, 65, 31-39. Halepis, H. (2022, September 30). What are Laboratory Schools? Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://www.wise-geek.com/what-are-laboratory-schools.htm Mathews, G. (1994). Science Teaching : The Role of History and Philosophy of Science. Routledge. Susan R. Singer, Margaret L. Hilton, and Heidi A. Schweingruber, Editors; Committee on High School Laboratories: Role and Vision; Board on Science Education; Center for Education; Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education; National Research Council. (n.d.). Read “America’s Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science” at NAP.edu. Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/11311/chapter/3