Bridging the Science Practices Gap: Analyzing Laboratory Materials for Their Opportunities for Engagement in Science Practices

Laboratory courses provide a unique environment for students to engage in the practices of scientists and develop the skills necessary for a career in science. Research has indicated that inquiry-based laboratory activities, which allow students to make key decisions throughout the laboratory experiment, provide opportunities to develop these necessary skills and practices. This study focuses on characterizing laboratory experiments used in analytical chemistry courses for their level of inquiry and opportunities for engagement in scientific practices. Data for this analysis was collected from participants of the MICRO project, a project designed to assist instructors in adopting inquiry-based laboratory experiments. Laboratory experiments used by instructors prior to their involvement in the project and then during the semester of implementation of the inquiry-based laboratory experiments were analyzed for their level of inquiry and opportunities for engagement in scientific practices. We found that, despite an increase in the level of inquiry of laboratory materials, there was not an increase in prompted opportunities to engage students in all of the science practices. We also found that certain science practices were more likely to be prompted in certain sections of the laboratory materials, such as through the pre-laboratory and post-laboratory questions.