Laboratory Teaching Methods

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Laboratory Teaching Methods
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What is the Role of an Agricultural Education
Teacher?

• Teach students agriculture?
• Teach students about agriculture?

3
Laboratory Instruction Presents Major Challenges

• Safety
• Organization
• Student readiness
• Product quality
• Skills learned
• Student time on task

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Laboratory Instruction

• Provides the opportunity for skill development
• Merges cognitive and psychomotor skills
• Can be a strong motivational force
• Promotes safety and acceptable work habits
• Provides the opportunity to demonstrate approved
  practices
• Provides the opportunity to test possible
  solutions to problems

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Relationship of Laboratory Instruction to Total
Program
Classroom/ Laboratory Instruction
FFA
Supervised Experience Programs
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Relationship of Laboratory Instruction to Total
Program
Classroom Instruction
FFA
Laboratory Instruction
Supervised Experience Programs
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Relationship of Laboratory and Classroom
Instruction

• Students are taught the principle, concepts, and
  theories in the classroom
• In the lab, students transform theory into
  supervised practice and work toward skill
  proficiency
• Link should be strong, clear, planned, and
  purposeful
• Incorporate laboratory activities into every
  problem

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Settings for Laboratory Instruction

• Classroom
• Agricultural mechanics laboratory
• Greenhouse
• Floral design room
• Agribusiness sales and display area
• Land laboratories
• Forests

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Issues in Providing Laboratory Instruction

• Percentage of overall instruction
• Maintaining a healthy balance
• Facilities and equipment to support program
• Amount of student practice to be provided
  (mastery??)
• Skill development should precede project
  construction

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Planning Student Activities

• Selecting laboratory exercises and projects
• Skill development
• Individual projects
• Agricultural orientation
• Preparing students
• Student readiness
• Taught underlying principles
• Identification and design
• Bill of materials

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Planning Student Activities

• Grouping students
• 16 students and four welders
• Heterogeneous verses homogeneous group
  assignments
• Peer tutoring
• Time to complete tasks

12
A class of 15 students was in the laboratory,
working on several construction activities. One
student was using the table saw to rip a board.
The instructor was interacting with another
student about 10 feet away. All guards were in
place on the table saw. Suddenly, as the student
had completed about half of the cut, the blade
caught a piece of the lumber and kicked it back
into the student's face. The instructor
immediately shut off the power to the saw and
other laboratory equipment. The student had two
teeth knocked out, his lip was cut severely, and
he had a bloody nose.
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Emphasizing Safety

• Teachers may be found negligent if
• They fail to protect students from unnecessary
  risks
• They fail to act reasonably in a given situation
• Allow a third person to engage in an activity
  which might cause injury to others

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Safety Program

• Comprehensive safety instruction program
• Keep detailed records
• Color coding equipment
• Post operation instructions
• Conduct regular safety inspections
• Keep lab clean and organized
• Be aware of procedures for reporting accidents

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Teacher Negligence

• Students are left in the laboratory without
  teacher supervision.
• An unqualified person is left in charge of a
  laboratory class.
• Teachers send students to an outdoor area to
  perform a hazardous task, without proper
  supervision.
• Students with disabilities are allowed to use
  dangerous equipment.
• Teachers fail to file accident reports and
  statements from witnesses.
• Proper safety instruction is not provided.

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Teacher Negligence

• Laboratory safety rules are not enforced.
• Teachers allow students to operate equipment
  before it has undergone inspection.
• Safety devices and safeguards are missing.
  Factory-installed safety devices have been
  removed.
• Adequate storage racks and shelves are not
  provided.
• Students are permitted to use unsafe equipment,
  such as tools and equipment brought from home.
• Students are allowed to work in the laboratory
  before or after school, without proper
  supervision.

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Special Needs Students

• More individualized instruction
• Physical modifications
• Use the special education teachers expertise