Influence of Preservice Teacher Learning on the Application of Laboratory Experiment Teaching Method

This paper sought to establish the influence of Laboratory Experiment Teaching Method on the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) Science students’ performance during teaching practice. The sample comprising 107 B.Ed Science students, their respective Head of Subjects, and the three faculty provided the study data through questionnaires, interview schedules and the teaching practice assessment form. The data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially. The study concluded that (i) the Laboratory Experiment Teaching Method as taught in the university-based subject Methods Course and applied by the B.Ed Science students on TP is limited. (ii) The HoS can be an important school-based resource for provision of technical support (iii) the classroom is a potential context for learning to apply as well as hone the Laboratory Experiment Teaching Method. The study recommended that (i) technical support be enhanced to further adoption of and hone the instructional practices found ‘difficult’ or superficially developed (ii) Lobby for a structured supervision partnership with the HoS (ii) faculty tu design a portfolio of learning experiences on application of the Laboratory Experiment Teaching Method that relate to the individual and context-specific needs, and use the data to improve the B.Ed Science students’ experiential learning both at the university and at the school-based teaching practice experiences. Keywords: Laboratory experiment, teaching practice, competency, performance DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-18-15 Publication date:June 30th 201