Question

What is the relationship between hands-on experimental work and theory in the natural sciences?​

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

Definition

Traditionally, the terms “laboratory” or “experiment” have been used to describe

practical work done by students during science class in place of such other methods of

instruction as lecture, reading, recitation, worksheets, teacher demonstration and more

recently, computer simulation. These two terms are somewhat limiting for two reasons.

First, many students, especially in primary and middle school, do not have access to a

laboratory but perform hands-on science activities in their regular classroom. Second,

students may carry out hands-on activities that are not actual experiments, for example

observation and measurement2

. The term “hands-on science” includes all such hands-on

activities carried out by students be they experiments or not and be they done in the

classroom or in a laboratory. The term captures a broader array of student activities we

want to investigate and avoids some of the limitations created by the narrow definitions

of traditional terms. The term defines a specific method of instruction, based on

activities carried out by students, but its use does not preclude other instructional methods

for it is often used in conjunction with them. But as class time is limited, the greater the

use of hands-on science the less time is available for other methods.