Analysis of Undergraduate Biology Laboratory Manuals

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the undergraduate biology laboratory manuals of Ethiopian Universities. It focuses on assessing how they promote the basic and integrated science process skills that are involved in scientific inquiry with seven levels of Laboratory Task Analysis Instrument (LAI). A total of 22 undergraduate biology laboratory manuals were collected from three sample universities with different age. Manipulating materials, measuring and using numbers and pre - lab activities were common activities, and were found in every manual and in every university. However, students rarely asked to plan and design and to communicate and interpret the results. The results also show high percentage rate of basic science process skills (75.4%) as compared to the integrated science process skills (24.6%).  Implications for universities and the Ministry of Education should develop standard harmonized biology laboratory manuals with all the necessary scientific skills that would promote the students’ use of much integrated scientific skills.

 

Key words: Scientific skills; undergraduate biology laboratory manuals; laboratory task analysis instrument

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