November 18, 2015 09:26:41 Source: China Education Daily
Zhang Licheng
In years of comprehensive supervision and evaluation of education in the region and analysis of test papers, the author found that most rural primary and secondary school students do not understand experiments and operations, and cannot observe and analyze. The experimental observation part of science test papers is the area where the most points are lost.
The reason behind this is related to the problems currently existing in scientific experimental teaching in rural primary and secondary schools.
The experimental instruments are shelved. The scientific teaching experimental instruments in rural six-year schools in our county were fully equipped around 2012, and the instruments provided by township central primary schools before this were of higher specifications, fully meeting the needs of group experiments. However, most of the experimental instruments in township central primary schools are only placed on the instrument racks, and some schools' experimental instruments have not yet been opened. During the supervision, it was found that some whole boxes of instruments and related experimental drugs had been lost, scrapped or expired due to poor storage, animal specimens had damaged seals, had unpleasant odors, and mineral specimens were completely lost.
The experimental arrangement is a blank piece of paper. The education equipment management department of the local education bureau has formulated and issued the "List of Primary School Science Experiment Teaching" in accordance with the relevant provisions of the "Science Curriculum Standards" and the "Primary School Science Experiment Teaching Rules". The table specifies various experimental requirements in the form of grades, volumes, demonstration experiments, and group experiments. Specific and detailed arrangements are made for the experimental content, objectives, and main experimental equipment according to the teaching order and chapter numbers, but they cannot be implemented in actual teaching.
Professional teachers cannot guarantee it. Due to the severe lack of relevant professional teachers and laboratory management personnel in various schools, the shortage of professional teachers for experimental teaching has become the biggest headache for school principals. Most schools arrange old, weak, sick, and disabled teachers to replace vacancies. These teachers only "read" the textbook and complete the teaching task, without the ability to teach laboratory classes well.
Scientific experimental teaching cannot be regulated and evaluated. The management and evaluation of science subject teaching have been repeatedly mentioned in proposals for county and township education work, but have been stalled due to a lack of professional teachers.
(Author affiliation: Experimental Instruments for Primary and Secondary Schools, Education Management Center, Liuzhai Town, Huining County, Gansu Province)
