Abstract
Early approaches to science instruction in the United States consisted mainly of daily recitations from books and lectures. Use of the laboratory was unheard of prior to the mid 1800s. Physical materials and specimens, if used at all, were a means of verifying book or lecture information. But by the late 1800s, laboratory instruction became very popular because it was felt that firsthand observation and manipulation were useful in “disciplining” the mind. The idea of mental discipline stemmed from psychology and the then popular faculty theory. In general, faculty theory claimed that mental behavior was compartmentalized into several “faculties” such as logic, memorization, and observation. In theory, mental behavior could be enhanced by “exercising” these faculties and once the faculties were developed, they would function in all life situations. The theory was used to justify the use of abstract, meaningless, laborious tasks during instruction to exercise and strengthen the mind.
This material is based upon research partially supported by the National Science Foundation under grant No. DUE 9453610. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
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Lawson, A.E., Karplus, R. (2002). The Learning Cycle. In: Fuller, R.G. (eds) A Love of Discovery. Innovations in Science Education and Technology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0876-1_4
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