Debre Markos University

Action research on a title:

Improving laboratory report writing skills for 1st year IT extension

students in General Physics at Debre Markos University by 2020

By
1. Meseret Adane
2. Adugna Dessie

November 2013 E.C

Debre Markos, Ethiopia

Contents Page
List of Tables................................................................................................................................................2
Chapter 1.....................................................................................................................................................3
1 Introduction..............................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Background of the study..............................................................................................................3
1.2 Statement of the problem.............................................................................................................4
1.3 Objectives....................................................................................................................................5
1.3.1 General objective.................................................................................................................5
1.3.2 Specific objectives................................................................................................................5
1.4 Significant of the study................................................................................................................5
Chapter 2.....................................................................................................................................................6
Related literature Review............................................................................................................................6
2.1 Roles of Experiments in Physics Teaching........................................................................................6
2.2 Basic scientific skills in lab activities................................................................................................6
Chapter 3.....................................................................................................................................................8
Methodology...............................................................................................................................................8
3.1 Data sampling....................................................................................................................................8
3.2 Data collection Method.....................................................................................................................8
Chapter 4.....................................................................................................................................................9
Results and Discussion.................................................................................................................................9
Chapter 5...................................................................................................................................................11
Conclusion and Recommendation.............................................................................................................11
5.1 Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................11
5.2 Recommendation............................................................................................................................11
Action plan................................................................................................................................................12
References.................................................................................................................................................13

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List of Tables

Table 1 Students' result before training.......................................................................................................9

Table 2 Students' result after training........................................................................................................10
Table 3 Action Plan...................................................................................................................................12

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Chapter 1

1 Introduction
1.1 Background of the study
Laboratory reporting is essential that communication skills are included when different forms
of laboratory write-ups are used, but most include a statement of purpose, some presentation of
how the work was performed, data and observations, and conclusion relating to the purpose.
Students should understand that the influence of an experimental result in science is directly
related to the ability of other scientists to understand and duplicate the experiment. A student is
expected to write a report of the experiment he/she performed. Such a report should contain

i. Cover page:
 Name of institution, college and department
 Course title (course code)
 Experiment number and title
 Name of participants and ID number
 Submitted date
ii. Main body of the report: - It consists of the following.
 Experiment number
 Title of the experiment
 Objectives or Aims
 Apparatus
 Theory
 Procedures
 Data collection
 By measurement and recording
 By observation
 Data analysis
 Result and discussion
 Conclusion

But, students in physics department were scored low result in laboratory sessions of the general
physics course due to misconduct of the experiment, imprecision of the measured data and the
poor organized lab reports.

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1.2 Statement of the problem

As we know, General Physics (phys 1011) course is has been giving to first year natural science
stream students by physics department in DMU. The course has laboratory sessions with the
selected lab activities which are listed in the lab manual. To complete the course students must
attend all lab sessions and they have to write report for the lab activities. Even though
experimental method is one of active learning methods, students have no experience to do
experiments and good report writing skills. They faced the problems to do experiment and lack
of skills to write a good report what they have done in the lab room. This problem is observed in
the last year of first semester by first year natural science students. As a result there was mark
inflation in the last year first semester.

In this year first year IT department students in extension program are taking this course.
Students carried out three experiments in groups by reading manuals, with the help of teachers
and lab technicians. They recorded data for each experiment, but they have gaps in writing a well
organized laboratory reports. Especially they are challenged to analysis data (data interpretation),
to write procedures in present perfect tense, result and discussion. This problem will also result
the inflation of student’s result. Therefore, to solve this problem among students by improving
practical work skills and writing skills of an organized lab report, this action research has been
done.

Thus this research will try to answer the following leading questions:

1 How to improve student’s lab report writing skills?

2 What scientific methods can be used by students to write an organized lab report?
3 What action to be taken to improve student’s report writing skills?

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1.3 Objectives

1.3.1 General objective

The general objective of the research is to improve laboratory report writing skills for
Information Technology (IT) 1st year students in extension program in general physics course at
Deber Markos University by 2020 G.C

1.3.2 Specific objectives

The specific objectives of this study are:

 To make awareness to students about basic steps of lab report writing

 To enable students in order to write an organized lab report
 To enhance report writing skills of the students
 To increase student’s result in the lab course by writing the well organized report.

1.4 Significant of the study

The modern education system promotes the implementing of active learning methods to teach
students in the classroom. Experimental method is the one which enables students learning by
doing. It is important to develop skills for scientific inquiry, to develop ability to think
scientifically, critically and creatively, and solve physics-related problems individually or
collaboratively and to understand language of science and communicate ideas and views on
physics related issues.

Students carried out experiments in groups or independently with the help of their teacher and
laboratory technicians. After they carried out any experiment that is necessary to write laboratory
report what they have done /seen in the laboratory room. This report is part of the continuous
assessment and has its own value to their score in the lab courses. Hence the report must be
written in a good manner and in a well organized form. This requires students’ report writing
skills. Therefore, doing this action research has the following significances.

 Helps students to possess basic skills of report writing

 Helps student how to write an organized lab report.
 Helps students fulfill gaps in writing a well organized lab report.
 Helps student to be a good scientific researcher in their future life.

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Chapter 2

Related literature Review

2.1 Roles of Experiments in Physics Teaching
Experiments have so central a role in physics teaching that hardly any physics textbook fails to
mention that physics is an experimental science‘ and that in physics knowledge is based on
experiments‘. Trumper (2003) claims that experimentation and practical work in the laboratory
have long been accepted as an integral part of learning physics and it is hard –even impossible –
to imagine as reasonable the possibility of physics teaching without experimental work. Thus for
proper understanding of the subject, physics should be taught using a large number of
demonstration experiments. To this end, every school offering physics as a subject must have a
physics laboratory. If not there should be at least a room reserved for demonstrations and
practical activities. Like any other science subjects a Physics laboratory is justified on the
following grounds.
 The required apparatus and other equipment can be safely stored.
 It is a proper place for performing experiments and is helpful in developing a sense of
cooperation among the students such as working in groups and sharing experience
 It is helpful in creating and promoting scientific attitudes in the pupils.
 It is an appropriate place where students gain several scientific skills such as handling
and setting up of apparatus, measuring physical quantities, tabulating data

The following can be carried out in a physics laboratory.

 Stating empirical laws based on the generalization of observations made during
experimentation.
 To test the empirical laws by further experiments and observations.
 To make modifications/alterations in the empirical laws of required.
 To test the modified laws by further experimentation.
 Make generalizations and thus stating the accepted laws.
 giving the starting point of knowledge formation and conceptualization

Mathematical derivation, Confirmation of derived law by experiments, and Generalizations

leading to a law are also basic scientific skills that students gain from physics laboratories.
Experiments and practical works in school physics can be classified as demonstration
experiments,
2.2 Basic scientific skills in lab activities
In promoting physics to the public and encouraging students to have a career in physics, the
development of problem solving ability developing professional and scientific skills in physics is
usually emphasized. The following are some of the important scientific skills that are acquired in
physics laboratories.

 Problem solving skills, mathematics and other technical skills

 Problem solving skills – allow work from one leading edge technology to another
 Mathematical skills applied to physical systems

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  Analyzing and modeling a physical process
 Gathering data, making and testing models and predictions
 Experimental, computation, theoretical skills – applicable to a broad spectrum of
problems
 Scientific method of thinking that is applicable in all areas of life
 Ability to learn new information rapidly and efficiently
 Logically and systematically pursue a line of thought
 Analytical skills, precise thinking, clarity of thought
 Logical, data-based decision-making
 Writing, speaking, thinking in a logical, predictable and consistent way appreciated in
work
 Learning how to learn new things on your own
 Skills on how to learn, define problems, strategically plan, implement and communicate
solutions; creative thinking skills
 Independent learning skills and time management

Practical work in Physics even at school stage is essential because of the fact that we learn by
doing. Practical work in the laboratory must be attempted at all costs and a Physics teacher
should provide opportunities for practical work even through the conditions prevailing in the
school may not be favorable for it. The important steps in performance of Physics practical are:
preparation, execution and reporting. Students must have to write an organized laboratory report
after they have doing practical work in physics.

A report writing processes typically consist of planning, writing and revising stages that need to

be repeated to achieve a quality document. A report must be presented in a well structured and
visually attractive manner; the competent use of technical language and accurate referencing of
all sources is also a requirement. Writing a lab report is an essential part of completing the
laboratory exercises. It starts in fact already in the preparation phase, when you should think
what you need to know for the exercise and what you are going to measure. It is also useful to
make a template for the log book.

Any lab report should have the following features:

 It should be concise but should also contain the necessary details and well-developed
explanations.
 It should be organized. You should enable the reader to quickly find the information he
or she may be interested in.
 It should contain all the relevant information and reasoning. You should enable the
reader to validate your conclusion.

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Chapter 3

Methodology

3.1 Data sampling

For this research, our sample is the 1st year Information Technology (IT) department students in
extension program; 20 males and 17 females with total number of 37 students. Since their
number is very few, we considered all of them are our target group.

3.2 Data collection Method

Action research may be conducted by doing action first and then conduct research by observing
the gaps from action. This action research is conducted based on this procedure. The data can be
collected by using observation of their laboratory report written for the three selected practical
works from the general physics course (phys 1011) lab manual in the this semester. We
arranged a class of students in to 6 groups with 6-7 students involved in each group. Based on
our observation most of students scored below 7 out of 15% due to poor report writing. Also the
information can be gathered using interview to students and laboratory technicians.

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Chapter 4

Results and Discussion

We know that, physics is one of experimental sciences among from the natural sciences. Thus, it
has practical activates which carry out in the laboratory room with the help of laboratory
technicians and teachers to develop creativity and scientific attitude of the students. After they
have been doing experiments in the laboratory room, students must have to write a good
laboratory report based on the measured data (recorded data) and observation. This shows their
level of understanding and dissemination of theoretical aspects with practical work.

But there were gaps in writing a good laboratory after they have doing experiments with the help
of their teachers. The main reasons why students lack the good writing laboratory report skills by
following scientific procedures. This action research investigates the reasons behind from this
lack are:
 Lack of practical teaching in the school
 Students are not engaged in writing report in the earlier grade levels
 Lack of interest of the students
 Practical works and their reports are not part of the continuous assessment in the earlier
grade levels
Due to these reasons, writing a good laboratory report for practical work or experiments is a
challenge for them which is affects students’ results. The students’ result before giving training,
orientation and template for the following three selected lab activities is recorded in table 1.
Experiment i: Measuring density of substances
Experiment ii: Archimedes principle
Experiment iii: Projectile motion

Groups Experiment i(5%) Experiment ii(5%) Experiment iii(5%) Total (15%)

Group 1 1.5 1.5 2.0 6.0
Group 2 1.5 1.0 1.5 4.0
Group 3 2.0 1.5 1.5 5.0
Group 4 2.5 2.5 2.0 7.0
Group 5 1.0 1.5 1.5 4.0
Group 6 1.5 3.5 1.0 6.0

Table 1 Students' result before training

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Based on our observation of the laboratory reports which written by the students, most reports
have the following problems:
 Information on the cover page not completed
 In the main body of the report, there are major problems in writing of procedure, data
collection, data analysis, result and discussion.

Therefore, the problem is solved and simplified by giving orientation and training to the students
by preparing a good laboratory report template and hence, the students’ result is getting
increased in the range between 14 and 15 out of 15%.This is checked by writing report for the
following three experiments given below:

Experiment 1 Measuring local acceleration due to gravity using simple pendulum

Experiment 2 Verification of ohm’s law
Experiment 3 Combination of resistors to measure the equivalent resistance in the circuit

Table 2 shows the students result for the selected practical activities after giving training and
report writing template

Groups Experiment 1(5%) Experiment 2(5%) Experiment 3(5%) Total (15%)

Group 1 4.5 4.5 5.0 14.0
Group 2 4.5 5.0 4.5 14.0
Group 3 5.0 4.5 5.0 14.5
Group 4 5.0 5.0 5.0 15.0
Group 5 5.0 5.0 5.0 15.0
Group 6 4.5 4.5 5.0 14.0

Table 2 Students' result after training

Based on the training, students were conducted the above three experiments in the laboratory
room with the help of laboratory technicians and wrote good laboratory reports. Thus, they
enabled increased their score from below 7% to 14 -15 out of 15%. Thus the students understand
how they write organized laboratory report and they improved their report writing skills after
they did practical activities.

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Chapter 5

Conclusion and Recommendation

5.1 Conclusion

 The gap in the skill of writing a good laboratory report skills of the students filled by
giving orientation and lab training for the students
 Students improved in data recording and data analysis
 Students improved in procedures writing by changing the correct passive form
 Students increased their interest and motivation to do experiments and to write reports
 Students increased their score

5.2 Recommendation

This action research recommends the following to the concerned bodies

 Practical activities (experiments) should be given as part of the continuous assessment at
the earlier grade levels to develop their scientific attitude and report writing skills
 The physics department teachers in Debre Markos University should give orientation and
training to students how they can write a good laboratory report in the first lab class
session
 Teachers should give feedbacks immediately as soon as they wrote and submitted the
first laboratory report to correct students themselves.

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 Action plan

Date Activities Participants Field Duration of time

30/06/2012 Gap identification (Title Two researchers DMU  2hrs
selection)
05/01/2013 Preparing lab report -researchers DMU  2hrs
template format -lab technicians
15/02/2013 Selecting experimental Researchers and lab technicians DMU  5hrs
activities
16/02/2013 Giving lab training to the
-researchers and lab technicians Physics  2hrs
students -students Lab
Giving home work to -researchers -DMU  1hr
18/02/2013 write lab report -students
-lab technicians
-Marking the report and Researchers DMU  5hrs
25-30/02/2013 give feedbacks
-Giving another three -Researchers DMU  6hrs
1-15/03/2013 experiments to do and to -lab technicians
write the reports after -students
feedbacks for the first
experiment report
15-20/03/2013 -Marking the reports and -Researchers DMU  3hrs
record their score -lab technicians
-students
10-30/03/2013 -write action research -researchers DMU  3hrs
report
-Presentation -Researchers DMU  1hr
01/04/2013 -HDP candidates
-HDL leaders

Table 3 Action Plan

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References

1. Fresenay M. & Zinaye T (2012). Physics Subject Area Methods I. Ministry of Education
of Ethiopia
2. Hodson, D. (1996). Laboratory work as scientific method: three decades of confusion and
distortion, Journal of Curriculum Studies, 28, 115-135.
3. Hofstein A. and V.N. Lunetta (2004). The Laboratory in Science Education: Foundations
for the Twenty-First Century, Science Education Research, 88, 28-54.
4. Watson, R. (2000) The role of practical work, in Martin Monk and J. Osborne (eds) Good
practice in science teaching. Buckingham: Open University Press.
5. https://www.iit.edu/sites/default/files/2019-11/lab_guide.pdf 
6. Georg Artus etal,. Handbook on Writing Laboratory Reports, Department of Chemistry:
University of Zurich.
7. https://www.fkm.utm.my/~jinhoe

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