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THE ROLE OF INTERACTIVE LABORATORY SESSIONS IN DEVELOPING EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY SKILLS IN STUDENTS

Abstract

 

Interactive laboratory sessions have become an essential component of modern biology education, promoting hands-on learning and critical thinking. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of interactive laboratory exercises on the development of experimental biology skills in secondary school students aged 15–17 years. Sixty students were randomly assigned to either an experimental group, participating in interactive laboratory sessions for 8 weeks, or a control group, following traditional laboratory practices. Experimental skills, including observation, hypothesis formulation, experimental design, measurement accuracy, data analysis, and result interpretation, were assessed before and after the intervention using a standardized rubric. Results showed significant improvements in all assessed domains for the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.01). These findings indicate that interactive laboratories effectively enhance students’ experimental skills, foster engagement, and support active learning in biology education.

Keywords

Interactive laboratories, Experimental biology skills, Secondary school students, Inquiry-based learning, Active learning, Biology education

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References

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