Biology Students' Experience of Practical Work

Abstract

University students studying biological science degrees have classically been taught through both theoretical and practical laboratory classes. We are interested in how students perceive practical work and how they think their skills and confidence develop with greater experience. Since the COVID pandemic and the rise in online teaching, the role of practical work is seen by some as essential to a science degree but by others as something that can be largely replaced by online experiences. We think it is important to gain student perspectives to contribute to this debate. We have developed a short online survey to gain insight on student experiences of practical work; with a focus on student perceived confidence in research skills, following different modes of teaching.