Importance Of Science Education

Science education has aimed to help students to gain an understanding of as much of the established body of scientific knowledge as is appropriate to their needs, interests and capacities and to develop students’ understanding of the methods by which this knowledge has been gained and our grounds for confidence in it (Millar, 2004). Given the potential benefits, the provision of quality science education to all children will have far reaching consequence on a country 's development prospect. Therefore, based on aim of science education at all levels practical activities in science education are regarded as one of the necessary elements to promote understanding of scientific principles. The importance of practical work in science is widely accepted

These fall into two main categories: Core activities: Investigations, laboratory procedures and techniques, and fieldwork. These ‘hands-on’ activities support the development of practical skills, and help to shape students’ understanding of scientific concepts and phenomena. Directly related activities: Teacher demonstrations, experiencing phenomena, designing and planning investigations, analyzing results, and data analysis using ICT. These are closely related to the core activities and are either a key component of an investigation, or provide valuable first-hand experiences for students. A range of activities were also identified which complement, but should not be a substitute for, practical work. These complementary activities include science-related visits, surveys, presentations and role play, simulations including use of ICT, models and modelling, group discussion, and group text-based activities. They have an important role to play supporting practical work in developing understanding of science

The education and training policy of Ethiopia emphasizes the development of problem solving capacity in the content of education, curriculum structure and approach, focusing on acquisition of chemical knowledge to be used in solving personal and societal problems. Similarly, it is stated that achieving the vision of transforming Ethiopia into a middle income country in 2025 demands transformation of the economy through the application of chemical knowledge and technology as an instrument to create wealth (MoE, 2010). Thus, it is important to emphasize on chemical science and technology so as to produce capable citizens who can contribute to make the country well competitive globally through knowledge. The prevailing problem of practical work implementation in chemistry has a wide range of practical process. These practical processes ranging from what are factors influencing practical activities, how science teachers make practical design, how sufficient preparation is made by the teachers before carrying out the practical work, how much the practical work is carried out based on the guidance of teachers (implementation) and how vital is the students’ achievements and performance for teachers