From research on local materials to the learning of science: An inquiry-based laboratory for undergraduates

We present two new instructional learning units for an undergraduate life science laboratory. The novelty is in applying the results of our scientific research to the teaching of a student laboratory class in which one part involves actual manipulation and the other handling of data provided by the researcher. In this way, the researcher or the researcher cum lab instructor with superior pedagogical content knowledge was better at responding to unexpected results because of the broad hands-on experience previously acquired from the conventional research. To gain manipulative skills in science, our students participated actively in an inquiry-based learning session. They had to perform learning cycle activities from which they were expected to achieve high levels of learning. The laboratory activities for the students were of two topics i.e., seaweed enzyme and the Siamese fighting fish DNA. Results from this study revealed that the seaweed enzyme learning (SSL) unit helps students to acquire concepts on enzyme-catalyzed reaction. Also the fighting fish learning (FFL) unit enables students to conceptualize about species and natural selection. Additionally, these learning units promote students' positive perception of science learning. The newly developed learning units may provide useful learning models for teaching and learning in the life science course.