An action research experience about laboratory report writing by physics and chemistry eleventh grade students

Abstract

In this experience, the writing process of the research reports corresponding to seven laboratory tasks by the students of an eleventh grade class is analyzed. The tasks were conceived in terms of problem resolution and were accomplished during an academic year. We assess if there was any improvement of the products elaborated by the students, developing indicators, and, having found that it there was, we study its causes by means of a naturalistic methodology. We found that it is possible that the students improve their laboratory reports, but this improvement was bound, in the case analyzed, to instructional actions specifi cally designed to allow them to reach a better understanding of the features and requirements of this writing genre.