Accept or Resist Physics Laboratory: A Comparative Study Between Urban and Rural Middle School Teachers

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Saturday 3:45 pm
  In Invited Poster Session: Division D Graduate Student In-Progress Research Poster Session

Abstract

This study examines urban and rural physics teachers’ perspectives on laboratory instruction in Beijing, addressing gaps between national policy and school practice. Although China’s 2019 standards mandate twenty fundamental experiments, many schools struggle to implement them. Using a mixed-method design, this study investigates teachers’ perceptions of resource availability, necessity, and learning outcomes. Preliminary findings show substantial disparities in lab equipment, space, and support across districts. Urban teachers emphasize long-term scientific thinking, while rural teachers prioritize test performance. Both groups see labs as academically beneficial. These results highlight teachers’ roles as mediators between national mandates and local instructional realities.

Author

• Jiaao Liu, University of California - Los Angeles