Introduction

All content areas within family and consumer sciences (FCS) have topics that can be taught and learned through a lab experience. What does the FCS teacher need to teach students before or at the beginning of the lab so that they can achieve success? How does the classroom need to be set up for this lab? What procedures need to be in place prior to implementing a lab with students? These types of questions are important to answer prior to teaching students in a lab setting. Skill learning is the most prevalent of three types of lab experiences that supports FCS content. Therefore, most of the chapter is dedicated to guidelines for these kinds of learning experiences. Specific lab guidelines for foods and nutrition, apparel design and construction, and child development are discussed in relation to skill learning. Project-based learning and experiments involve lab experiences and are considered next. Case studies specific to each type of lab experience are included for further analysis.

Key Terms

Direct Instruction

Experiments

Guided Practice

Lab Experience

Project-Based Learning

Skill Learning

Withitness

Case Study 1

Students enrolled in Mrs. Smith’s Early Lifespan Development course participate in a child development lab entitled “Mommy’s Hour Out.”  The students mail letters requesting an RSVP to parents 2 weeks before the lab.  Students decide who receives the letters, with most being friends and family. The RSVP enables Mrs. Smith and her students to determine the age of the children and to create groups.  High school students from 2-3 class periods experience working with the children in the child development lab.

Children who attend must be able to walk, so the age range is 1 ½ to 4 years of age.  Approximately 7-12 children come for each class period.  The high school students walk the children and parents or guardians from the main office to the room where the students begin the lab by checking in each child.

After check-in, the children are placed in groups.  The high school students have created six learning centers for the children based on age, e.g., a reading station, bubble blowing, arts/crafts, music, and manipulatives for fine motor skills.  The one-year-olds painting activity, for example, is different from the activity that has been planned for four-year-olds.

A new group of high school students works with a new group of children each class period, so the stations differ from class to class.  Four to five students are assigned to work with children at each station.  In addition, each student has a distinct job at each station.  During the 50 minutes allocated for each class period, the children spend 7-10 minutes at each station.  Sometimes the children do not have enough time for all the stations.  Parents may stay and go through the stations with their child, while other parents may stay in the “mommy corner” that consists of chairs lined up along two walls. Many parents will use the hour to run errands, etc.

The children are provided with snacks, drinks, and a goodie bag.  The high school students come away from the lab experience with an understanding of how to create centers, assess the development of children based on their ages and through observation, and know how a child care center works, e.g., check-in, check-out, maintain safety of children.

Skill Learning in FCS Content Lab Experiences

Skill Learning

Kauchak and Eggen (2012) indicate that skills have a set of steps or procedures to follow. Direct instruction is a teaching method for teaching skills and concepts. It has five phases that include an introduction, demonstration, guided practice, checking for understanding and providing feedback, and extended practice (Arends, 2015).

Introductions focus student attention on the content to be learned, and often connect the lesson with students’ prior knowledge. Introductions also have a motivational component where the teacher expresses confidence that all students can learn the skill if they have perseverance.  The demonstration phase is the most challenging to plan. Modeling, questioning to ensure student understanding, and student involvement are important features of demonstrations. Describing and explaining the skill, as well as, connecting it to other ideas are all critical for skill development. In addition, multiple examples should be carefully planned.

Guided practice involves close teacher supervision as students begin to practice a skill. As with Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development, the teacher enables students to have increased responsibility for carrying out skills.

Practice and immediate feedback are essential components of skill learning. The fourth phase has the teacher check for understanding and provide feedback as students practice. Finally, students are able to carry out extended practice and transfer in the fifth phase. The next three sections explain the management of three FCS content areas in a lab relative to skill or concept learning.

Foods and Nutrition Lab Experiences

Prior to a foods and nutrition lab, students must understand all lab procedures.  For example, each student can be assigned a job to complete during a lab.  One student may have the assignment to gather supplies at the supply table. If multiple students from a lab group attempt to do so, it will be a difficult task as the supply table will be congested with too many people.

The teacher can demonstrate the food product and recipe a day or so before students prepare it so that they can see how to do the basic techniques involved.  Demonstrations provide a visual representation in memory of how to perform various techniques or skills, along with an explanation of why students do things a certain way and other ideas about the content. Demonstrations are especially good with the first labs in a course, and when you are using specific techniques tied to science principles or skills that students could not do without seeing them performed.  There is less food ruined and fewer wasted supplies when a teacher demonstrates prior to the lab.

Students should be actively involved in demonstrations. Examples include students having copies of the recipe and telling the teacher what to do next, or the teacher can plan questions to ask throughout the demonstration that assess understanding or use students’ prior knowledge.  Students can be asked to summarize important steps at the end of the demonstration. If the teacher does not demonstrate, then he or she can go over each part of the recipe with students before the lab, highlighting important things to remember or do.  The step-by-step directions students follow must be clear and concise.

Teachers need to learn to manage an entire classroom of students first before moving to more complex lab configurations, e.g., having student groups rotate so that only a few groups cook while other groups complete various other assignments. All details must be planned to manage the lab effectively. This requires a lot of thought!

What are students expected to do during the down time?  Some lab assignments have only a few minutes down time so it is difficult to complete other work.  Other assignments have a lot of down time, such as when food must bake for a long time.

To ensure that students understand lab the assignment, have one or more students paraphrase instructions before beginning to work in the lab. Once students have begun working, the teacher’s role is to move each lab station to answer questions and assess student progress.  At the same time, teachers must constantly scan the room so that they know what everyone is doing.  This is called withitness (Metcalf, Cruickshank, & Jenkins, 2016; Eggen & Kauchak, 2013; Emmer & Evertson, 2013; Kounin, 1970). Students should work in their assigned lab station with their lab group rather than visiting with students in other groups.  Time cues can help students to manage their time. For example, the teacher might say something like, “You should have the product in the oven by 10:00; in 10 minutes you will need to put the product in the oven.”  Be a clock watcher so that students have enough time to assess their work, consume the product(s) and clean up. Near the end of each lab experience, students’ kitchens should be inspected before they are excused to go to their next class.

Having students clean and reorganize their kitchens during class also takes careful planning.  Assign individuals or pairs of students to be responsible for different tasks in their kitchens. If more than one FCS teacher also teaches nutrition and foods classes, then they will need to coordinate the tasks that are completed by students from different class periods.

Apparel Design and Construction Lab Experiences

Prior to an apparel design and construction lab, students need to know about the design and construction supplies and equipment they will use and especially the safety guidelines when using these supplies and equipment. Where are the supplies and construction equipment stored in the classroom? If the room has a cabinet with bins, label them so that students can find equipment and supplies as they need it. Students can label additional bins with their names so that they can store their materials in the classroom.

At first some students may be nervous to use a sewing machine. Students could begin by labeling the machine parts on a worksheet. While most students are completing this, the teacher can demonstrate to each row of students how to thread and operate the machines. Students in small groups should be able to see demonstrations.

Threading a sewing machine is an important skill. If students thread their machines incorrectly, the machines will malfunction and students will often need teacher assistance. The teacher does not have time during an apparel design and construction lab to thread machines. So, demonstrations on threading the machine can be done in small groups. Students then practice, and the teacher can watch each student thread the machine for a quiz grade. These quizzes can be time consuming so it is helpful to have an adult volunteer to assist in administering thread quizzes.

To ensure participation during class, a category on the rubric for all labs can be “Uses Time Wisely.” Typically, students are highly motivated to work in the apparel design and construction lab. Many students may need assistance at once, and this can be a challenge for one teacher to accommodate all students. Several strategies can be used as a solution. One strategy is to contact a local FCS extension agent to see if he or she knows someone who could volunteer as an assistant in your classroom. The teacher can also give written instructions for assignments so that student work can be self-guided. Create these directions in student-friendly terms. Apparel design and construction assignments can be linked to a YouTube video that has directions that can be reviewed as needed on a mobile device. A student who works faster than others can also be an assistant.

Another challenge during apparel design and construction labs is making sure all materials are put away neatly. Thread, material scraps, straight pins, and other things left out can be a hazard to other students. One solution is to deduct points from students’ apparel design and construction project grades when something is left out at a sewing station. Students need to know when points have been deducted from their project grades. Once they realize that the teacher is serious about keeping the room clean, students generally keep their areas neat. Set a time, such as 5 minutes before the bell, for the students to clean-up the room. Ask students to remind each other of the time so that everyone is aware of the time remaining in the class period.

Case Study 2

Ms. Kelly has a series of hand sewing labs where students make a pincushion as they learn techniques or skills such as the running stitch, backstitch, and slipstitch.  Students create pincushions in any shape they choose, e.g., circle, cat, heart.  They begin by cutting out a pattern with paper scissors, pinning it on their fabric, and using fabric shears to cut out the pattern pieces.  Students then use a marking pencil to draw their initials or name on the fabric.  They sew the letters on the top of the pincushion with the backstitch.  To learn each hand sewing technique, students watch a video demonstration that is available in Canvas.  Students can watch the videos as many times as needed to master each skill.

When students finish sewing their initials or name on the top piece of fabric, they pin the right sides of the fabric together and sew the edges together using the running stitch.  Students leave a hole where they will insert the stuffing when they  have turned the pin cushions right side out.  Each cushion must have a great deal of stuffing to ensure that the pins do not come through the fabric and poke the students.  Students use small, close slipstitches to close the hole and make it invisible.

Ms. Kelly’s role is to circulate among the students to provide feedback, make suggestions, and help them to problem solve.  Ms. Kelly can spot quiet students who will not ask for help.  Together students and the teacher prevent and solve problems.

Child Development Lab Experiences

When including laboratory experiences in the early childhood education classroom, much planning is required. Students training to work with children have specific learning outcomes and required mastery of skills prior to receiving the opportunity to work with preschool age children. The teacher much create a working timeline of outcomes and associated skills to be obtained by students. For example, students must have understanding of specific physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development of the preschool student. This can be taught through guided practice, observation, and student led presentations. Students should not be expected to understand best practices for classroom management if the foundation has not been set.

To get students ready for hands on experiences in the child development lab, there is much work to do. The teacher must have organized and deliberate expectations for the class. As stated, students must start with basic foundational knowledge of how children develop, but this is just the beginning. Students learn valuable skills through observation. As the teacher, it is necessary to build relationships outside of the classroom. Often, early childhood education students will observe at local childcare centers and preschools, therefore the teacher must look for these opportunities. During observation the student goal is essentially to get their “feet wet,” meaning to gain experience by watching, learning, and analyzing more experienced professionals in the field. The key to these field experiences is to always be mindful and as a class have meaningful conversation about what was seen (including what problems arose and what could be done to fix or correct).

Many students will have never had experience working with young children prior to this course, so it is essential to include observation hours. In conjunction to observing, the teacher must also be guiding students to understand best practices associated with the early childhood classroom. Students must have adequate time learning and practicing classroom management techniques, best teaching practice techniques, lesson planning, and guidance strategies. Allowing time for students to practice teaching to their peers is a valuable skill. Students must learn how to communicate with other students successfully, trouble shoot on the spot, and create lessons that are interesting, unique, and effective for preschool age children. For example, students can teach mini lessons to their peers. Working in small groups, have students determine a specific learning outcome and create a 20-minute lesson that focuses on teaching that specific skill. Each student should contribute writing a lesson plan, as noted on the assessing rubric, and have the opportunity to practice lead teaching. There is much to practice and much to learn when working with young children.

Thinking back to the opening case study, all of the timeline events should happen prior to inviting children to the child development laboratory. Once again, planning and preparation must take place on the part of the teacher to be sure this happens. Besides facilitating student learning objectives, the teacher must have the ability to secure a location for children, furniture, equipment, and supplies that are safe and usable for young children, and determine a working schedule of daily events (i.e. what content areas will the students teach the children, when will breaks occur, as well as planning of free play, center time, and circle time) amongst many other day-to-day decisions regarding the lab experience.

Further, the teacher must explicitly inform students of what their role in the laboratory setting includes. Will students work with children every day? Will students take turns working with children or planning for another day? Will students have other assignments to complete? Much of these questions will be answered once the laboratory calendar has been set and the number of students working with the children is made known. For example, if the teacher has a class of 18 students working in small groups of 3, a child development lab may work best within 6 planned weeks. This timeframe would allow for each small group to lead teach for one week of the six. During other weeks the student groups could serve as an assistant teacher, work on other assignments/plan lessons, or observe other lead teaching groups. The goal is to keep students actively engaged with specifically planned outcomes. The teacher must also have specified goals regarding use and misuse of the laboratory experience. The teacher may create a student contract that explains specific actions that may take place if a student does not follow the laboratory rules. Given the magnitude of this large scale experience, it must be stressed often how important maturity and responsibility are to achieve this lofty goal.

Upon completion of the child development laboratory experience, the teacher should be mindful to incorporate much opportunity for student analysis and reflection. The teacher may create a survey for students to complete regarding the planning process, teaching knowledge, and overall laboratory experience. The teacher may also have an open discussion with guiding questions to gain greater understanding. A teacher may also consider opportunities for students to obtain industry certification to further the skills learned within the laboratory experience.

Project-Based Learning

Kauchak and Eggen (2012) provide a description of Project-Based Learning. A real question or problem focuses student projects that are complex, open ended, and ill defined. Social issues related to the curriculum are one kind of question or problem. Students generally work together in small groups, and gather information from multiple sources, many of which are compiled by the teacher (e.g., internet websites, interviews).  Students gain valuable group interaction skills and new ideas.  Finally, based on solutions, they create products that can be shared with others through presentation and critique. Two product examples include a presentation or exhibit.

Teachers must establish time lines or due dates for student work. They must also work with each small group periodically to discuss progress and give feedback. Use of rubrics helps both the teacher and students with assessment at various points in the project. Research suggests that project-based learning is a highly motivating teaching method. Choice is an important factor in helping students to become self-directed learners. The following case study illustrates the opportunities for student learning when Problem-Based Learning is used in an FCS class.

Case Study 3

Mrs. Kite implements a food truck project in her Culinary I class. The initial idea came from the website www.FamilyConsumerSciences.Com. Mrs. Kite modifies the assignment by having a real food truck visit the school every month for school staff and students enrolled in Culinary I. Only the staff and students enrolled in  Culinary I are allowed to order from the truck. A different food truck visits one  day each month throughout the year. Students have questionnaires to complete that include the assignment to research, analyze, and discover facts. Mrs. Kite debriefs students’ experiences. Her role is to help students manage their time as they search for information about the trucks.

Mrs. Kite notes that food trucks have been very trendy in recent years. Some are  old while others are new. Each one has a menu focused on a single entree. Other  menu items such as a drink and dessert correspond with the entrée. Students have  definite ideas about which trucks they like best.

The owner of Abuelita’s Fresh Mexican Grill spoke to the class about what it is  like to have a food truck. He indicates that the food truck keeps his business  afloat because it serves as advertising, and has fewer costs to operate than a brick  and mortar restaurant. Students are allowed to work in the Roll’n Smoke food  truck, and the owners talk about the food industry.

Student engagement and motivation are high during the project. Teachers and students in the class follow the trucks on www.facebook.com so that they know when various trucks are scheduled to come to the school. Mrs. Kite has teachers place orders ahead of time so that they can get them quickly. The orders are taken on a google document. Once the deadline has past, the owner of the food truck receives the google document. This allows the food truck operators to know both the type and number of orders. Mrs. Kite also lets the food truck operators know to expect extra orders from walk-ups and faculty who may not have ordered. The food truck that serves pizza will not allow special orders because it guarantees that orders are  completed within 5 minutes.

Students carry out a final food truck project in small groups. They develop a truck menu, truck prototypes, and a menu item in a foods lab setting. Teachers at the school volunteer to serve as judges. Some rubric items include 1) name of the truck, 2) menu on the truck, 3) food preparation and presentation, 4) food temperature, and 5) food appeal.

Project-based learning can make use of a lab as part of a project. The method makes the curriculum real for students because it is focused on authentic tasks or problems. So by its very nature, this kind of learning is highly motivating for students. A downside to project-based learning can be the time it takes students to research a topic and create a product (Gijbels, Dochy, Van den Bossche, & Segers, 2005). There is no doubt that powerful learning takes time. But, teachers have many expectations (e.g., standards, standardized tests) placed upon them. Although it is reasonable that teachers will adjust the number of standards taught to the specific time constraints of their school, they are expected to teach a range of content. So it may not be practical to have students learn everything using student-centered methods such as project-based learning.

Experiments

Inquiry-based instructional methods such as experiments are used in science education. Given that some FCS content (e.g., textiles, food science) is an applied use of science, experiments are appropriate. A question forms the basis of an experiment and students use methods to determine relationships for themselves (BSCS, 2005).  Students carefully collect, examine, and interpret data. They also suggest answers, explanations, and make predictions. Finally, students convey findings.  Students “experience scientific phenomena and processes directly . . . . They test and refine their thinking . . . . [by] listening to other points of view” (p. 22).

Case Study 4

Mrs. Mark used a fiber testing kit with eight interior design students who worked together. The kit, available from Nasco, came with step-by-step directions for the group to follow. It required students to identify textiles based on their characteristics. Students conducted burn, solubility, stain resistance, and wrinkle resistance tests or experiments during two 52-minute class periods. They dropped substances such as water and oil on fabric swatches. Students observed whether the fabric would absorb or repel the substances and then record their findings. Students also observed how fabrics reacted to heat or flames.

The lab experience was a hands-on way for students to learn the properties of textiles from doing tests on fabric. They were also able to conclude how the textiles could be used in certain areas of a home. The teacher’s role during the lab experience was to ask the students questions and listen to their conversations. Mrs. Mark found that students were surprised by the differences in the textiles.

Experiments in a lab are also considered motivating, student-centered teaching methods. Students who engage with their peers in experiments can experience the joy of discovering new ideas for themselves.

Once again, the use of multiple methods provides for variety, repetition, and can aid in meeting the needs of a diverse group of students. An important adage is, “The overuse of any method makes it less effective.”

Conclusion

All teaching methods have advantages and disadvantages. Direct instruction, for example, has a vast body of research to support its use. At the same time, it is a teacher-centered method for teaching skills and concepts. Use of multiple teaching methods or a variety of methods is one key to keeping student attention, and to providing students with several opportunities to learn.

Skills and concepts within family and consumer sciences are an important foundation for critical thinking and have practical applications beyond measure. There are many calls in the media to bring back “home economics” so that people can learn to feed themselves nutritious meals, and perform many other important life skills. The media generally seems unaware of the name change within the field. They do sense and often report on social problems that could be alleviated if individuals and families had skills and concepts within family and consumer sciences. Skill and conceptual learning is needed now as always and must be practiced, and the FCS laboratories provide students with opportunities to master the requisite skill and concepts.

References

Arends, R. I. (2012). Learning to teach (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS). (2005). Doing science: The process of scientific inquiry. Colorado Springs, CO: National Institutes of Health Publication No. 05-5564.

Eggen, P., & Kauchak, D. (2016). Educational psychology: Windows on classrooms (10th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Emmer, E. T., & Evertson, C. M. (2013). Classroom management for middle and high school teachers (9th Ed.). Boston: Pearson

Gijbels, D., Dochy, F., Van den Bossche, P., & Segers, M. (2005). Effects of problem- based learning: A meta-analysis from the angle of assessment. Review of Educational Research, 75(1), 27-61.

Kauchak, D., & Eggen, P. (2012). Learning and teaching: Research-based methods (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Kounin, J. (1970). Discipline and group management in classrooms. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston

Metcalf, K. K., Cruickshank, D.R., & Jenkins, D.B. (2016). The Act of Teaching. (6th ed. revised). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt.