Undertaking hands-on science investigations is an important component of science curricula in many countries. Exhibits 13.14 (fourth grade) and 13.15 (eighth grade) present principals’ reports on whether their schools have two resources for facilitating hands-on science experiments—a science laboratory and assistance for teachers when students are conducting experiments—along with student achievement. Countries are ordered by the percentage of students in schools with a science laboratory.

On average across countries, 36 percent of fourth grade students were in schools with a science laboratory, and their average achievement was higher than that of the 64 percent of students who were in schools without a laboratory (496 vs. 486). Of course, the availability of a laboratory in the school could be related to other economic factors that are related to achievement. On average, 35 percent of fourth grade students were in schools in which assistance is available to teachers when students are conducting experiments. This finding also ranged considerably across countries, and there are countries in which many schools have a science laboratory, but assistance is not available to teachers when students conduct experiments.

A much higher percentage of eighth grade students (85%) were in schools with a science laboratory. Average achievement for these students was substantially higher than for students in schools without this resource (494 compared with 457). Still, only about half (54%) of students were in schools in which assistance was available to teachers when students are conducting experiments, and this finding was likewise associated with higher average science achievement (494 compared with 483).