Examines the question of the role of laboratory work in influencing Israeli students' perceptions of their chemistry laboratory learning environment. Compares responses on a learning environment inventory of two groups of students, high school students and students enrolled in vocational schools to become future laboratory technicians. (CS)

Field tests of the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) with (n=5,447) high school and college students in six countries furnished evidence that science laboratory classes are dominated by closed-ended activities and that females held generally more favorable perceptions than males. Describes the development and validation of SLEI.…