本研究據以出發的問題意識是學生進行理化實驗課的過程中，一些學習機會不均等的現象。研究的主旨在於從理論上探討學習機會的意義，並從國中理化實驗課的實際教學中瞭解其分佈的情形。
在理論的探討上為兼顧科學活動的本質及本地學生的心理特質，因此分別從科學研究（science studies）及庶人倫理的角度探討學習機會的意義；在實徵研究方面則實際進入國中理化實驗課中，瞭解學生在學習機會指標架構上的分佈，同時結合社會互動與認知投入的意義來瞭解學生互動過程中的意涵。此外，除了瞭解常態實驗中的學習機會分佈外，本研究更設計了「三階段教學處置」來瞭解學生間學習機會的變動特質。
本研究的對象是以國中二年級理化實驗課的學校班級為主，在研究方法上採取多元方法論的進程，同時含括質化及量化的資料，從不同的層次來瞭解學習機會的問題。最後可以得到以下的結論：
一、從本研究理論上的探討可以發現，科學研究對於科學教育的意涵既豐富且多元，它提供了一個具涵蓋性及統整性的理解架構。此外，透過本研究所建構的科學教育與科學研究之關係模式，能夠幫助我們將科學教育的研究問題作有效的聚焦，同時提供多方觀點的校正，進一步診斷出新的科學教育研究問題，為科學教育提供可能的視域。
二、在一個與小組及同儕有關的科學學習情境中，社會互動的過程是一個自己不斷與別人也與自己對話的過程。本研究從西方正義理論中的程序正義及分配正義，加上華人社會中庶人倫理的親親及尊尊原則，結合兩者運用到理化實驗課的情境中，可以有效地瞭解學生如何在互動的過程中分配學習資源，及不同地位學生之學習機會分佈的情形。
三、在國中理化實驗課的互動中，地位越高的學生，就擁有品質較高且較多的學習機會，同時會積極地爭取這些學習資源；相對的，地位越低的學生可以從事較高層次的思考機會則較少，對於學習資源也會消極地迴避。此外，「尊尊原則」的效應對於本地的學生而言，是一個很明顯的現象，對於學生之間的互動有很大的影響。
四、透過「三階段教學處置」之後，學生間學習機會的分佈會發生變動，整體認知投入的層次亦會往更高的層次提昇。此外，透過此教學處置可以提供多樣的認知激盪機會，使學生有機會透過不同角色的轉換來學習，在不同的學習任務或角色上，找到某些自己的自尊以縮短學習動機的差異，但是地位之間的固著關係仍然明顯。

Based on the concern for the equality of learning opportunities in laboratories, this study aims to explore the meanings of learning opportunities from a theoretical literature review, and to investigate the distributions of learning opportunities from the practical laboratory instruction.
Considering both the nature of science activities and the psychological characteristics of the students in Taiwan, the study discussed meanings of learning opportunities from the perspectives of both science studies and Confucian ethics for ordinary people. Moreover, this study examined the distributions of learning opportunities by an empirical research to the junior high school laboratory, and searched for the significance of students’ interactions from the views of social interaction and cognitive engagement. Furthermore, the study designed a “three-step instruction management” to further understand the pattern of students’ learning opportunity shift alone with different laboratory activities.
The subjects of the study are second grade junior high school laboratory classes. The study methods include both quantitative and qualitative approaches, which are expected to obtain a thorough understanding of the issue of learning opportunities.
Findings from this study are summarized as follows:
1.Results from theoretical discussions show that science studies reveal rich and multiple implications, which provide a comprehensive and integrated framework for science education research. The framework constructed in this study, which shows the relation between science education and science studies, not only helps researchers to focus research questions effectively, but also provides different perspectives to diagnose and modify the questions.
2.In a science learning environment which involves groups and peers, the social interaction process includes talks of the learner to himself and to other people. From the viewpoints of procedural justice and distributive justice from the Western world, and the “The principle of favoring the intimate” and the “The principle of respecting the superior” from the Chinese world, this study has recognized the ways students manage learning resources during the interaction process and has identified the learning opportunities distribution among students of different status in the science laboratory.
3.During the interactions of students in the junior high school laboratory, students of higher status in class tend to hold better and more opportunities to learn, and are able to take advantage of learning resources in a more active way. On the other hand, students of lower status in class tend to take learning opportunities in a more passive way in processing the higher level thinking, and even tend to avoid learning resources. In the laboratory, the effect of the “The principle of respecting the superior” plays a prominent role in the interactions among students.
4.The “three-step instruction management” helps change the distributions of learning opportunities among students and improve students’ cognitive level in activity involvement. Besides, this instruction management is shown to provide multiple cognitive thinking chances for students to learn by experiencing playing different roles, in which the differences in learning motivation among students are minimized through self-fulfillment opportunities. However, regardless of the change shown above, the static status differences among students still remain.