scholarly journals The Case for Biocalculus: Improving Student Understanding of the Utility Value of Mathematics to Biology and Affect toward Mathematics

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. ar5
Author(s):  
Melissa L. Aikens ◽  
Carrie Diaz Eaton ◽  
Hannah Callender Highlander
Keyword(s):  
Life Science ◽  
Attitudes Toward Mathematics ◽  
Student Understanding ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Utility Value

This study examines changes in life science students’ understanding of the utility of mathematics to biology, their interest in mathematics, and their overall attitudes toward mathematics after taking courses that integrate calculus into biological problems. Factors that contribute to improved attitudes toward mathematics are identified.

scholarly journals On a Calculus-based Statistics Course for Life Science Students

2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph C. Watkins
Keyword(s):  
Life Science ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Scientific Background ◽  
Statistics Course

The choice of pedagogy in statistics should take advantage of the quantitative capabilities and scientific background of the students. In this article, we propose a model for a statistics course that assumes student competency in calculus and a broadening knowledge in biology. We illustrate our methods and practices through examples from the curriculum.

scholarly journals Predicting education science students’ statistics anxiety: The role of prior experiences within a framework of domain-specific motivation constructs

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guenter Faber ◽  
Heike Drexler
Keyword(s):  
Interaction Effects ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Statistics Anxiety ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Utility Value ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Experience Levels ◽  
Prior Experiences ◽  
Education Science

Based on a cognitive-motivational modeling of construct relations, the present study aimed at analyzing the role of prior statistics experiences to ex­­plain education science students’ statistics anxiety. Data were analyzed from two independent samples which consisted of N = 113 and N = 87 participants – using a different operationalization of the experience variable in each case. In both samples, analyses demonstrated students’ statistics anxiety to be substantially ex­plained by their self-concept and negative utility value – but not by their prior sta­tistics ex­periences. However, conceptually assumed interaction effects between motivation and ex­perience variables did not occur. Instead, students’ statistics anxiety appeared to be de­pendent on self-concept and value scores across all experience levels. Moreover, different operationa­lizations of the experience variable produced somewhat varying effect patterns. Find­ings are discussed in terms of conceptual, methodological, and instructional implications.

scholarly journals Development of the BioCalculus Assessment (BCA)

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. ar6
Author(s):  
Robin T. Taylor ◽  
Pamela R. Bishop ◽  
Suzanne Lenhart ◽  
Louis J. Gross ◽  
Kelly Sturner
Keyword(s):  
Life Science ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Large Network ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Validity Assessment ◽  
Learning Success ◽  
Evidential Support ◽  
Calculus Instruction ◽  
The Rasch Model

We describe the development and initial validity assessment of the 20-item BioCalculus Assessment (BCA), with the objective of comparing undergraduate life science students’ understanding of calculus concepts in different courses with alternative emphases (with and without focus on biological applications). The development process of the BCA included obtaining input from a large network of scientists and educators as well as students in calculus and biocalculus courses to accumulate evidential support of the instrument’s content validity and response processes of test takers. We used the Rasch model to examine the internal structure of scores from students who have experienced calculus instruction in the two methods. The analysis involved three populations (Calculus 1, Calculus 2, and Biocalculus) for which the Calc 1 and Calc 2 students were not exposed to calculus concepts in a life science setting, while the Biocalculus students were presented concepts explicitly with a life science emphasis. Overall, our findings indicate that the BCA has reasonable validity properties, providing a diagnostic tool to assess the relative learning success and calculus comprehension of undergraduate biology majors from alternative methods of instruction that do or do not emphasize life science examples.

scholarly journals Att börja tala ’biokemiska’ - Betydelsen av metaforer och hjälpord för meningsskapande kring proteiner

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 30-42
Author(s):  
Carl-Johan Rundgren
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Life Science ◽  
Visual Representations ◽  
Theoretical Description ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Science Courses ◽  
Secondary School Education ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Scientific Terms

This paper deals with the process of acquiring a subject-specific language. When confronted with the visual representations and scientific terms of molecular life science, students try to make meaning using the language they have access to and their prior experience. In this process students use a kind of intermediate language, with frequent use of metaphors. Some metaphors can be traced back to the teaching they have experienced, while some are spontaneous metaphors created by the students. They also make use of words that seemingly have no meaning, here referred to as helpwords. The results from this study indicate that spontaneous metaphors and helpwords are important in learning situations, especially in an abstract discipline such as molecular life science. This paper aims to give a preliminary theoretical description of the phenomenon of helpwords, based on an interview study of 20 students taking natural science courses in their upper secondary school education.

scholarly journals Study Approaches of Life Science Students Using the Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F)

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 173
Author(s):  
Miguel Leiva-Brondo ◽  
Jaime Cebolla-Cornejo ◽  
Rosa Peiró ◽  
Nuria Andrés-Colás ◽  
Cristina Esteras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Science ◽  
Approaches To Learning ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Deep Approach ◽  
Approach To Learning ◽  
Factor Study ◽  
Study Process ◽  
And Gender ◽  
High Consistency ◽  
Item Reliability

Students’ approaches to learning can vary between students of different ages, genders, years, degrees, or cultural contexts. The aim of this study was to assess the approaches to learning of different students of life science degrees. The Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) has been used to assess the approaches to learning of 505 students of thirteen different subjects of four different degrees at Universitat Politècnica de València in order to study the factors that influence their approaches. Results show a higher deep approach of the students. Differences were observed between subjects and gender, not related to level (bachelor or master) or year. The item reliability analysis showed a high consistency for the main scales, but not for the secondary scales of the R-SPQ-2F questionnaire. High correlation between the deep and surface scales were observed. These data can provide more information to the teachers, which may help them to develop strategies focused on promoting a deeper approach to learning for the students, more adapted to their subject, level, and year.

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