Students’ understanding of the cell and cellular structures

This study aimed to investigate Norwegian eighth-grade students’ preconceptions of cells, the development of their understanding of cellular structure and function during cell biology instruction, and their understanding of the cell as a system. We conducted pre- and posttests including drawings, images and statements with 28 students. Our findings indicate that most students had a simplified view of cells prior to instruction but developed significant knowledge about cellular structures and different types of cells during instruction. However, several misconceptions arose, and some students seemed to alter their correct preconceptions. This suggests that teachers need to address misconceptions during instruction and support integration of students’ previous and new knowledge. Additionally, we suggest that focusing on numerous structures and cells from different organisms confuses students and complicates the process of achieving a systemic view of the cell.

Dealing with Student Errors in Whole-Class Discussions of Biology Lessons at German Secondary Schools

Dealing with student errors is a central feature of instructional quality. Teachers’ reactions to a student’s error and classmates’ errors can be crucial to the success of a lesson. A teacher should respond appropriately in terms of motivational and learning-related issues so that the error can become a learning opportunity for students. Currently, error situations have rarely been directly recorded and explored in empirical zstudies. This gap is the central focus of the current study in which we investigated errors in biology instruction within a cross-sectional design where biology lessons in German secondary schools were videotaped, teachers’ dealings with errors analyzed, and student achievement documented with pretests and posttests. The study found that constructively dealing with student errors had a significant positive effect on student achievement at the class level. Results confirmed the relevance of teachers’ appropriate dealing with student errors on learning in biology instruction.

Bioinspiration as a method of problem-based STEM education: a case study with the COVID-19 crisis

Bioinspiration is a promising lens for biology instruction as it allows the instructor to focus on current pressing problems, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. From social distancing to oxygen stress, organisms have been tackling pandemic-related problems for millions of years. What can we learn from such diverse adaptations in our own applications? We use a seminar course on the COVID-19 crisis to illustrate bioinspiration as an approach to teaching biology content. We highlight three focal areas of the COVID crisis explored in the course (air filtration, medical interventions, and behavioral crises), each of which relates to core content from across biological disciplines (e.g., morphology, physiology, behavior). We also highlight several promising ideas, such as the nanostructure of butterfly wings informing the design of transparent masks. We conclude by stressing that for bio-inspired approaches to succeed, we must invest in basic research and systems that connect scientists across disparate fields.

Effect of Physical Modeling and Computer Animation Implemented with Social Constructivist Instruction on Understanding of Human Reproductive System

Purpose of the study, was to compare effectiveness of the physical modeling and computer animation implemented with social constructivist and traditionally designed instruction on 10th grade students’ understanding of human reproductive system, motivation to- wards learning biology and types of achievement goal orientation. Design of the study was quasi-experimental with 125 students from six intact classes in a private high school in Ankara. Three groups for both experimental and controlled groups were randomly as- signed. Students in experimental and control group were exposed to computer animation and physical modeling implemented with social constructivist instruction and traditionally designed biology instruction with respectively.Results of MANOVA indicated that experimental group showed significantly better acquisition of the scientific concepts and higher motivation towards biology learning than traditionally designed biology instruction. Analysis of ANCOVA showed that students in control group had significantly higher tendency to have performance approach and performance avoidance goals. In contrary there is no significant difference in between two groups related with mastery approach and mastery avoidance goals.

Reaching Rural Students: CARE Principles to Promote Student Engagement in College Biology Courses

Instructors at rural, two-year institutions have many insights that can inform biology instruction at other colleges to promote rural students' success in the sciences. We present four principles, derived from three case studies of experienced rural instructors, to consider when teaching rural students. These include connecting to students' lives, being attentive to their needs in and out of the classroom, having a rigorous curriculum, and providing expansive learning opportunities. These principles capitalize on the strengths of rural students rather than their shortcomings.

Learning Progressions: An Empirically Grounded, Learner-Centered Framework to Guide Biology Instruction

Vision and Change challenged biology instructors to develop evidence-based instructional approaches that were grounded in the core concepts and competencies of biology. This call for reform provides an opportunity for new educational tools to be incorporated into biology education. In this essay, we advocate for learning progressions as one such educational tool. First, we address what learning progressions are and how they leverage research from the cognitive and learning sciences to inform instructional practices. Next, we use a published learning progression about carbon cycling to illustrate how learning progressions describe the maturation of student thinking about a key topic. Then, we discuss how learning progressions can inform undergraduate biology instruction, citing three particular learning progressions that could guide instruction about a number of key topics taught in introductory biology courses. Finally, we describe some challenges associated with learning progressions in undergraduate biology and some recommendations for how to address these challenges.