Teaching genetics at secondary school: A strategy for teaching about the location of inheritance information

Abstract

ABSTRACT:Traditional strategies for teaching genetics rely on teacher explanation, textbooks, and problem-solving activities (in which problems are solved by application of an already known algorithm). This study examines: (a) the knowledge that secondary school students have concerning some basic aspects related to the location of inheritance information before they are taught about genetics; (b) the effects of traditional instruction (in Spain) on students' learning about these subjects; (c) the characteristics of the teaching programs that are implemented in Spain; (d) the characteristics of a teaching program on the location of inheritance information based on constructivism; and (e) the learning achieved as a consequence of the implementation of this program (compared with what is learned by pupils who study genetics in a more traditional way). The results demonstrate that many students involved in this program restructure their initial misunderstanding of the location of inheritance information and acquire a knowledge that is more in keeping with scientifically accepted principles. We conclude by pointing to some implications for the teaching of genetics at the secondary school level.

A new three‐dimensional educational model kit for building DNA and RNA molecules: Development and evaluation*

“…Biology programs in high schools are broad, generally taught in a segmented form and basically prioritize descriptive aspects, encouraging memorization rather than analysis, reflection, and questioning [24]. Our data also corroborate several other studies that demonstrate the low level of understanding of the students of various countries about genetics topics, including inheritance, structural and functional concepts of DNA molecules, and advances in biotechnology [21][22][23]. However, according to the data presented in Table II, after the activities of these trials, most students corrected their flaws, presenting a better performance in the conceptual constructions for all the questions.…”

Genetic determinism in the Finnish upper secondary school biology textbooks

“…The canonical contents in genetics in secondary schools usually start with Mendelian patterns of inheritance (Banet & Ayuso, 2000;Dougherty, 2009;Tsui & Treagust, 2010), but this has been questioned as both irrelevant to students' scientific literacy and potentially leading to false ideas of genetic determinism (Santos, Mariane, & El-Hani, 2012;Castéra, Bruguière, & Clément, 2008;Dougherty, 2010; but see Smith & Gericke, 2013 Tuomas Aivelo is PhD student in University of Helsinki. His PhD research is on longitudinal monitoring of parasite dynamics in mouse lemurs by next generation sequencing tools.…”

Science and Education: A Perspective of Didactic Transposition with Bioinformatics Concepts

“…For example, in genetics, there are misconceptions of what a gene and DNA mean [22]. In this way, the students can easily compound the gene concept merging it with metaphorical models.…”

“…In this way, the students can easily compound the gene concept merging it with metaphorical models. These models often portray the gene as a particle with certain effects related to it and as a sequence of instructions [22]. One metaphorical model is the gene as a recipe (see Figure 2).…”