Students in high school tend to find genetics difficult to learn because it requires some crosslinked knowledge about subjects like genes, proteins, cells, tissues as well as organs and systems. It also becomes more difficult to connect and explain concepts such as the gene expression at the level of the cell to conceptualize the effect of the…

Using the principles of biology, along with engineering and with the help of computer, scientists manage to copy. DNA sequences from nature and use them to create new organisms. DNA is created through engineering and computer science managing to create life inside a laboratory. We cannot dismiss the role that synthetic biology could lead in…

How to strengthen technician education to meet the needs of the biotechnology industry was the question before the 50 people who participated in the "Educating Biotechnicians for Future Industry Needs" conference from April 28 to 30 in Scottsdale, Arizona. The participants were from higher education, secondary schools, industry, government, and…

Many teachers avoid controversial topics because they do not want to upset students or parents, do not know appropriate instructional strategies, and fail to recognize the importance of motivating students through placing science in its relevant context. An example is provided for use in a methods course for helping future high school teachers to…

The GENET (gene + net) Forum was designed as a contribution to help teachers and pupils to develop critical thinking, creativity, and values capable of assuring to future citizens an active and responsible involvement in societal evolution. This project (which includes a chat and online discussion forum) explores the ethical, legal, and social…

This research reports on a constructivist approach that was used in a unit of work with a final year high school biology class. The aim of the intervention was to promote students' awareness and communication of the biological, social, and ethnical issues associated with cancer. Students were encouraged to use an inquiry approach. They were also…

This paper describes a qualitative research that used small group discussion activities centered in biotechnology and genetics controversies as a contribution to the promotion of students' thinking tools. Students' written conclusions and reflections about the activities, teachers' interviews, participant observation of the classes, and their…

This multi-participant case study used a phenomenological lens to understand the ways that science teachers make sense of implementing instructional innovations following their participation in a year-long biotechnology professional development program. Sources of data included a series in-depth interviews used to collect teachers' stories of…

The background of this paper is an internal research project at the German National Research Center for Information Technology, Integrated Publication and Information Systems Institute, (GMD-IPSI) dealing with software engineering, computer-supported cooperative learning (CSCL) and practical biotech knowledge. The project goal is to develop a…

Recent legislation encourages the integration of academic content in agricultural education. In North Carolina, high school agricultural education programs can now choose to offer a state adopted integrated biotechnology curriculum. Empirical evidence was needed to identify and describe factors related to the intent of agricultural educators to…

This study, part of a larger research project, explored the knowledge of the general population regarding cloning. It also sought to determine where people gather information on cloning. Such awareness of the general public's knowledge of important scientific topics and sources from which people retrieve information can help scientific and…

This document reports on a science education reform program sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The program is an attempt to overhaul the reform efforts of the Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, and participation in the project has been underway since 1994. Funds from the institute support teacher training in the use and…

This study, part of a larger research project, explored the knowledge and attitudes of the general population regarding cloning. Such awareness of the general public's knowledge of important science topics, attitudes toward such topics, and sources from which people retrieve information can help scientific and educational communities develop…

In most countries, agricultural research (AR), institutions of higher education in agriculture (HEA), and agricultural advisory services (AAS) function as separate agencies. So far, in most countries, AR, HEA, and AAS have not had a common vision for rural development. In Finland, domination of agricultural production in Finland has led to a lack…

This study examined the relationship between organizational form and faculty behavior for biotechnology faculty in research universities. In particular the study looked at the perceptions and role of nondepartmental organized research units as compared to the more traditional university structures of discipline rank, tenure status,and…