This article addresses the issue of the level of complexity of practical work in science curricula and is focused on the discipline of Biology and Geology at high school. The level of complexity is seen in terms of the emphasis on and types of practical work and, most importantly, in terms of its level of conceptual demand as given by the…

The branch of biology that studies ecosystems, habitats, their developments, and the equilibrium of species is called conservation biology (Soule 1986). It is important to study this balance of species within an ecosystem, where species might live for a short period of time (such as mosquitoes, the main source of food for frogs) or live for…

Efficacy of the Measure of Understanding of Macroevolution (MUM) as a measurement tool has been a point of contention among scholars needing a valid measure for knowledge of macroevolution. We explored the structure and construct validity of the MUM using Rasch methodologies in the context of a general education biology course designed with an…

Molecular genetic laboratory exercises can be ineffective due the student's lack of connection to the complex and sequential protocols. In this inquiry-based molecular genetic laboratory exercise, we harness students' fascination with human forensics and provide a real-life scenario using biomolecular techniques to identify "whose…

Conceptual learning is a uniquely human behavior that engages all aspects of individuals: cognitive, metacognitive, and affective. The affective domain is key in learning. In this paper, that authors have explored three affective constructs that may be important for understanding biology student learning: self-efficacy--the set of beliefs that one…

Adolescents who work while attending school are reported to sleep less than those who do not. This study aimed to identify factors associated with short sleep duration in students who work during the school year. A cross-sectional survey aiming to describe working conditions and occupational safety and health was completed by representative…

Although the environmental light/dark cycle is the main zeitgeber for the human species, the social cues seem to be important in the synchronization of circadian rhythms. In Brazil, the existence of two school schedules--one with only morning classes (MG) and other with only afternoon classes (AG)--allows the investigation of the effect of school…

Instructors are frequently uncertain about the usefulness of methods to promote student-centered learning and uneasy about adopting new technologies such as clickers. We describe a study in which an honors biology instructor implemented clickers as a mechanism for students to complete in-class quizzes. To determine the usefulness of this approach,…

Use of real specimens brings the study of biology to life. This activity brings easily acquired plant specimens into the classroom to tackle common alternative conceptions regarding life, size, complexity, the nature of science, and plants as multicellular organisms. The activity occurs after a discussion of the characteristics of life and engages…

This study employs a quasi-experiment, non-equivalent control group, pretest-posttest design in investigating the effect of cooperative instructional strategy on interest and achievement in biology among low-achieving senior secondary school students. The population of the study was all senior secondary school students in Bida Educational Zone,…

Life scientists increasingly use visual analytics to explore large data sets and generate hypotheses. Undergraduate biology majors should be learning these same methods. Yet visual analytics is one of the most underdeveloped areas of undergraduate biology education. This study sought to determine the feasibility of undergraduate biology majors…

Does correctly answering a test question about a multiterm fact enhance memory for the entire fact? We explored that issue in 4 experiments. Subjects first studied Advanced Placement History or Biology facts. Half of those facts were then restudied, whereas the remainder were tested using "5 W" (i.e., "who, what, when, where",…

The main objective of this study is to determine the utility of simulation methods in biology teaching for nursing students and academic success. 100 students (50 control, 50 experimental) who studied at Srinivasa Teacher Training School, Kalikiri, Recognised by Sri Venkateswara University, Faculty of Education, Tirupati, AP, India, 2014-215…

This study aimed to analyze the relationship between high school students' self-efficacy perceptions regarding biology, the metacognitive strategies they use in this course and their academic motivation for learn biology. The sample of the study included 286 high school students enrolled in three high schools who attended a biology course in Kars,…

This study examined the effects of teachers' biology-specific dimensions of professional knowledge--pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and content knowledge (CK)--and cognitively activating biology instruction, as a feature of instructional quality, on students' learning. The sample comprised 39 German secondary school teachers whose lessons on…