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Topics on teaching the impact of humans on nature and the environment in the journal The American Biology Teacher from 2010 to 2021
Get PDFThe human impact on nature and the environment is a learning topic that appears in Slovenian primary schools in natural science, biology, and the optional subject of environmental education. The main purpose of this topic is environmental awareness and the development of students' environmental literacy, with which we can achieve environmental sustainability.
As with any learning topic, there are both general and specific problems in teaching this topic. We have described them in detail in the theoretical part, and we have also added appropriate solutions, suggestions and ways of working that can eliminate these problems. Because teachers must be adequately familiar with each learning topic before teaching, we analyzed three curricula and three textbooks for biology in which the topic of human impact on nature and the environment is also represented.
Examples of good practice can also be a great help for teachers in teaching, so in our master's thesis we analyzed 47 articles from the online magazine The American Biology Teacher from 2010 to 2021, which were related to the mentioned topic and represent the main part of this paper. First, we reviewed the articles and analyzed them in a table based on the following contents: article title, author, country of the author, year of publication, number of pages, number of cited sources, type of article, level of education, structure of the article, topic of the article, feasibility in Slovenia and why it is not (fully) feasible in Slovenia. To make it easier to visualize, we also presented the findings of certain content items graphically. We also analyzed the content of each article, divided them into certain topics and described the essential content that can help teachers in teaching. Finally, we divided the articles into 10 different topics, which relate to the human impact on nature and the environment. Certain articles are suitable for a specific level of education, but some can be adapted for all levels of education.
The main purpose of the master's thesis was the analysis of articles from the online magazine The American Biology Teacher, which present examples of good practice and enable teachers to enrich lesson and eliminate problems in teaching about the human impact on nature and the environment. Examples of good practice enable more outdoor teaching and can thus represent a positive interaction between students and the environment and nature
Understanding of and attitude towards evolution among Slovenian and Italian teenagers
Get PDFEvolution is of great importance for the knowledge and understanding of biology. In our research we prepared a questionnaire that was given to 116 students of classes 8 and 9 from a Slovenian and two Italian primary schools. With the research we wanted to find out what knowledge of the theory of evolution, about which they learn in Biology lessons, Slovenian and Italian teenagers have and if there are any differences among them. We also wanted to test their attitude towards the theory of evolution. We found out that Slovenian and Italian teenagers have an adequate knowledge of evolution, that older teenagers have a greater knowledge than the younger ones, and that there are no differences between girls and boys. There were small differences in the knowledge of evolution when comparing the two nationalities; the teenagers mostly accept the theory of evolution and their knowledge is not defined by religion. The theory of evolution is mostly accepted by older teenagers; however, there are no differences between the two genders. The theory of evolution is accepted more by Italian than Slovenian teenagers as the Italian teenagers statistically agreed less with creationist statements than the Slovenian students
Knowledge of human evolution among the 8th and 9th grade primary school pupils in Dolenjska
Get PDFThe curriculum specifies human evolution with only one single curriculum objective; therefore, the depth and the quantity of discussion depend on the teachers. When teaching human evolution, it is most important for the teacher to consider students’ misconceptions. The objective of this thesis was to obtain an overview of 8th and 9th grade pupils’ knowledge on the human evolution and to find out if this knowledge is satisfactory. Likewise, we wanted to know whether the knowledge differs between students of different schools, classes and genders. We carried out the survey between 2 primary schools in the Dolenjska region: Trebnje Primary School and Primary School Dr. Pavla Lunačka Šentrupert. Students used Likert’s scale to evaluate their agreement with 28 questions about the human evolution, and answered to 6 multiple-choice questions. In general, students showed satisfactory knowledge of the human evolution. They had the most difficulties with questions or claims related to the Neanderthal. In addition, some of the pupils’ misconceptions have showed, for example that humans evolved from apes. Ninth graders did not show better knowledge than eighth graders. There was no significant difference between genders either. However, there were significant differences in knowledge of human evolution shown between pupils of different schools
Knowledge of pupils in the 6th grade of primary school about microscopy
Get PDFMicroscopy among the students of the elementary school is believed to be one of the more interesting practical activities. However, they often have difficulties in understanding the microscope and its operations. While working with the microscope, students are attracted by the microscope on most occasions because one can see things which are not visible by a naked eye well with the microscope. In Slovenian elementary schools, the students are acquainted by microscope in more detail during the lessons of natural sciences in the sixth and the seventh grade. The curriculum for the natural sciences includes a lot of goals. Therefore, the teachers have difficulties in the realization of practical work from the perspective of quantity. However, practical work is very important within the subject of natural sciences. Students participate actively in the lesson. At the same time, they learn to ask questions, form the ideas, and explain. All this develops their natural science competencies.
The goals of our research were to ascertain what kind of prior knowledge on microscope and microscopy Slovenian students of the sixth grade have. We also wished to ascertain whether it is possible to improve the knowledge of the students of the sixth grade about the microscope and microscopy with a lesson plan designed specifically for this purpose. We were also interested whether the students of the sixth grade are interested in microscopy within the framework of natural sciences lessons. We performed the research at three elementary schools in Upper Carniola. The sample was composed of 250 students of the sixth grade. We gained the data with two tests of knowledge. In the meantime, we performed a lesson on microscopy. The students achieved an unsatisfactory result (45.1%) on the pretest, while the knowledge on microscopy was satisfactory on the posttest (61.1%). We ascertained that students show much more knowledge if they participate in a practical lesson. By means of research, I came to the conclusion that knowledge of the students improved after the performed lesson as the students realized that the microscope does not show the details on the organism we watch the best. After the performed practical lesson we also realized that the knobs at the side of the microscope will not enlarge or minimize the picture: they will sharpen the picture. They learned when it is best to use the microscope to watch and when to use a magnifying lens. By all means, the students expressed positive relationship towards the natural sciences subject and towards microscopy
Viewpoints of biology teachers on biology learning objectives for eighth graders
Get PDFIn this research we assessed the opinion of Slovenian biology teachers on the complexity and importance of the curriculum objectives in biology for pupils of the eighth-grade primary school. It is a general opinion in schools abroad as well that students have been overwhelmed by excess data, which could be a result of an extensive biology curriculum. The curriculum requires students to memorize a large amount of data. In our research we used a causal non-experimental method and a quantitative research approach. The sample consisted of 58 biology teachers from various parts of Slovenia. The survey took into the account their seniority and education achieved. To collect data, we used interviewing and an anonymous questionnaire was prepared for this specific purpose. In the Likert-scale questionnaire, teachers assessed the complexity and importance of curriculum objectives in the eighth grade of primary school curriculum. Data were statistically processed with SPSS. The questionnaire showed that primary school teachers consider the curriculum objectives related to the structure and functioning of the human body to be of above average importance and challenge. Their assessments of the importance and complexity of the learning objectives were fairly uniformed. We found some statistically significant differences with respect to teachers' seniority, with teachers who have been in the profession for 20-30 years supporting the importance of the curriculum. Teachers with a seniority of more than 30 years were the ones who rated the importance of given objectives as the least important ones in almost all curriculum objectives where statistically significant differences occurred. When assessing the complexity of curriculum objectives where the statistically significant differences were found, teachers with a seniority of more than ten years thought that the objectives were more demanding, while teachers with a seniority of less than ten years deemed them as less demanding.
Teachers' assessments of the importance and complexity of curriculum objectives based on their education are as well fairly consistent. We found one statistically significant difference; Teachers with a Bachelor of Science Degree programme considered this objective as the most important, while teachers with other study programmes rated it as the least important. There were no statistically significant differences in the assessment of the complexity of the curriculum objectives regarding the teachers' achieved education.
The results are informative to anyone involved in the planning of being involved in a biological education and may in the future influence changes in the teaching of biology
The attitudes of pupils of the third triad of elementary school toward biological contents
Get PDFPupils' lack of interest in science has become a problem in many countries around the world. Decrease in interest towards science is strongly connected with attitudes towards school science that an individual develops during education. Attitudes are a complex combination of personality, beliefs, values, behavior and motivation. They are formed based on feelings of the individual and can be positive or negative. Formation of attitudes is the result of learning, imitating others and direct experiences with people and situations.
Interest in science and biology as school subjects in Slovenia is decreasing. Pupils negative attitude towards biology is increasing. However a few research papers have shown that said attitude is positive. Researches to date are showing different results.
The results of the existing research relate mainly to 8th and 9th grade students. In addition to these two grades, we also included 7th grade students in our research, whose attitudes in this regard have not yet been tested. We verified their attitudes towards biological content and compared the results of different classes and genders. We carried out research at one of the primary schools in Slovenia. 185 pupils of 7th, 8th and 9th grade participated in the study. The method with an anonymous questionnaire was used to collect data. Questionnaire contained demographic questions (gender, grade) and 53 claims for which pupils expressed their opinions on biological content, biological content lessons, internal motivation and self-efficacy. Two more claims about understanding the questionnaire and participating in the study followed. The level of agreement with claims was assessed by pupils using a five-point Likert scale.
Pupils showed a positive attitude towards biological content. They have a positive attitude towards biological content lessons as well. The majority of pupils have an internal motivation for school science. They highly assessed their self-efficacy. We found no differences in attitudes towards biological content among pupils of different ages and genders
Comparison of grammar school students\u27 knowledge about human evolution according to the year of study
No full textV naši raziskavi smo se ukvarjali z evolucijo človeka, pomembno in aktualno vsebino izobraževalnega programa splošnih gimnazij. Iz pregleda literature smo izluščili, da se v povezavi s poučevanjem in razumevanjem evolucije človeka pojavljajo izzivi, kot so napačne predstave, verska prepričanja, nezaupanje v znanost, pomanjkljivo znanje učiteljev in neustrezen učni načrt. Naštete izzive smo podrobneje opisali in na podlagi literature predlagali možne izboljšave. Podrobneje smo v naši raziskavi preverili, kako na znanje o evoluciji človeka pri dijakih iz vseh štirih letnikov gimnazije vplivajo izbrani demografski dejavniki: spol, stopnja izobrazbe staršev, predhodno obravnavanje snovi o evoluciji človeka v šoli, verska opredelitev posameznika ter posameznikovo zanimanje za naravoslovje. Podatke smo zbrali z anonimnim vprašalnikom. Rezultate smo statistično obdelali in ugotovili, da so dijaki izbrane gimnazije izkazali zadovoljivo znanje o evoluciji človeka, kar je primerljivo z rezultati podobnih predhodnih raziskav. Opazili smo, da izobrazba matere, zanimanje za naravoslovje, predhodno obravnavanje snovi o evoluciji človeka v šoli in posameznikova verska opredelitev statistično značilno korelirajo z znanjem o evoluciji človeka. Opazili smo pogoste napačne predstave v povezavi s časovno umestitvijo dogodkov, evolucijsko genetiko in znanjem o neandertalcih. Rezultati naše naloge so lahko učiteljem v pomoč pri poučevanju, saj smo izpostavili nekatere šibke točke in napačne predstave v znanju dijakov o evoluciji človeka.In this master thesis, we focused on human evolution, an important topic in the high school educational programme. After a literature review, we identified common challenges associated with teaching and understanding of human evolution, such as misconceptions, religious beliefs, distrust in science, inadequate teacher knowledge, and inappropriate curriculum. We described these challenges in more detail and suggested possible improvements based on the literature. For this work, we were particularly interested in how selected demographic factors (gender, parental education level, prior participation in human evolution lectures in school, individual\u27s religious beliefs, and individual\u27s interest in natural sciences) influence the understanding of human evolution in students of all four grades of the selected high school. We distributed anonymous questionnaires to students that were comparable to questionnaires used in previous research. We statistically evaluated the results and concluded that students at the selected high school demonstrated satisfactory knowledge about human evolution, which was similar to results of comparable previous research. We found that the mother\u27s education, interest in natural sciences, previous participation in lectures on human evolution in high school, and the individual\u27s religious beliefs had a statistically significant effect on the students\u27 knowledge about human evolution. We found that misconceptions regarding the timing of events, evolutionary genetics, and knowledge about Neanderthals were widespread. The results of our work could help teachers improve their lectures, as we revealed some weaknesses and misconceptions in students\u27 knowledge about human evolution
Interest of primary school pupils in Notranjska in Primorska for useful plants
Get PDFPlants are closely connected to other organisms on Earth. Besides being extremely significant in economy they are much useful to human beings as well. Nevertheless, they are frequently neglected and overlooked in nature. Teachers want to transfer the biologic knowledge with the highest degree of quality, thus the research intends to identify those plants which are more interesting in pupil's eyes and would be logical to include in the subject curriculum. There were six primary schools from the Notranjska and Primorska regions involved in the study. In total, 504 pupils of four age groups took part in the research (pupils in grades six, seven, eight and nine). The data were collected with a anonymous questionnaire with seventeen closed question. According to the pupils, who expressed their interest in as much as nine subjects out of fifteen, it was established that they find useful plants interesting. Three hypotheses were determined. The first one assumed younger and older pupils are interested in different useful plants. Thanks to statistically significant differences in eleven out of fifteen subjects, the statement was confirmed. The second hypothesis claimed girls being interested in different useful plants compared to boys. This assertion was partially confirmed since six statistically significant differences aroused in the matter. Girls show more interest for all six subjects where differences were identified. The last one, in which it was assumed that pupils from various primary schools would show similar interest towards useful plants, was also partially confirmed due to three statistically significant differences when answering the questions dealing with the subject
Attitude of primary school pupils in Savinjska dolina toward biology and their knowledgeabout photosynthesis
Get PDFPhotosynthesis is one of the key concepts in the curriculum. However, it is an abstract and difficult topic, and so pupils have many false assumptions and misconceptions. False assumptions and misconceptions are not easy to change despite instruction because they are deep rooted. Nevertheless, with the right approach in the classroom and with the right attitude toward the subject, the teacher can significantly reshape pupils’ false assumptions and misconceptions about photosynthesis as well as their process of learning new information.
Individuals form attitudes through life that have an important impact on their perception of themselves, other people, and objects. The development of these attitudes is influenced by various factors that an individual is consciously and subconsciously exposed to. During education, the shaping of these attitudes is largely influenced by teachers, peers, and the classroom atmosphere.
This study examines knowledge about photosynthesis among primary school pupils in seventh, eighth and ninth grade. The interests of the study were also pupils’ attitudes toward biology, biology as a class subject, and photosynthesis. The differences in these three categories were observed between sexes, from different classrooms and different schools. Furthermore, I wanted to clarify whether there is a connection between attitudes toward biology in general and pupils’ knowledge about photosynthesis.
This study was carried out at two primary schools in Savinjska dolina. The sample consisted of 192 primary school pupils in seventh, eighth, and ninth grade. They had to answer nine questions on a multiple-choice anonymous quiz. In the survey part, we used a Likert scale to express how much they agreed with four statements regarding their attitude toward photosynthesis and thirty-six statements regarding their attitude toward biology and biology as a class subject.
The quiz results showed that the pupils’ knowledge about photosynthesis is satisfactory beacue overall they scored 63,2 %. They are most unfamiliar with the main function of photosynthesis because they perceive it as oxygen formation instead of glucose formation. In comparison with girls, boys answered more questions correctly. Seventh-grade pupils showed better knowledge of photosynthesis than ninth- and eighth-grade pupils. There was no difference in pupils’ knowledge between schools.
The results show that pupils have a positive attitude toward biology as a class subject as well as toward biology as a science. There were no statistically important differences in the attitudes toward biology as a class subject between sexes. Seventh-grade pupils have a more positive attitude towards biology as a class subject than eighth- and ninth-grade pupils. There were no differences in pupils’ attitudes toward biology as a class subject between schools.
The pupils have a positive attitude toward photosynthesis. There were differences in the attitude toward photosynthesis comparing pupils from different schools and comparing pupils from different grades (seventh-grade pupils have a more positive attitude). There was no difference in the attitude toward photosynthesis between sexes.
There is a connection between knowledge about photosynthesis and attitudes toward biology as a science as well as toward biology as a class subject. Pupils that know more about photosynthesis also have a more positive attitude toward biology
Human urinary system knowledge of the seventh graders, eight graders, and ninth graders
Get PDFIn this graduation thesis I tested the knowledge of primary school students of the 7th, 8th and 9th grades regarding the secretory organs in humans. I gathered the data through an exam which was based on the 8th grade syllabus objectives. 241 pupils from two primary schools in South-East Slovenia participated in the examination. I designed four research questions. While studying primary school Natural Science syllabi with regard to secretory organs I found out that pupils learn about some basic concepts (e.g. secretion) and familiarize themselves with body organs and their functions already in the first triad. They explore kidney functions already in the 4th grade. A more in-depth discussion of secretors takes place in the 8th grade when pupils learn about their structure, activity and importance, and also gain knowledge on the dialysis machine and urine tests. My comparison of chapters on secretory organs of two approved textbook sets for 8th grade Biology that are available in print showed that they are similarly designed, yet each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, I discovered that to gain knowledge pupils depend solely on textbooks and do not have any extra materials, unless provided by their teacher. My research showed that knowledge of eight graders, who learned about secretory organs in their current school year, was statistically better than the knowledge
of seventh graders, who were not taught the topic yet, only in three out of seven tasks (2, 4 and 6). Knowledge of ninth graders, who learned about secretory organs in the previous school year, was statistically poorer than that of eight graders in three tasks (1, 2 and 6). This implies that they have already forgotten the topic of the previous school year. Knowledge of ninth graders was statistically not different than that of seventh graders. Based on the results of my research and relevant literature that emphasises the importance of practical work in Natural Science/Biology learning, I made a lesson plan proposal for a lesson on secretory organs for the 8th grade of primary school. It revolves around experiential learning where pupils independently create and use a model of secretory organs which helps them in their studying
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