St. John Fisher College
Fisher Digital Publications
Biology Faculty Publications
Biology
2013
What Undergraduates in Biology Don't Know
About Plant Structure and Growth
Kathleen Archer
Trinity College
Maryann Herman
St. John Fisher College, [email protected]
Grace Miller
Laura Olsen
Jodie Ramsay
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Publication Information
Archer, Kathleen; Herman, Maryann; Miller, Grace; Olsen, Laura; and Ramsay, Jodie, "What Undergraduates in Biology Don't Know
About Plant Structure and Growth" (2013). Biology Faculty Publications. Paper 24.
http://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/biology_facpub/24
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What Undergraduates in Biology Don't Know About Plant Structure and
Growth
Disciplines
Biology
Comments
Presented at the American Society of Plant Biologists Annual Meeting in Providence, Rhode Island, 2013.
This conference proceeding is available at Fisher Digital Publications: http://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/biology_facpub/24
10/11/2013
Goals and Objectives
What undergraduates in
biology don’t know about plant
structure and growth
Kathleen Archer, Maryann Herman,
Grace Miller, Laura Olsen,
Jodie Ramsay
• Overall Goal: Generation of a concept
inventory in plant structure and growth
– Need for objective
measures to evaluate
student comprehension
– 1st Objective: Collect
and analyze student
misconceptions
http://www.visionandchange.org
Methods & Approaches
Methods & Approaches
• Student demographics:
– Introductory biology (n = 11)
– Introductory biology + botany (n = 32)
– At least 1 upper division botany (n = 12)
• 15 questions
• 68 interviews at
institutions of
various sizes
–
–
–
–
–
• Coding of transcribed interviews
– Correct
– Misconception
– Don’t know
St. John Fisher College (NY)
Trinity College (CT)
Indiana Wesleyan University (IN)
Northern State University (SD)
University of Michigan (MI)
• Coding inconsistencies were discussed and
group consensus achieved
Distribution of responses
Questions with >80% Correct Responses
1
9a
100
3
90
80
% correct responses
13
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
70
Don't know
60
Misconception
50
Correct
40
30
20
10
0
9a
1
3
13
5
4
7
10
9b
6
2
14
12
8
11
Q9a Q1 Q3 Q13 Q5 Q4 Q7 Q10 Q9b Q6 Q2 Q14 Q12 Q8 Q11
1
10/11/2013
Questions Students Don’t Know
Common Undergraduate Misconceptions
9b
2
11
12
8
80
14
60
% don't know responses
% responses with
misconceptions
10
8
70
50
40
30
20
10
0
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Q9b Q2 Q14 Q8 Q6 Q7 Q11 Q4 Q12 Q1 Q13 Q5 Q10 Q3 Q9A
Q11 Q12 Q8 Q10 Q6 Q14 Q5 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q9a Q13 Q9b Q7 Q1
Overall Trends in Student
Responses
Does Taking Botany Make a
Difference?
• Students had the greatest correct
answers for simple questions
• Highest percentage of misconceptions
dealt with gas exchange and cell
support
• Students lack a general understanding
of plant development (lateral roots,
bark, leaves)
Q10
Q6
Q9b
Bot
Q2
Bio
Q14
Q12
Q8
Q11
0
20
40
60
80
100
Percent incorrect
Does Taking Botany Change
Misconceptions?
Future Directions
8
Q8
14
Q14
Bot
Bio
2
Q2
9b
• Complete coding of remaining ~15
interviews
• Further analysis of demographic data
– Poster 12007
• Has core botany content changed?
– Current emphasis in plant biology
classes?
Q9b
0
25
50
75
Percent with misconceptions
100
• Development of concept inventory
2
10/11/2013
Acknowledgements
• Thanks to our student volunteers
Funding
• Biology Scholars Program Alumni
Fellowship
• ASPB Education Foundation Grant
3