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This study diagnosed the understanding about energy and biologicalcontext energy concepts held by 90 first-year South African university biology students. In particular, students' explanations of energy in a biological context, how energy is involved in different biological situations and whether energy is present and what types of energy are involved in diagrams depicting biological phenomena were investigated. The pencil-and-paper diagnostic test, specifically designed for this study, was used to elicit students' understanding using test items involving biological phenomena. The results showed that many students had problems in understanding energy and energy-related concepts in the following areas: First, the majority of the students provided definitions of energy rather than the explanations they were asked to provide, and the definition could have been rote-learned. Second, although nearly all students knew the energy conservation principle (energy cannot be created or destroyed), many of them were unable to apply this concept to biological contexts. Third, many students erroneously claimed that the energy for metabolism and life processes is made available during photosynthesis in plants, during digestion in animals or that this energy comes directly from the sun. Fourth, about two thirds of the students erroneously indicated that there is no energy involved/present in inanimate objects such as a statue. The implications for the teaching and learning of energy and its related concepts and recommendations for further research are discussed.

This study examined preservice teachers' understanding of biotechnology and its related processes. A sample comprised 88 elementary education preservice teachers at a large university in the Midwest of the USA. A total of 60 and 28 of the participants were enrolled in introductory and advanced science methods courses, respectively. Most participants had taken two integrated science courses at the college level. Data were collected using a questionnaire, which had open-ended items and which required participants to write the definitions and examples of the following terms: biotechnology, genetic engineering, cloning and genetically modified foods. The results indicate that preservice teachers had limited understanding of biotechnology and its related processes. The majority of the preservice teachers provided poor definitions, explanations, and examples of biotechnology, genetic engineering and genetically modified foods. Surprisingly, however, a moderate number of preservice teachers correctly defined cloning and provided correct examples of cloning. Implications for science teacher education, science curriculum, as well as recommendations for further research are discussed.

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This study explored students' perceptions of instructional practices of international teaching assistants (ITAs) who did and did not participate in additional professional development through a Teaching Methods course. The study also sought to understand the components of the Teaching Methods course that supported ITAs in inquiry-based chemistry lab instruction. Participants were treatment ITAs (n = 4), control ITAs (n = 5), and students who were enrolled in a project-based guided inquiry (PBGI) introductory chemistry lab II course (n = 341). All ITAs attended a week-long course-specific training for all TAs, while treatment ITAs received additional professional development (PD) on teaching through a semester-long Teaching Methods course with all department TAs. Data on students' perceptions of their ITAs were collected using a postsurvey that included Likert-scale items and open-ended questions. We also collected written reflection assignments from treatment ITAs. Data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. Likert questions were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and qualitative data from student surveys and TA reflections were analyzed using an inductive content analysis approach. Students with treatment ITAs (n = 160) qualitatively reported more positive perceptions of ITAs' instructional practices and learning outcomes than students of control ITAs (n = 181). Specifically, treatment ITAs were reported to be significantly more supportive, interactive, and effective than control ITAs (all p values <0.001). Treatment ITAs reported increased understanding of their role as facilitators of student learning in PBGI laboratories. Results also suggest that the Teaching Methods course, along with concurrent teaching experience, enabled treatment ITAs to increase their confidence in teaching PBGI laboratories and to provide a supportive learning environment to students. These findings imply that TAs can learn more about active learning approaches and how to support student learning in inquiry-based chemistry lab if they receive sustained instruction on learning theories and inquiry and engage in reflective practice. Results have implications for ITA training and on chemistry teaching and learning.