<p style="text-align: justify;">A large number of articles in the field of science education reflect on scientific literacy as the main goal of science education (SE), although often with varying viewpoints. Nevertheless, researchers have begun to highlight subject-specific teaching practices that are expected to specifically enhance science subject teaching, including biology. The main aim of this theoretical article is to come on consensus and to conceptualise the term biological literacy (BL) more clearly and to present a theoretical concept of BL, composed on the basis of systematically analysed articles. This theoretical concept includes two dimensions of BL: (1) cognitive (cognitive skills, conceptual understanding, biological inquiry) and (2) affective dimension, based on systematic literature review (SLR). This theoretical concept also includes in addition four dimensions of BL: (3) sustainability; (4) interdisciplinarity, (5) career awareness and (6) nature of biology (NOB), based on literature review (LR) of recent decades, that was conducted to write theoretical overview of this research.</p>
The main aim of this research was to measure 10 th and 12 th grade students' biological conceptual understanding and competences through their upper secondary school studies. Data collection started at the beginning of the upper secondary school biology studies in the 10 th grade. The same students participated in this research when they were in the 12 th grade. A validated instrument of covering four competences: biological conceptual understanding, problem-solving, critical thinking and divergent thinking was used. Overall, this research was meant to evaluate students' conceptual understanding and cognitive skills (problem-solving, critical thinking, divergent thinking) through the socio-scientific issue of lactose intolerance. The sample of students was formed from 42 representatively chosen Estonian schools of grade 10 (N=967) and grade 12 (N=802). The development conceptual understanding and competences of students' during three upper secondary school years of biology studies were discussed. The main results showed that during three years of schooling the students exhibited a statistically significant increase in the tasks, that measured students' biological understanding and cognitive skills. The results showed that the students achieved lower scores in tasks that measured their decision-making and socio-scientific reasoning skills.
a a Tartu Ülikooli loodusteadusliku hariduse keskus
AnnotatsioonEesti põhikooli õpilaste loodusainete tulemused on PISA 2015 andmetel maailmas tipptasemel, kuid need ei kajastu gümnaasiumilõpetajatest kõrgkooli sisseastujate tasemes. Samas on ühiskonnas vajadus noorte järele, kes kasutavad loodusteaduslikke teadmisi probleemide lahendamiseks ning igapäevaeluliste otsuste tegemiseks ja põhjendamiseks. Uurimuse eesmärk on mõõta interdistsiplinaarse kontekstipõhise instrumendi abil 10. ja 11. klassi õpilaste bioloogia-alast kirjaoskust, võttes aluseks neli uuringuks välja valitud kognitiivset komponenti, et saada ülevaade gümnaasiumiõpilaste bioloogia-alase kirjaoskuse tähtsaimate kognitiivsete komponentide hetkeolukorrast. Tulemused näitavad, et kolm mõõdetud kognitiivset komponenti (probleemide lahendamise oskus, otsuse tegemise ja põhjendamise oskus ning loodusteadusliku loova mõtlemise voolavus) on keskmisel või madalal saavutustasemel ning üks komponent (bioloogia-alaste teadmiste reprodutseerimine) kõrgel saavutustasemel. Uuringu tulemusena selgub, et õpilaste bioloogiaalase kirjaoskuse kognitiivsetes komponentides esineb soolisi erinevusi nii 10. kui ka 11. klassi õpilastel, kuid tüdrukute natuke paremad tulemused kõikide üles-annete lahendamisel ei ole statistiliselt ega ka sisuliselt olulised. Uuring näitab, et gümnaasiumiõpilastel on bioloogiahariduses vaja rohkem tähelepanu pöörata probleemide lahendamise, otsuste tegemise ja põhjendamise oskuste ning loovuse arendamisele.Võtmesõnad: bioloogia-alane kirjaoskus, kontekstipõhine hindamine, gümnaa-siumiõpilased 1 Loodusteadusliku hariduse keskus, Tartu Ülikool,
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