This study investigates the conditions and factors that influence college biology instructors as they make decisions about adopting, sustaining, and improving the effectiveness of case study teaching.
The Genetic Drift Inventory is a multiple true–false format concept inventory consisting of 22 statements. It tests how well upper-division undergraduate biology students grasp four key concepts, while simultaneously testing for the presence of six misconceptions.
A systematic analysis of the literature undertaken to identify gaps in collective knowledge for teaching undergraduate evolution is reported. A total of 316 peer-reviewed papers were analyzed to determine: evolutionary topics addressed; whether the focus was student thinking, assessment, instructional strategies, or goals; and the type of work. Future research priorities are proposed.
This commentary focuses on the difference between a theory of change and change theory, as it relates to systemic change projects in STEM higher education. A theory of change is project-specific and related to evaluation. It makes the underlying rationale of a project explicit, which supports planning, implementation, and assessment of the project. In addition, a theory of change is often required by funding agencies as part of grant proposals. In contrast, change theories represent theoretical and empirically grounded knowledge about how change occurs that goes beyond any one project. Ideally, a theory of change is informed by change theories. This essay describes the connections between a theory of change and change theory and provides examples of how change theory can inform a project's theory of change. Grounding projects in change theory allows change agents to draw on existing knowledge and to better contribute to our collective knowledge about how to achieve meaningful change in STEM higher education.
We review the use and meaning of the term misconceptions in education research today, describe yesterday's debates that account for the term's controversy, and identify two areas of research related to misconceptions with implications for tomorrow's biology education research and biology instruction.
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