Student Misconceptions about Plants – A First Step in Building a Teaching Resource

Abstract

Plants are ubiquitous and found in virtually every ecosystem on Earth, but their biology is often poorly understood, and inaccurate ideas about how plants grow and function abound. Many articles have been published documenting student misconceptions about photosynthesis and respiration, but there are substantially fewer on such topics as plant cell structure and growth; plant genetics, evolution, and classification; plant physiology (beyond energy relations); and plant ecology. The available studies of misconceptions held on those topics show that many are formed at a very young age and persist throughout all educational levels. Our goal is to begin building a central resource of plant biology misconceptions that addresses these underrepresented topics, and here we provide a table of published misconceptions organized by topic. For greater utility, we report the age group(s) in which the misconceptions were found and then map them to the ASPB – BSA Core Concepts and Learning Objectives in Plant Biology for Undergraduates, developed jointly by the American Society of Plant Biologists and the Botanical Society of America.

A Gender-based Investigation of Indian Senior Secondary Students’ Misconceptions about Plant Reproduction through Concept Inventory

“…In a study with science teachers, Kwen (2005) observed multiple teachers holding misconceptions like each plant type is limited to one reproductive method whereas some plants are adept with several methods to reproduce. The belief that 'plants absorb food from the soil' was appeared to be utterly common in postgraduates and teacher trainees (Wynn et al, 2017). 38% of preservice science teachers participating in a study by Crawley and Arditzoglou (1988) reflected misconceptions in three out of four topics in plant biology.…”

Αμφιγονική Αναπαραγωγή των Φυτών στο Σχολικό Εργαστήριο: Ανατομία Άνθους και in vitro ανάπτυξη Γυρεοσωλήνων

“…Συγχρόνως, ένας σημαντικός αριθμός ερευνητών εστιάζει σε μία από τις πτυχές του φαινομένου, που σχετίζεται με το πλήθος των παρανοήσεων που αναπτύσσουν οι μαθητές για τους φυτικούς οργανισμούς. Οι παρανοήσεις αυτές φαίνεται να διατρέχουν διάφορα αντικείμενα της επιστήμης των φυτών, όπως η κυτταρική δομή, η φυσιολογία, το αναπαραγωγικό σύστημα και η γενετική (Wynn et al, 2017) και εκτείνονται ακόμη και στην αδυναμία των μαθητών να χαρακτηρίσουν τα φυτά ως ζωντανούς οργανισμούς (Amprazis et al, 2021). Ειδικότερα, η αναπαραγωγική λειτουργία αποτυπώνεται ως ένα εν γένει δυσνόητο αντικείμενο διδασκαλίας, ιδιαιτέρως όταν απαιτείται να συνδυαστεί με τα αναπτυξιακά στάδια του φυτού (Etobro & Fabinou, 2017· Lampert et al, 2019, 2020· Maskour et al, 2019.…”

IV. Ikergazte. Nazioarteko ikerketa euskaraz. Kongresuko artikulu bilduma. Gizarte Zientziak eta Zuzenbidea

“…Beste aldetik, landareen fisiologiari buruzko ezagutza Bigarren Hezkuntzan zehar progresio nabariena jasan zuen aldagaia izan arren (H = 32,945, p < 0,001), bibliografian sakonki dokumentatutako kontzepzio alternatiboak azaleratu ziren ikasleen erantzunetan (Wynn et al, 2017). Adibidez, ikasleen %89-ak oker adierazi zuen landareek biomasa lurretik lortzen dutela, eta arnasketa eta fotosintesiarekin erlazionatutako kontzepzio alternatiboak ohikoak izan ziren ere (e.g.…”