Students’ understanding of genetics concepts: the effect of reasoning ability and learning approaches

Abstract

Students tend to learn genetics by rote and may not realise the interrelationships in daily life. Because reasoning abilities are necessary to construct relationships between concepts and rote learning impedes the students' sound understanding, it was predicted that having high level of formal reasoning and adopting meaningful learning orientation would improve students' understanding of genetics concepts. To test this hypothesis, relationships among students' understanding of genetics concepts, reasoning ability and learning approaches were investigated. A total of 586 eleventh-grade students participated in the study. Students' reasoning ability and learning orientation were measured using the Test of Logical Thinking and the Learning Approach Questionnaire, respectively. Students' understanding of fundamental genetics concepts was assessed using the Two-tier Genetics Concepts Test. Regression analyses were conducted to examine predictive influence of reasoning ability and learning orientations on students' understanding of genetics concepts. The results revealed that all cognitive variables investigated accounted for a statistically significant portion (27%) of the variance in students' understanding of genetics concepts. Reasoning ability and meaningful learning orientation predicted students' understanding of genetics concepts in a positive direction, rote learning orientation predicted it in a negative direction. Additionally, the results indicated that reasoning ability explained more of the variance in test scores as compared to learning approaches.

Determination of Factors Related to Students’ Understandings of Heat, Temperature and Internal Energy Concepts

“…This means that as students' rote learning orientation scores increased, their learning levels decreased and possessed more misconceptions. Likewise, Kılıç and Sağlam (2014) investigated the effects of logical thinking ability, and meaningful and rote learning orientation on 11 th grade students' understanding levels of concepts of genetics, and concluded that logical thinking ability and meaningful learning orientation had a statistically significant and effect in a positive direction whereas rote learning orientation had a significant effect in negative direction.…”

“…As a consequence of developing students' reasoning abilities, logical relationships which they will establish between evidences and misconceptions will enable students to have fewer misconceptions. Some studies stated that students' orientations towards learning and reasoning abilities were also effective on their levels of understanding topics of genetics (Cavallo, 1996;Kılıç & Sağlam, 2014). Although some studies conducted on elementary school (Baser & Geban, 2007) determined that students' reasoning abilities had a positive effect on their understandings of concepts of heat and temperature, there are no studies conducted to determine what kind of an effect they have on high school students' understandings of HTIE concepts.…”

Learning genetics through a scientific inquiry game

“…Genetics is one of the pure biological sciences included on the biotechnology field. The vast majority of a society is only informed about genetics development through mass media and this may lead to lack of information (Kılıç and Sağlam 2014). Hott et al (2002) emphasised that, given the increasing importance of genetics in daily life, it is important that the education system should increase public understanding of the subject.…”

Efficiency Evaluation of Operation Analysis Systems Based on Dynamic Data Envelope Analysis Models from a Big Data Perspective

“…Based on the processing results, we calculated the comprehensive evaluation model shown in the formula: (17) where F 2 is the comprehensive score; and Z i indicates the standard value of achievement indicator i.…”

“…The Douglas's cost function with stochastic frontier characteristics can be defined as [15][16][17]:…”