Undergraduate Science Education: A Review of Research

Student Views of Concept Mapping Use in Introductory Tertiary Biology Classes

“…More recently increasing demand for a higher skilled workforce in most Western countries and in many developing countries led to increased enrolments in post-compulsory education (Laws, 1996). Technological advances and the globalization of technology means that demand for tertiary education has been particularly heavy for the sciences, engineering and technology-related fields although this has reduced somewhat in recent times (Dalgety, Coll & Jones, 2003).…”

“…that students now have greater choice in school subjects and this, coupled with increased participation in tertiary science education, has resulted in increased diversity in entry-level or introductory science classes (Fensham, 1992;Laws, 1996). Diversity in ethnicity and other demographic groups (e.g., females and mature students) in introductory science classes at tertiary level is not viewed negatively.…”

“…Indeed, the opposite might well apply, with increasing calls for science participation among students from non-traditional backgrounds (see, e.g., Dearing, 1997). What is of concern is the increasing diversity in content knowledge of entry-level or freshman science students (Coll, 2000;Laws, 1996). The importance of students' prior knowledge is emphasized in a variety of current theories of learning, including constructivism and its variants (such as social and contextual constructivism, see Good, Wandersee & St. Julien, 1993).…”

“…Recent research suggests that there are commonly differences between students' actual prior knowledge and the prior knowledge that faculty assume students possess for introductory tertiary level science (Buntting, Coll & Campbell, 2004;Laws, 1996). Research also suggests that tertiary students struggle to make links between scientific concepts, even those they are familiar with from prior learning at secondary school (Buntting et al, 2004;Laws, 1996).…”

“…Research also suggests that tertiary students struggle to make links between scientific concepts, even those they are familiar with from prior learning at secondary school (Buntting et al, 2004;Laws, 1996). Lack of ability to make appropriate connections between related scientific concepts may point to lack of coherence in students' cognitive structures (Taber, 1995(Taber, , 1998, and the organization of concepts in students' minds, with students considering separate concepts to be isolated and unrelated (Brandt et al, 2001;Schmid & Telaro, 1990).…”