2015 NABT Biology Education Research Symposium

Thursday, November 12, 2015
Providence, Rhode Island

The 7th Annual Biology Education Research Symposium was held on Thursday, November 12, 2015 at the NABT Professional Development Committee held in Providence, Rhode Island. 

Presentations were accepted through a double blind peer review process that was open to biology educators and researchers at all levels. The NABT Four-Year University & College Section Research Committee Co-Chairs were Erin Baumgartner, Western Oregon University, Monmounth, OR and Kristy Daniel (Halverson), Texas State University, San Marcos, TX.

We extend a special thank you to our reviewers for their time and detailed feedback.

2015 Presentations

Exploring Third-Grade Students’ Model-based Explanations about Plant Processes 

Laura Zangori, University of Missouri-Columbia and Cory Forbes, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 

ABSTRACT: To develop understanding about plant growth and development, a fundamental concept through- out elementary curriculum, elementary students should engage in knowledge-building about plant processes through scientific practice (NGSS Lead States, 2013). Scientific modeling, a core scientific practice, is underemphasized in elementary science learning environments and little past research has explored the ways in which early learners’ engage in discipline-specific modeling practices. Scientific modeling provides an opportunity for students to construct models that make “hidden” processes, such as seed origin, explicit and visible. Students then use their models to scientifically reason about how and why plant processes work and propose model-based explana- tions. Here we report on a design-based study to investigate the ways in which 3rd-grade students’ (n = 73) constructed models and generated model-based explanations about plant structure/ function and plant life cycles. Results indicate that elementary students considered hidden elements and generated mechanism-based explanations about both plant processes. However, findings from this study highlight the range of ideas evident in students’ understanding about seed origination and how and why plant structures function to support the plant. Implications from this research include suggestions for model-centered plant curriculum in elementary science learning environments to support 3rd-grade students in conceptualizing hidden plant processes. 

The Effects of Introducing E-texts and E-materials in 100 and 200-level Biology Courses on Teaching Pedagogy

Rebecca Garrison, Kerrie McDaniel, and Jerry Daday, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 

ABSTRACT: A new generation has entered higher education that learns differently from generations before. To meet the changing needs of this generation, a Biology Department at a four year uni- versity introduced e-textbooks and e-materials in the fall of 2013 to most low-level classes. An unforeseen product of this shift was a change in the way that some faculty taught and assessed their classes. This study examines the changes in pedagogical techniques among professors of 100- and 200-level biology classes due to introduction of new e-text and e-materials. Syllabi were collected from these classes pre- and post-implementation and common characteristics were inductively coded and statistically analyzed to identify changes in pedagogy. Interviews were conducted of faculty teaching these classes. It was found that biology professors increased their average number of homework assignments by 23%. There was also a 289% increase in the number of courses that offered homework assignments as a means of assessment, indicat- ing a shift from traditional summative assessments to more formative assessments after the implementation of the e-materials. This work provides insight into simple strategies that affect pedagogy in higher education STEM disciplines. 

Case Studies in Teaching Evolution: The Intersection of Dilemmas in Practice 

Rachel Fisher, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

ABSTRACT: Despite recent science education reform documents citing evolution as a core concept to be taught in grades K-12, research shows problems with how it is currently taught. Evolution is often avoided, teachers minimize its importance within biology, infuse misconceptions, and/or interject non-scientific ideologies into lessons. My research focused on how teachers in two geo- graphically and culturally distinct school districts in the southwestern U.S. negotiate dilemmas during an evolution unit. One school district was rural and had a large population of Mormon students, while the other district was urban, with a large majority of Mexican/Mexican-American students. Using a case study approach, I observed three biology teachers during their evolution lessons, interviewed them throughout the unit, co-planned lessons with them, and collected artifacts from this unit, including anonymous student work. Findings showed teachers’ back- grounds and comfort levels with evolution, in addition to the community context, affected how they negotiated pedagogical, conceptual, political, and cultural dilemmas. This study’s findings will inform in-service and pre-service teachers’ future practice and professional development tools to aid with their teaching – this may include methods to negotiate some of the political (e.g. state standards) or cultural (e.g. religious resistance) issues inherent to teaching evolution. 

Pre-service Teachers’ Engagement with Life Science Con- cepts within Structured Formative Assessment Assignments

Jamie L. Sabel and Cory Forbes, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, and Laura Zangori, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO

ABSTRACT: Undergraduate students preparing to become elementary teachers (i.e., pre-service teachers) often have limited science subject matter knowledge. In order to effectively engage students in scientific practices and connect students’ ideas about science to appropriate instructional strategies, teachers should learn disciplinary concepts and how to apply their content knowledge to elementary classroom environments with proven instructional practices, such as formative assessment. However, the use of formative assessment practices is not widespread in part because teachers may not understand formative assessment or have enough science content knowledge to effectively engage in the practice. To address this concern, we developed an innovative course for elementary pre-service teachers built upon two pillars—life science content and formative assessment. As a part of the course, pre-service teachers engaged in formative assessment assign- ments that provided structure to engage them in each step of the formative assessment process and to support them in considering their own and elementary students’ life science understand- ing. Here, we will present results of an embedded mixed methods study designed to evaluate how engaging in these assignments provided opportunities for pre-service teachers to gain content knowledge and the ability to productively engage in formative assessment for science. 

The Role of Sense-making in Undergraduate Modeling Activities 

Andrea M.-K. Bierema, Jon R. Stoltzfus and Christina V. Schwarz, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 

ABSTRACT: Recent national calls for improving science education (e.g., Vision and Change, AAAS, 2011) emphasize the need to focus on core disciplinary concepts and incorporate scientific practices during instruction. To address this need, we introduced modeling activities to the curriculum of two undergraduate, large-enrollment, introductory biology courses. During these activities, students work in groups of three to create scientific models of biological phenomena. To assess how these activities engage students in sense-making, we analyzed group discussion and students’ concurrent diagrammatic modeling recorded on digital tablets and interviewed a sub- set of the participants. We found evidence that students were engaged in the activity and worked to make sense of the phenomena. However, we also found that students tend to agree with one another without argument, which suggests engagement in everyday discussion norms that do not necessarily foster explicit scientific thinking. Therefore, these group modeling activities may foster understanding of core concepts, but need further modification, such as asking students to develop written explanations of the phenomenon before working on the model in a group. This might lead to improvement in scientific thinking. In conclusion, we found that these modeling activities in large enrollment classrooms helped foster sense-making of biological phenomena. 
Misunderstanding of the Hypothesis in Biology

Paul Strode, Fairview High School, Boulder, CO

ABSTRACT: Helping students understand and generate appropriate hypotheses and test their subsequent predictions in science in general and biology in particular should be at the core of teaching the nature of science. However, there is much confusion among students and teachers about the difference between hypotheses and predictions. Here I present evidence of the problem and describe steps scientists actually follow when employing scientific reasoning strategies. This is followed by a proposed solution for helping students effectively explore this important aspect of the nature of science. 

Special Guest Presenter:

Reneé Schwartz, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
Recipient of the 2015 NABT Four-Year College & University Section Research in Biology Teaching Award