2019 NABT Biology Education Research Symposium

Friday, November 15, 2019, in Chicago, Illinois

Presentations for the 11h Annual NABT Biology Education Research Symposium 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 Jaime Sabel, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN and Suann Yang, SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo, NY.

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

2019 Presentations

Student Results from an Efficacy Trial of a New NGSS Evolution Unit that Integrates Heredity

Louisa A. Stark, Dina Drits-Esser, Sheila A. Homburger, and Molly Malone, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Joseph Hardcastle, Jo Ellen Roseman, and George E. DeBoer, AAAS Project 2061, Washington, DC; Kristen M. Bass, Rockman et al, San Francisco, CA

ABSTRACT: We report on student pre/post assessment results from efficacy testing of a new seven-week, five-module, freely available unit that integrates heredity and evolution. Evolution:DNA and the Unity of Life supports students in building a coherent understanding of evolution through analysis and interpretation of skill-level-appropriate data about phenomena in published scientific research and the construction of evidence-based arguments. Ideas are framed through crosscutting concepts throughout the unit. Results from the nationwide randomized controlled efficacy trial with 38 teachers (19 in each condition) and their students (n=1,165 treatment, n=1,094 control) indicated that students who used the new curriculum showed significantly greater pre/ post gain scores with a moderate effect size than students in the control condition (NGSS business-as-usual) in their understanding of evolution and their argumentation-writing competencies. We describe the unit, the efficacy trial research design, and student testing results from multiple choice and constructed response items.

The Effect of Argumentation Upon Student Content Knowledge and Perception of Science in a Middle School Science Classroom

Aaron E. Kidd and Elizabeth Allan, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK

ABSTRACT: Since the release of the 2012 Framework for K-12 Science Education, educational institutions have been tasked to increase scientific literacy through the implementation of more robust science standards. The Framework identifies three key dimensions of science education: Scientific and Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas. The Scientific and Engineering Practices are composed of a variety of broad science-oriented skills such as engineering, mathematics, and argumentation. Research has clearly indicated the efficacy of engineering in fostering science education. However, the effectiveness of argumentation has not been fully explored, particularly in middle-level classrooms. In the spring semester of 2019, 151 7th grade science students participated in two treatment and three control science units. In treatment units, students were presented a unit-specific phenomenon and provided a limited time frame to develop an explanation. Classes then engaged in student-led argument sessions to debate and further develop their proposed models. Pre and post-assessment results indicated greater content knowledge growth occurred in Honors courses during treatment units while midlow level classes showed little difference regardless of unit type. Despite generally positive student responses through randomly selected interviews however, overall interest in science was not significantly impacted by participation in treatment sessions.

Engaging and Assessing Biology Students in Science Communication

Jason Wack, Collin Jaeger, Shupei Yuan, and Heather E. Bergan-Roller, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

ABSTRACT: Communicating science to a general audience (SciComm) is an important scientific skill widely practiced by scientists. It is important that scientists do SciComm as it can impact decision making by the public and inform public policies. Recently, seminal reports have indicated that SciComm is a practice in which students should become competent. Unfortunately, students have few opportunities to engage in SciComm partially due to a lack of a framework that can help instructors facilitate such activities. We present a framework of the essential elements of effective SciComm that synthesizes previous work to describe the who, why, what, and how of SciComm. We applied the framework to a lesson for undergraduate biology and assessed its effectiveness. The lesson uses an introduction, assignment sheet, and worksheet to guide students through planning, producing, describing, and reflecting upon their SciComm. We assessed the effectiveness of the lesson by quizzing students on their knowledge of SciComm and asking their perceptions. Students performed well particularly on elements used in the lesson. Moreover, students reported that the lesson improved their understanding of SciComm and biological content. This work can be used by practitioners and researchers to understand how to engage students in important scientific practice.

Activities in Voluntary PLTL Complement Active Learning Lectures and Appeal to Students with Diverse Attitudes Towards Learning 

Troy R. Nash, Mercer University, Macon, GA and Suann Yang, State University of New York at Geneseo, Geneseo, NY

ABSTRACT: Because Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) is an effective academic support system, examining the effect of curricular context and what influences student attendance are critical considerations for voluntary PLTL programs. We predicted that if active learning occurs during class, structured PLTL sessions may not benefit learning because the PLTL activities would be redundant with those in class. We also expected students to be more likely to attend voluntary sessions if they had a growth mindset and positive attitude toward group work, because these students would be receptive to the feedback and collaborative activities of PLTL. We were surprised to find that, for an active-learning, introductory biology course, students who attended structured sessions more frequently had a greater improvement in performance than those who attended less frequently. This suggests that structured activities in voluntary PLTL are not redundant with those that occur in class. We also found that mindset and collaborative attitude did not explain attendance. Thus, fixed mindset and negative attitudes toward collaboration do not hinder student participation. We conclude that the value of additional practice in PLTL is not diminished by active-learning lectures, and these sessions will be attended by students with a variety of mindsets and attitudes toward collaboration.

Fear of Negative Evaluation and Student Anxiety in Community College Active Learning Science Courses 

Virginia R. Downing, Katelyn M. Cooper, Logan E. Gin, and Sara E. Brownell, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ; Jacqueline M. Cala, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Chandler, AZ

ABSTRACT: Anxiety is increasingly common and can have negative impacts on college science students. Particularly, as we transition our classes to active learning, studies have demonstrated that anxiety can have both negative and positive effects on students. To our knowledge, all of the studies exploring the relationship between active learning and student anxiety in college science have been conducted exclusively at four-year institutions. Understanding the educational practices as well as the challenges facing students in community college science courses is critical because the attrition rates of students pursuing science careers are higher at community colleges compared to fouryear institutions, particularly in STEM fields. Studying factors, such as student anxiety, that may negatively affect student persistence in science, will further elucidate ways in which community colleges can maximize student success. In this study, we examined the factors that influence student anxiety in active learning community college science courses. We interviewed 29 community college students enrolled in active learning science courses and asked students’ to explain why specific aspects of active learning increased or decreased their feelings of anxiousness. We found that active learning can either increase or decrease students’ anxiety depending on the techniques being used.