2022 NABT Biology Education Research Symposium

Friday, November 11, 2022, in Indianapolis, Indiana

Presentations for the 14th 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 Ben England, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, and William Heyborne, Southern Utah University, Cedar City, UT.

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

2022 Presentations

ARES (Authentic Research Experience in Science): An Assessment of Their Effect on High School Students’ Self-Efficacy and Perceptions of Science

Daniel Shay and Teresa Eggleston, North Central High School, Spokane, WA

ABSTRACT: In order to improve persistence in STEM careers, STEM teachers need to apply methods that build confidence and an appreciation for the nature of science. While it is well documented that inquiry-driven, project-based learning improves a number of these student outcomes, there is no clear framework in place for the development of new project-based learning curricula. The Authentic Research Experiences in Science (ARES) framework was developed by North Central High School educators to help create long-term, project-based modules that reflect the teacher’s specific research interest and technological capacity. This study tested the effect an ARES-aligned project had on student confidence and perceptions of biology. Using the ARES framework, we developed a semester-long, project-based curriculum in which students investigated the microbiome of local mosquitoes using an Oxford Nanopore minION sequencer. A 24-item self-efficacy survey and a 31-item science perceptions survey (CLASS-Bio) were administered before and after the project, and the normalized change analyzed. We found that the average normalized change for each of the three categories of student confidence grew from the pre-survey to the post-survey, and the most notable shifts in perceptions were those pertaining to the strategies used to solve biological problems and the connections biology has to the real world.

The Impact of Practice Exams on Undergraduate Biology Majors

Kendra Wright, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN

ABSTRACT: Metacognition is the act of thinking about thinking. The way students think about what they learn and how they learn affects their overall cognitive process. Students who are aware of their understanding and how to regulate their metacognition are more likely to change their studying habits. Practice exams contribute to how students gauge their understanding and in what ways students reevaluate their studying habits. Being able to identify what you know versus what you do not know is one way that practice exams provide guidance to students. Through deliberate practice, students can test their knowledge and focus their studying on certain material. In this study, we examine whether students’ attitudes towards practice exams change as they progress to upper-division courses. Study findings show that students used practice exams in various ways in introductory biology courses. Findings also showed that upper-division students relied on their prior experiences with practice exams to help build upon their critical thinking skills to answer higher Bloom’s level questions. Further, practice exams had a long-lasting impact on how students learn. These findings describe how providing students with practice exams not only builds their metacognitive skills but also contributes to what information they accept in their working memory. 

Patterns for Managing Potential Conflict Between Religion and Evolution Among Muslim Undergraduate Biology Students

Rahmi Aini, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN; Sara Brownell, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ; and M. Elizabeth Barnes, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN

ABSTRACT: Evolution is foundational to biology and yet controversial among undergraduate biology students. However, no research has explored views within Muslim student populations in the United States and patterns for how they may manage potential conflict between their religion and evolution. Using a mixed-method approach, undergraduate Muslim students enrolled in 47 introductory biology classes, filled out surveys of evolution acceptance, evolution understanding, and perceived conflict between their religion and evolution (n=270). Further, students explained their views on the relationship between religion and evolution (n=180). We conducted a k-means cluster analysis and qualitatively analyzed open-ended responses to examine how Muslim students manage potential conflict. We found three groups that represent the patterns of these students. First, the reconciliation group consists of 14% students who had high evolution acceptance and understanding and low perceived conflict between their religious beliefs and evolution, 2) the conflicted group consists of 26% of students who had low evolution acceptance and understanding and high perceived conflict between their religious beliefs and evolution, and 3) the uncertain group contains 60% of students who had average scores for all variables. This indicates that Muslim students may benefit from evolution instruction that incorporates religious cultural competence in evolution education. 

Special Guest Presenter: Kristy L. Daniel, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, Recipient of the 2022 NABT Four-Year College Section Research in Biology Education Award

Do You See What I See?

ABSTRACT: Researchers often use visual representations (e.g., graphs, diagrams, pictures) to communicate scientific data, especially when supporting instruction. This style of visual communication relies on the intended receiver’s ability to make sense of the visual inputs in manners consistent with scientific thinking. Unfortunately, learners are not always comfortable communicating with visualizations, and they do not always interpret and understand the represented science as intended. We refer to how well learners make sense of and use visual depictions of science as their representational competence. Low levels of representational competence can limit learning outcomes. Ignoring students’ self-efficacy and ability to use and develop scientific representations can prevent them from developing expertise in their field. I developed and tested a 20-item Likert-type instrument to measure participant self-efficacy in their communication of scientific visualizations (ECSV). I used rigorous approaches to establish content and face validity and reliability (α ≥ 0.95) of the instrument. I used biology student mean scores on the ECSV pre/post instruction to document statistically significant differences in science communication self-efficiency using visualizations. By identifying self-efficacy involved in communicating science visualizations, we can better inform instructional practices. Improvements in representational competence are one step in maximizing our potential to improve science literacy.