Secondary school students’ alternative conceptionsin taxonomy and diversity of invertebrates: a case study on the effect of active teaching-learningmethodologies

• K. Arranz ^[1] ; M. Vidal ^[2]
  1. [1] Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea

     Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea

     Leioa, España

     
  2. [2] Universidade de Vigo

     Universidade de Vigo

     Vigo, España

     
• Localización: Ikaskuntza-irakaskuntza akademikoaren eremu berriak arakatzen / Universidad del País Vasco - Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (aut.), 2019, ISBN 978-84-1319-033-4, págs. 743-749
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto Completo Libro (pdf)
• Resumen

  • The identification of alternative conceptions constitutes a useful tool to allow students to provide a good starting point to their own teaching-learning process. Concerning the topic of invertebrates, in secondary school students usually emerge alternative conceptions related to taxonomy, as well as negative perceptions about these animals and feelings of useless. Moreover, they tend to underrepresent their diversity, minimizing their environmental implications. In this regard, we aimed to identify common alternative conceptions in 12/13 year old secondary school students and analyze if after a formative intervention based on active teaching-learning methodologies such conceptions can be modified. To this effect, 60 first grade secondary school students completed a questionnaire before and after the intervention that included frequently recurrent alternative conceptions, by means of open questions, a test, true/false statements, and a table for classifying animals, as well as a drawing. Before the intervention, students used to conceive the term animal referred only to vertebrates, and mostly represented by mammals; perceived invertebrates as useless and harmful to humans, and were not aware of the vast diversity of invertebrates. After the intervention, invertebrates were regarded as more abundant, relevant and stimulating, and thus students were more interested in acquiring knowledge about them. However, we also identified a persistence in alternative conceptions related to classification, which points to a further need to reinforce that subject. On the other hand, the fact of not only learning conceptual contents, but also learning some aspects such as invertebrate diversity and its relevance, has profound attitudinal implications on their future role in preserving the environment.