Discovery of modification evidence in Tradescantia zebrina through inquiry-based observations

Abstract

This study investigated the causes of modifications on Tradescantia zebrina leaves due to environmental effects by inquiry-based and long-term observations. These observations started with restricted face-to-face education at school during the Covid-19 and continued under the teacher’s guidance in distance education. All the study participants were given branches with approximately equal sizes cut off from the same Tradescantia zebrina plant. The researcher asked them to grow plants through cuttings using this branch and make observations. Half of the students participating in the activity (N: 10) grew and observed their plant branches in an environment that received direct sunlight, and the other half (N: 10) in a luminous environment without direct sunlight. The evidence obtained at the end of approximately 4-month observation showed that the plant leaves that received direct sunlight turned purple magenta. In contrast, the plant’s leaves that received less sunlight turned green. All students were able to explain the cause of the plant modification, which is the change in phenotype due to the environment, employing both linear and reversible observations. At the same time, students could discover modification examples in different plants based on the evidence of their observations.