Plant Classification Knowledge and Misconceptions among University Students in Morocco

Lhoussaine Maskour,Moncef Zaki,Anouar Alami,Boujemaa Agorram

doi:10.3390/educsci9010048

Abstract

This study aims to assess learning outcomes and identify students’ misconceptions in plant classification. We conducted a questionnaire survey with undergraduate and master’s students. The qualitative analysis of the students’ responses made it possible to shed light on the difficulties of assimilation of many notions and also to identify the different misconceptions constructed during their learning courses about plant organisms. The findings indicate that some students are not motivated to take the course on plant classification. This demotivation is reinforced further by students’ perceptions of plant classification, especially that it is not important and not useful for learning other biology specialities. The findings also show that more than half of the students who participated in this study consider plant systematics a difficult subject. We also note that some of the students surveyed seem not to have acquired many concepts of plant biology including concepts related to the biology, reproduction and evolution of plants. Thanks to this, we could see different types of problems in plant classification, which constitute misconceptions hindering learning. Initial training in plant biology does not appear to have a significant effect in modifying students’ misconceptions related to plant classification.

Highlights

Biodiversity is the basis of human life
Marks Obtained in Plant Classification and Plant Biology
The marks obtained by the students in plant biology course are better than those obtained in plant classification courses

Summary

Introduction

Biodiversity is the basis of human life. Increasingly established in urban areas, human populations largely ignore the extent to which their economic, social and cultural well-being is based on strong and resilient ecosystems characterized by a rich diversity of species. Numerous studies have shown that the most effective lever for preserving biodiversity lies in education and training [8,9,10,11]. In this sense, biodiversity education from primary school age, is a major challenge. That is to say if he understands that humans are part of nature and that his activities must take into account the needs of humanity but without depleting the ecosystems that must be preserved for future generations of living beings, whatever they are [8,9]. In semester 5, which is the common core for the BCSs of all specialties: Biology of Organisms and Ecosystems (plant kingdom): theoretical and practical basics of botanical systems. Biosystematics Module: History and principles of the classification in the plant kingdom and the classification and evolution of large plant groups.

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Results