Biology Textbooks Research Articles

Advancing scientific literacy: Integrating nature of science and nature of scientific inquiry in teaching Griffith’s and Avery-MacLeod-McCarty experiments

The present study aims to design an instruction that engages nature of science (NOS) and nature of scientific inquiry (NOSI) learning objectives with the teaching and learning of important historical experiments taught around the world and presented in most biology textbooks such as those by Griffith and by Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty. The design process involves decisions about which NOS and NOSI aspects to teach and decisions about how to teach. With respect to the latter decisions, our preference is an explicit/reflective perspective used in an overarching inquiry-based science teaching and history of science instructional context. The proposed course is going to provide high school students meaningful and practical inquiry-based experiences through the use of simulated experiments and would help their teachers (a) illuminate several procedural aspects of the taught experiments (b) internalize the importance of teaching NOS and NOSI aspects (c) acquire an integrative understanding of the process of scientific inquiry and the product of that inquiry, namely scientific knowledge, and (d) portray science less as a body of knowledge and more as a creative process involving human and non-human actors. The potential benefits of our proposed instruction for learners’ scientific literacy are also discussed.

The Effect Of The Inside And Outside The Circle Strategy On The Achievement Of First-Year Intermediate Female Students In The Subject Of Biology And Deductive Thinking

The purpose of the study is to determine how first-year intermediate school biology students' deductive reasoning is impacted by the inside and outside the circle strategies. The research sample of first-intermediate female students at Al-Rifaa Girls' Secondary School was comprised of two sections (C and D) that were selected at random from nine middle and secondary schools in Babylon that are affiliated with the General Directorate of Education for the academic year 2023–2024. In terms of the factors (chronological age expressed in months, IQ exam, past accomplishment test, and deductive reasoning test), the researcher balanced the two groups in the present study. Seventy-one female students made up the research sample. They were split into two groups: thirty-four students in the experimental group, who will study using a strategy both inside and outside the circle, and thirty-six students in the control group, who will follow standard protocol. The first three units from the biology textbook were among the scientific materials that the researcher recommended should be taught. Following the establishment of parity between the two groups, the researcher created the application criteria for each group for the first intermediate grade. Following the experiment's completion, the researcher used her study instruments on the two groups to collect data and analyze it using a t-test. The results demonstrated the experimental group's advantage over the control group, which was examined using the inside-and-outside-the-circle deductive reasoning technique.

Metaphors on Protein Synthesis in Swedish Upper Secondary Chemistry and Biology Textbooks – A Double-Edged Sword

AbstractThis study provides insights into the use of metaphors in protein synthesis descriptions in upper secondary chemistry and biology textbooks. Data were collected from seven Swedish textbooks and analyzed with the Metaphor Identification Protocol and categorized within the framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The results reveal two main parallel metaphor systems of construction-based metaphors and information-based metaphors. Five sub-systems with different emphasis on the usage of construction and information related metaphors emerged in the analysis: the location, translocation, transportation, cryptography and publishing sub-metaphor systems. These metaphors can function as double-edged swords for students’ learning. On the positive side, the construction-based metaphors (location, translocation and transportation) meet the educational need to describe where the processes of the protein synthesis occur and how these take place, while the information-based metaphors (cryptography and publishing) describe how the different sub-processes of the protein synthesis are linked via the interflow of information between them. On the negative side, the identified metaphors are presented implicitly without explanations, thus making it difficult for the students to identify them. Also, textbook sentences often contain metaphors drawn from several of the five sub-systems, requiring students not only to differentiate between them, but also to connect the source and target domain of the different metaphors correctly. The results highlight the important role of the teacher in supporting students’ learning by explaining what metaphors are and how they are used in textbooks. To further this end, authors of biology and chemistry textbooks are recommended to introduce metaphors early and explicitly.

Content Analysis of Bioenergetics’ Conceptual Presentation in Senior High School Biology Textbooks

Factors that bring about a low mastery level of bioenergetics, a core concept in biology, include relatively poor teaching-learning experience and low-quality textbooks, among others. To determine which textbook and teaching components have affected the low learning mastery of the topics in bioenergetics, the researchers analyzed the textbooks’ quality of content, language, layout, and figures, and the teachers’ experience, contentment, and challenges while teaching the topic, and effects to the learners. Using a sequential explanatory mixed method research design, ten (10) textbooks, and seven (7) teacher participants were purposively selected following a set of criteria. Descriptive and principal component analyses revealed that the textbooks' quality depends on two components: (1) competent and coherent visuals and content, and (2) consistency of style in the varied forms of assessment. Narrative analysis and Quasi-Statistics analysis revealed that teachers are not contented with the textbooks as they are inadequate to teach the subject matter. The lack of good learning materials, coupled with low competence to introduce the topics, resulted in the low mastery level of the learners. The researchers propose that periodic textbook assessment, retooling of teachers’ skills, and deepening teachers’ understanding are necessary to improve learners’ performance in bioenergetics. Finally, this paper is instrumental in providing educators, resources and curriculum developers, and researchers a feasible and practical path to improve textbook quality and address pedagogical gaps.

Do textbooks provide opportunities to develop meaningful botanical literacy? A case study of the scientific model of plant nutrition

ABSTRACT Botanical literacy is a crucial component of science education, particularly in light of the contemporary socio-ecological challenges. However, the literature reports that, due to the phenomenon known as Plant Awareness Disparity (PAD), average botanical literacy is scant. Multiple factors influence the effectiveness of botanical education, including the quality of instructional materials teachers employ to support their instruction. Therefore, this study assesses the treatment of the Scientific Model of Plant Nutrition (SMPN) in seven commonly used Spanish Biology textbooks for secondary education to determine whether they foster a meaningful botanical literacy and empower students with the scientific competence needed to understand and make informed decisions regarding plant-related global challenges. The investigation evaluates four fundamental aspects: structure, conceptual content, images, and activities. Findings reveal that the analysed textbooks present PAD features; promote reproductive and superficial learning that fails to foster the construction of interrelated and scientifically accurate mental models of plant nutrition; include visual representations that do not always enhance learning; and propose tasks which are insufficient to develop the scientific skills and competence pursued by current science teaching-learning. The implications of this research on botanical literacy and teaching-learning of the SMPN are discussed, and measures to enhance educational materials are proposed.

The Need for an Interactive Cell Biology Textbook Based on Case Studies by Integrating QR Codes

Cell Biology is a course whose material is abstract because it cannot be observed with the naked eye. The problem in learning Cell Biology is that no reference books can make abstract material more real to facilitate students' understanding. This research aims to analyze students' needs for Case Study-based interactive Cell Biology textbooks by integrating QR Codes. This research is quantitative and descriptive. The subjects in this research were Biology Education students. Data was obtained through interviews, observations, and questionnaires. Data were analyzed using quantitative descriptive methods. Based on data analysis, 67.6% of students stated that they could only imagine the structures and processes in cells, and 86.5% needed help understanding Cell Biology material. The results of the data analysis also show that all samples agreed to develop teaching materials that integrate QR codes connected to various videos or literature. Based on these results, an interactive cell biology textbook based on case studies needs to be created by further integrating QR codes.

Design analysis and reconstruction of laboratory activities on fruit’s DNA isolation practice

Practicum is very important in science learning because it provides direct experience to students so that students can understand the context of natural phenomena through direct observation. This research aims to evaluate and improve the design of laboratory activities (DKL) in fruit DNA isolation practicum. This research uses a qualitative descriptive analysis design. The sampling method used was purposive sampling, namely by analyzing the DKL contained in Biology textbooks. The instrument used is an instrument development based on the Vee diagram principle. The results of the analysis show that DKL has a fairly good quality level, namely reaching a percentage of 72%, but still requires several adjustments in the form of reconstruction. The reconstruction carried out included adding verbs to learning objectives, replacing and adding equipment specifications, using standard units in measuring materials, restructuring procedures, adding units to observation tables, and data transformation using graphics. It is hoped that the results of the DKL reconstruction can provide more effective and relevant guidance for students and contribute to efforts to improve the quality of practical learning in the context of DNA isolation.

The Effect of Blended Learning on Developing Scientific Concepts in Biology Textbook among Basic Tenth Grade Students

The Effect of Blended Learning on Developing Scientific Concepts in Biology Textbook among Basic Tenth Grade Students

The photographic images of the philum cnidaria in high school Biology textbooks

O livro é um recurso utilizado na práxis de ensino da Educação Básica contendo elementos textuais e imagéticos, cuja fotografia expressa uma realidade sem alterações. Os cnidários são animais peçonhentos de importância ecológica, médica e social, cuja imagem fotográfica pode oportunizar olhares específicos quanto aos aspectos e às abordagens presentes nesses manuais de ensino. O estudo objetivou analisar as imagens fotográficas acerca do conteúdo ao Filo Cnidária em Livros Didáticos de Biologia do Ensino Médio para a educação em saúde. Assim, pesquisa qualitativo-descritiva mediada pela análise Bartheriana, cujos livros apresentaram baixa quantidade de fotografias de acidentes com cnidários, necessita de abordagens sobre causas e efeitos potenciais, de ações preventivas e de cuidados aos banhistas, evitando “ataques” e lesões na pele (queimaduras).

The effect of mobile image recognition-based augmented reality application on students’ acquisition of science processing skills and motivations to learn science

ABSTRACT With the development of mobile phone applications with innovative features, the application of mobile recognition technology, such as a mobile image recognition-based (AR) application, is becoming increasingly widespread. Mobile Image Recognition-Based AR connect nearby objects or other physical targets with digital information. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of using an image recognition-based AR application on students’ acquisition of science process skills and their motivation toward science learning. The study involved 56 students enrolled in two sections of tenth-grade female students in a private school in Jordan. Each section was randomly assigned to either the control group or the experimental group. The experimental group studied a unit from the biology textbook with image-based recognition content. In contrast, the control group studied the same unit using the conventional teaching method based on the traditional textbook content. The researchers administered a science both groups a science process skills test and a motivation toward learning science scale. Results showed that participants who used a mobile image recognition application to learn science had higher acquisition of all science skills and a higher motivation toward learning science than those who used the conventional learning method.

Prospects for the Functioning of the Technological Park of Universal Pedagogical Competencies in the Implementation of Educational Projects on the Example of Studying the Topic “Energy Exchange in a Cell”

Introduction. The article discusses the issues of one of the most difficult topics in teaching biology at school and university. The aim of the work was to determine the reasons for the low level of assimilation of educational material related to the study of the topic “Energy metabolism”. Methodology. The authors analyzed the content of school biology textbooks of different authors for their scientific component, unity of theory and practice, accessibility and visibility, systematic and consistent presentation of material devoted to the study of energy metabolism. Results. The results of the study showed that one of the reasons for the complexity of learning the topic “Energy metabolism” may lay not in the subject area, but in the specifics of the methodology of teaching biology in general education organizations. In the conditions of the pedagogical experiment the results were obtained, which allow us to evaluate the methodology of teaching biology proposed by teachers of the pedagogical university when studying the topic “Energy metabolism”. Conclusion. From the position of teaching biological disciplines in the “school – university” system, a view on the need to develop educational and methodological support for the educational activity of general educational organizations is presented. It should be based on the application of immersive technologies of augmented, mixed and virtual reality, as well as the possibilities of the technopark of universal pedagogical competencies. It will be based on the leading principles and systems of “Theory and methods of teaching (education) of biology” as a pedagogical science.

Analysis of Genetic Engineering Material Misconceptions in Biology Textbooks for Ninth-Grade in Yogyakarta

Analysis of Genetic Engineering Material Misconceptions in Biology Textbooks for Ninth-Grade in Yogyakarta

How Do Students Critically Evaluate Outdated Language That Relates to Gender in Biology?

Cisheteronormative ideologies are infused into every aspect of society, including undergraduate science. We set out to identify the extent to which students can identify cisheteronormative language in biology textbooks by posing several hypothetical textbook questions and asking students to modify them to make the language more accurate (defined as "correct; precise; using language that applies to all people"). First, we confirmed that textbooks commonly use language that conflates or confuses sex and gender. We used this information to design two sample questions that used similar language. We examined what parts of the questions students modified, and the changes they recommended. When asked to modify sample textbook questions, we found the most common terms or words that students identified as inaccurate were related to infant gender identity. The most common modifications that students made were changing gender terms to sex terms. Students' decisions in this exercise differed little across three large biology courses or by exam performance. As the science community strives to promote inclusive classrooms and embrace the complexity of human gender identities, we provide foundational information about students' ability to notice and correct inaccurate language related to sex and gender in biology.

Life Skills in Biology Textbook Grade IX: A Qualitative Content Analysis

The current qualitative study focused on integrating 12 core life skills in secondary school Biology textbooks identified in the UNICEF MENA report (2017). The textbook was selected through purposive sampling, which was employed when choosing the textbook. The data analysis was done using qualitative content analysis facilitated through NVivo 14. The analysis revealed specific aspects of critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and participation skills in different activities, questions, and practical work from the textbook analysis. Some concerns were that creativity and communication skills were neglected, although only a few activities were suggested to address these areas. Furthermore, no specific content and activities taught students about cooperation, negotiation, self-management, resilience, respect for human diversity, and empathy. The current study indicates that though the Biology textbook has some specific necessary life skills, there may be a gap in the coverage of the necessary life skills identified by UNICEF. As a result of the present research, it is suggested that textbook content should be matched to fundamental life skills to ensure positive outcomes in students’ everyday lives. The information can be helpful in future textbook writing and updating to enhance the delivery of life skills education in secondary schools.

The transformative potential of textbooks

Education is recognized as crucial in addressing unsustainable practices, such as food waste. One of the aims of interdisciplinary food education in basic education is to promote sustainable food waste behavior, which can be promoted by transformative learning. This study examined how food waste is addressed in nine Finnish basic education textbooks. The content related to food waste and the pedagogical style of the texts were analyzed from home economics, biology, and geography textbooks designed for secondary level education (grades 7–9, age 13–16). The results were analysed to assess their potential to promote transformative learning. All of the textbooks approached the topic of food waste from the perspective of their own subject, and none presented it as an interdisciplinary phenomenon. Home economics textbooks focused on students' perspectives, emphasizing food waste reduction and waste sorting. Geography textbooks frequently explored the topic in the context of the food supply chain or at a global level, while biology textbooks primarily addressed the sorting of food waste. The textbooks primarily used a neutral text style focusing on information transmission. In some contexts, a persuasive style was employed to encourage critical thinking and action. The participative style, which encourages active student engagement, was utilized the least in all textbooks, and primarily for exercises. By integrating learning-supportive text styles (such as participative and persuasive), including student tasks related to food waste, and fostering an interdisciplinary understanding of food waste, textbooks have the potential to transform student learning and engagement in sustainable food practices.

Biology Textbook Grade X (2020): Analysis for the Development of Higher Order Thinking Skills among Secondary School Science Students

This study explores the development of higher-order thinking skills (HOTs) in secondary school students through a qualitative content analysis of a Biology textbook grade X (2020). The analysis was done using software called NVivo 12, and the book was chosen through purposeful sampling. The results showed that the textbook uses various strategies to develop critical thinking, such as practical activities, experiments, analytical questions, real-world applications, and open-ended problem-solving questions. Practical activities and experiments help students apply their theoretical understanding to actual problems. Analytical questions make students think critically by making them analyze data and explain complicated relationships between biological concepts. Real-world applications show students how scientific knowledge is used every day so they can evaluate scientific advancement more critically. Open-ended questions challenge students to use what they have learned to solve new problems and come up with unique answers.

Automated content analysis as a tool to compare content in sexual selection research with examples of sexual selection in evolutionary biology textbooks: implications for teaching the nature of science

Background We used college-level evolution textbooks to examine the presentation of sexual selection research—a field with ongoing debates related to sex, sexuality and gender identity. Many classic sexual selection concepts have been criticized for androcentrism and other forms of gender-sex bias, specifically for de-emphasizing the female role in reproductive behaviors and over-reliance on gender-sex binaries. These classic concepts are fundamentally captured in the idea that animal reproductive-related behaviors can be grouped in sex roles (e.g. competitive males and selective females). Recently developed alternative concepts provide a more nuanced understanding of the flexibility of sexual and reproductive-related behaviors, stemming in part from growing attention to a broader range of female behavior. To assess whether students are receiving content reflecting these insights, we measured the congruence between textbook content and the scientific literature, using insects as a case study because of the importance of this group in the development of sexual selection theory, its prevalence in current sexual selection research, and the number of insect examples included in textbooks. We first coded textbook content for sexual selection concepts. We used automated content analysis to analyze a database of citations, keywords and abstracts in sexual selection research published between 1990 and 2014, inclusive of the period covered by the textbooks.ResultsThe textbooks and research literatures prioritized the same taxa (e.g., fruit flies) and sex roles as embodied in classic sexual selection theory. Both the research literature and some textbooks acknowledge androcentrism and other forms of gender-sex bias in classic sexual selection paradigms, especially competitive male and selective female sex roles. Yet, while the research literature included alternative models, textbooks neglected these alternatives, even when researchers had studied both classic and alternative views in the same insect.Conclusions We recommend using this kind of analysis of textbook content to engage students in a conversation around the social factors that impact knowledge construction, a key part of the epistemological understanding they need for a robust grasp of the Nature of Science and of evolutionary theory.

Using Text Mining to Identify Teleological Explanations in Physics and Biology Textbooks: An Exploratory Study

AbstractCreating and critiquing explanations of phenomena is a significant goal of many scientific disciplines and therefore also a learning goal of science education. A significant source of explanations is science textbooks; however, the large corpus of text in textbooks means that manual review of explanations by individual researchers is extremely time consuming. In this paper, we introduce a text-mining approach for identifying legitimate and illegitimate forms of teleological explanations in school physics and biology textbooks. An ongoing debate exists about the legitimacy of teleological explanations, that is, explanations which account for a phenomenon by reference to a final end, purpose, or goal. Until recently, researchers tended to view teleology as an illegitimate form of scientific explanation. Recent theoretical cases in biology and physics have emphasized that legitimate teleological explanations exist in both domains. Eight science textbooks used in England and internationally were analyzed for instances of teleological explanations. The analysis reveals the efficiency of the text-mining approach for automating the analysis of textbooks and its potential as a research approach in science education. In considering text mining as a research approach, we report terms that are likely to be associated with legitimate teleological explanations. We found that legitimate teleological accounts are used by textbook authors, and we present novel categorizations of these forms of explanation. We argue that text mining can be a useful approach in science education research and our findings suggest guidance for both textbook writers and teachers related to their selection of legitimate explanatory forms.

Analysis of Gender Representations in Recommended Biology Textbooks Used by Senior School Students in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

The controversy and inconsistent reports on gender difference in students’ performance in Biology are yet to abate. As part of the contributions to address the challenge, this study was designed to analyze gender representations in recommended biology textbooks used by senior school students in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Seven Biology textbooks were purposively selected and analyzed in the study, while four research questions were raised and answered. The instrument used for data collection was a proforma designed by the researchers and used to record the identified masculine, feminine, and gender neutral words, colours, pictures, and diagrams. Findings indicated that the selected Biology textbooks contained 39.1%, 32.5%, and 28.4% gender neutral, masculine, and feminine words, respectively. Also, findings revealed that the selected Biology textbooks contained 51.7%, 48.1%, and 0.4% gender neutral, feminine, and masculine colours, while 99.1%, 0.6%, and 0.3% gender neutral, feminine, and masculine pictures and diagrams were observed in the selected Biology textbooks. In addition, findings indicated that there was no gender balance in the textbooks considered in the study. The study concluded that all the selected Biology textbooks contained gender representation in words, colours, pictures, and diagrams that were imbalanced in representations. It was therefore recommended that Biology textbook authors should revisit their textbooks and amend the observed inequality in gender representations to avoid the promotion of gender bias and partiality among the upcoming generations.

تقويم الاسئلة في كتب علم الاحياء للمرحلة المتوسطة وفق انموذج السيطرة الدماغية لهيرمان

This study aimed to evaluate the questions in biology books for the middle stage according to Herman's brain Dominance model. To achieve this goal, the researcher used the descriptive approach and applied the study to a sample consisting of three textbooks, which are biology textbooks for the middle stage. (180) Paragraphs, and according to the criteria specified in this study, the researcher concluded that the biology textbooks did not take into account the stage middle stage combined by distributing the contents of the Herman's brain Dominance model compared to the spoken ratios, but some questions in the biology textbooks of the middle stage included good ratios for some types of the Herman's brain Dominance model. such as the objective and the executive type, while the proportions of the emotional and creative patterns were low. Keywords : Brain Dominanc