Understanding Of Genetic Concepts Research Articles

Parents' experiences with large-scale sequencing for genetic predisposition in pediatric renal cancer: A qualitative study.

In pediatric oncology, large-scale genetic sequencing contributes to the identification of cancer predisposition, which can facilitate surveillance and family counseling. Our qualitative study explores families' motives, knowledge, and views regarding germline genetic sequencing to improve future counseling and support. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of children with renal tumors participating in a national center, germline sequencing study. An inductive thematic analysis approach was used. Twenty nine parents participated, 17 mothers and 12 fathers. The median age of the affected children was 4years. Parents were generally positive about sequencing and reported a combination of individual and altruistic motives to participate. Some families counseled about sequencing shortly after cancer diagnosis felt overwhelmed. Many parents had difficulties distinguishing between panel and exome-wide analysis. Families in which no predisposition was identified felt reassured. Most families did not experience distress after a predisposition was disclosed, although sometimes stress following disclosure of a predisposition added to pre-existing (cancer-related) stress. Even though families reported positive experiences with germline genetic sequencing to detect cancer predisposition, timing of consent for sequencing as well as parents' understanding of genetic concepts can be further improved.

Development and application of modeling program to improve integrated understanding of genetic concepts for high school students

Development and application of modeling program to improve integrated understanding of genetic concepts for high school students

"A Zebra in the Water": Inspiring Science in Spain.

The zebrafish model can play a role in education because of its suitability for manipulation and attractiveness to students compared to traditional lecture-based instruction. Furthermore, zebrafish offer advantages over other model species. Seeing as fewer and fewer students are entering science degree programs, this project has been developed to encourage scientific vocations among secondary school students. To do so, an aquarium was given to 114 schools so that they could look after adult zebrafish, mate them, and visualize embryo development. For training on more sophisticated techniques, a virtual tool was developed to simulate a real genetics laboratory on a personal computer. Results based on teachers' feedback indicate that the students were fully dedicated to the project and achieved better understanding of genetic concepts and techniques. These results demonstrate the potential of alternative teaching methods for engaging students in science learning.

Guiding Oncology Patients Through the Maze of Precision Medicine

As the role of genomics in health care grows, patients increasingly require adequate genetic literacy to fully engage in their care. This study investigated a model for delivering consumer-friendly genetic information to improve understanding of precision medicine using health literacy and learning style principles. My Cancer Genome (MCG), a freely available cancer decision support tool, was used as a testbed. MCG content on a melanoma tumor mutation, BRAF V600E, was translated to a 6th-grade reading level, incorporating multiple learning modalities. A total of 90 patients and caregivers were recruited from a melanoma clinic at an academic medical center and randomized to 3 groups. Group A (control) received an exact copy of text from MCG. Group B was given the same content with hyperlinks to videos explaining key genetic concepts, identified and labeled by the team as knowledge pearls. Group C received the translated content with the knowledge pearls embedded. Changes in knowledge were measured through pre and post questionnaires. Group C showed the greatest improvement in knowledge. The study results demonstrate that providing information based on health literacy and learning style principles can improve patients’ understanding of genetic concepts, thus increasing their likelihood of taking an active role in any decision making concerning their health.

A Cross-National Study of Students’ Understanding of Genetics Concepts: Implications from Similarities and Differences in England and Turkey

This research is aimed at exploring 16- to 19-year-old students’ understanding of fundamental genetics concepts, which has considerable importance for developing conceptual understanding of genetics related phenomena. A cross-national descriptive research method was used to explore English and Turkish students’ understandings of genetics concepts. Data were collected by a two-tier multiple choice diagnostic instrument, The Two-Tier Genetics Concept Test, which required students to justify their choice of option by giving a reason. The results indicate that there are some differences between the English students’ and Turkish students’ understanding of fundamental concepts of genetics; however, there are some notable similarities between the alternative conceptions held by students in the two samples. The common alternative conceptions seen in both of the groups indicate that understanding the concepts occurred regardless of contextual factors. Nevertheless different proportions of the common alternative conceptions and different levels of understanding suggest that conceptualisations develop under the influence of different educational contexts.

The Understandings of Genetics Concepts and Learning Approach of Pre-Service Science Teachers

Advances in genetics and related technology have significant influence on our life. Recently, one of the most popular scientific and technological advances are related with genetics such as human genome project, genetically modified organism, cloning of organism, gene therapy and genetic background of various illness etc.. With the discoursing of this, society demands clear cut information to evaluate these genetics related issues having ethic and social characteristics. Becoming of evaluations’ skills for genetics related controversial issues required sufficient understanding of basic genetic concepts. At this point science education and science teachers take priority for the supplying of scientific literacy which is required for making informed decision about of genetic related controversial issues imposed by daily life. However, some researches indicated that teachers are one of the reasons of students’ misconceptions. In this study pre-service science teachers’ difficulties of genetics concepts and relationship understanding level and learning approach was investigated with 196 pre-service science teachers, who were studying at Kastamonu University Faculty of Education. Data collection tools were multiple choice Genetics Concepts Test and Learning Approach Questionnaire, four-point Likert type instrument. Data obtained from Genetics Concepts Test were described by means, variance and most frequently false responses were determined to uncover misunderstanding of genetic concepts. Correlation analyses were conducted to examine relationship between pre-service teachers’ understanding of genetics concepts and learning orientations. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2015.v5n1s1p61

Exploring Annotated Drawing For Improving Nigerian Secondary School Students Achievement in Genetics

The search for ways to bring about effective teaching and learning of biology in secondary schools has provided the impetus for this study. Therefore, the study investigated the effect of annotated drawing on the understanding of genetics by secondary school biology students. 110 secondary school students drawn from two intact classes constituted the sample for the study. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to collect data using the research questions raised and hypotheses formulated for the study. A Genetics Achievement Test (GAT), a 50-item multiple choice test was used to collect quantitative data and an Interview Schedule (IS) was employed to elicit responses which constitute data for the qualitative method. A reliability coefficient of 0.82 was obtained for the GAT using the split-half method. Findings revealed that annotated drawing strategy had a significant positive effect on students understanding and achievement in genetics, male and female students alike benefited from the strategy. The analysis of data also showed that students had some misconceptions in biology which hitherto, hindered their understanding of genetics concepts. Suggestions elicited from biology students on how they could be assisted to learn biology and indeed, genetics meaningfully were obtained from their responses on the Interview Schedule (IS). Implication of the study included that, when appropriate instructional strategies are employed in the dissemination of science knowledge in the classroom, students’ understanding of concepts and learning become meaningful

Students’ understanding of genetics concepts: the effect of reasoning ability and learning approaches

Students tend to learn genetics by rote and may not realise the interrelationships in daily life. Because reasoning abilities are necessary to construct relationships between concepts and rote learning impedes the students’ sound understanding, it was predicted that having high level of formal reasoning and adopting meaningful learning orientation would improve students’ understanding of genetics concepts. To test this hypothesis, relationships among students’ understanding of genetics concepts, reasoning ability and learning approaches were investigated. A total of 586 eleventh-grade students participated in the study. Students’ reasoning ability and learning orientation were measured using the Test of Logical Thinking and the Learning Approach Questionnaire, respectively. Students’ understanding of fundamental genetics concepts was assessed using the Two-tier Genetics Concepts Test. Regression analyses were conducted to examine predictive influence of reasoning ability and learning orientations on students’ understanding of genetics concepts. The results revealed that all cognitive variables investigated accounted for a statistically significant portion (27%) of the variance in students’ understanding of genetics concepts. Reasoning ability and meaningful learning orientation predicted students’ understanding of genetics concepts in a positive direction, rote learning orientation predicted it in a negative direction. Additionally, the results indicated that reasoning ability explained more of the variance in test scores as compared to learning approaches.

Prediction/discussion-based learning cycle versus conceptual change text: comparative effects on students’ understanding of genetics

Background and purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the comparative effects of a prediction/discussion-based learning cycle (HPD-LC), conceptual change text (CCT) and traditional instruction on 10th grade students’ understanding of genetics concepts. Sample: Participants were 112 10th basic grade male students in three classes of the same school located in an urban area. The three classes taught by the same biology teacher were randomly assigned as a prediction/discussion-based learning cycle class (n = 39), conceptual change text class (n = 37) and traditional class (n = 36). Design and method: A quasi-experimental research design of pre-test–post-test non-equivalent control group was adopted. Participants completed the Genetics Concept Test as pre-test–post-test, to examine the effects of instructional strategies on their genetics understanding. Pre-test scores and Test of Logical Thinking scores were used as covariates. Results: The analysis of covariance showed a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the favor of experimental groups after treatment. However, no statistically significant difference between the experimental groups (HPD-LC versus CCT instruction) was found. Conclusions: Overall, the findings of this study support the use of the prediction/discussion-based learning cycle and conceptual change text in both research and teaching. The findings may be useful for improving classroom practices in teaching science concepts and for the development of suitable materials promoting students’ understanding of science.

Investigation of Peer Discussions on Genetic Concepts

This study is an investigation on how students express their understanding of genetic concepts and their relations during peer discussions. Participants in this study were non-major students from a Swedish upper secondary school. Special attention was paid to how the groups treated the domain- specific vocabulary, how they expressed their understanding of reduction division and how they connected concepts from different biological organization levels. These subject areas have been reported as difficult for students in earlier studies. The results show discussions concerning the three subject areas and in the discussions the students help each other to make the meaning of the genetic concepts clear. The analysis is based on socio-cultural perspectives with focus on how the participants treated the genetic content from the previously presented subject areas in their discussions.

The Comparative Effects of Prediction/Discussion‐Based Learning Cycle, Conceptual Change Text, and Traditional Instructions on Student Understanding of Genetics

The present study examined the comparative effects of a prediction/discussion‐based learning cycle, conceptual change text (CCT), and traditional instructions on students' understanding of genetics concepts. A quasi‐experimental research design of the pre‐test–post‐test non‐equivalent control group was adopted. The three intact classes, taught by the same science teacher, were randomly assigned as prediction/discussion‐based learning cycle class (N = 30), CCT class (N = 25), and traditional class (N = 26). Participants completed the genetics concept test as pre‐test, post‐test, and delayed post‐test to examine the effects of instructional strategies on their genetics understanding and retention. While the dependent variable of this study was students' understanding of genetics, the independent variables were time (Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3) and mode of instruction. The mixed between‐within subjects analysis of variance revealed that students in both prediction/discussion‐based learning cycle and CCT groups understood the genetics concepts and retained their knowledge significantly better than students in the traditional instruction group.

Development of a two-tier diagnostic test concerning genetics concepts: the study of validity and reliability

Development of a two-tier diagnostic test concerning genetics concepts: the study of validity and reliability

"Expert" and "novice" subjects’ approaches to genetic problem solving in a computer-based setting

A small group of subjects differing in levels of expertise in genetics undertook a problem-solving task in a computer-based setting. Transcripts of ‘think-aloud’ protocols were obtained. Data revealed contrasts between expert and novice subjects in their approaches to the problem, and differences both in inferred understanding of genetic concepts and procedural knowledge. Experts carried out prior planning by identifying suitable strategies; they displayed well developed content knowledge, and appropriate use of procedures in which sequences of procedures were grouped into single productions. In contrast, novices showed poor planning, used a ‘try-it-and-see’ approach to selection of crosses, and confused some basic concepts. Problem tasks of the type identified in this study complement other learning experiences, and have the potential to assist learners to enhance their understanding of genetic concepts.