New Perspectives in Science Education

Misconceptions have become a major concern among researchers in science education because they influence how students learn new scientific knowledge, play an essential role in subsequent learning and become a hindrance in acquiring the correct body of knowledge. Senior level biology is one of the most popular subjects taken by students in Ireland. As this subject relies heavily on rote learning, understanding is rarely tested. This has resulted in a serious level of misconceptions when students enter third level leading to poor grades in introductory biology modules. Despite the huge number of students taking biology at senior cycle, there has been no comprehensive study on misconceptions in biology in Ireland, despite a number of important international studies. It is imperative that the quality of teachers teaching such subjects maintain a high standard to allow their students to excel in the world of science and the wide range of opportunities it creates. The term misconception can be defined as “any conceptual idea that differs from the commonly accepted scientific consensus”. A paper and pencil test was used to assess the students’ and pre-service teachers’ conceptual understanding of fundamental biology topics. Results from two pilot studies, indicates the presence of high levels of misconceptions amongst upper secondary school students and pre-service teachers. A serious concern is the level of misconceptions held by very high achievers. This demonstrates the massive problem of rote learning in science in Ireland. Students can achieve very high grades and at the same time have little knowledge of the topic or subject. In order to improve the quality of the education system, it is imperative that the quality of the teachers is increased. Pre-service teachers should be targeted directly to ensure that they have the capacity to continually question misconceptions they may have and work alongside peers and teacher educators to significantly reduce, if not completely eliminate, these from their pedagogical strategies. Based on the results of the diagnostic test an intervention programme is being developed and integrated on a three tiered level. Tier 1: second level students. Tier 2: pre-service science teachers.Tier 3: service science teachers. The effectiveness of these intervention materials will be assessed and analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. This study raises critical questions about the need for innovative pedagogical approaches to overcome conceptual misunderstandings and has implications for improved dialogical models of teacher continuing education including school-university partnership approaches.