Understanding genetics using external representations in everyday school science lessons

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.25267/Rev_Eureka_ensen_divulg_cienc.2020v17.i3.3101

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Vol. 17 No. 3 (2020): 17(3). September 2020
Fundamentals and current research lines
3101
Published: 01-06-2020
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Europe PMC

Authors

  • Fernando Flores-Camacho (MX) Instituto de Ciencias Aplicadas y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City
    Google Schoolar Google Scholar
    http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6165-4946
  • Beatriz García-Rivera (MX) Instituto de Ciencias Aplicadas y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City.
    Google Schoolar Google Scholar
    https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8169-6083
  • Leticia Gallegos-Cázares (MX) Instituto de Ciencias Aplicadas y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City.
    Google Schoolar Google Scholar
    http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1485-2867
  • Araceli Báez-Islas (MX) Instituto de Ciencias Aplicadas y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City.
    Google Schoolar Google Scholar
    https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9723-9082
  • Elena Calderón-Canales (MX) Instituto de Ciencias Aplicadas y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City.
    Google Schoolar Google Scholar
    http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9493-0046

Abstract

This work shows the conceptual achievement on genetics of high school student´s when external representations are used as support. Three didactic proposals were applied with the same conceptual frame and number of activities, but different in the organization of activities and in the type and use of representations. A questionnaire was designed, validated and applied to understand the conceptual and representational understanding of the topic. A rubric was built for its qualification and an ANOVA test was applied. The results indicate that the group where the teacher diversified the work dynamics and had more representations got the highest averages, the most complete written explanations and the most accurate precision in their symbolic and graphic representations. The three proposals improved student´s conceptual understanding but, that where was a different group organization, which allowed a greater variety of tasks and the use of more representations in class activities, favored a better conceptual understanding on the subthemes of somatic cells, sexual cells, inheritance mechanisms and genetic alterations.

Keywords

Representations; High school; Genetics; Learning; Didactic. Google Schoolar

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