scholarly journals Misconceptions Are “So Yesterday!”

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 352-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
April Cordero Maskiewicz ◽  
Jennifer Evarts Lineback
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Scientific Understanding ◽  
Learning Sciences ◽  
Research Conference ◽  
Community Of Learning ◽  
How People Learn

At the close of the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research conference in July 2012, one of the organizers made the comment: “Misconceptions are so yesterday.” Within the community of learning sciences, misconceptions are yesterday's news, because the term has been aligned with eradication and/or replacement of conceptions, and our knowledge about how people learn has progressed past this idea. This essay provides an overview of the discussion within the learning sciences community surrounding the term “misconceptions” and how the education community's thinking has evolved with respect to students’ conceptions. Using examples of students’ incorrect ideas about evolution and ecology, we show that students’ naïve ideas can provide the resources from which to build scientific understanding. We conclude by advocating that biology education researchers use one or more appropriate alternatives in place of the term misconception whenever possible.

scholarly journals Practical Strategies for Collaboration across Discipline-Based Education Research and the Learning Sciences

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. es11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Peffer ◽  
Maggie Renken
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Interdisciplinary Collaboration ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Learning Sciences ◽  
Biology Learning ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
And Training

Rather than pursue questions related to learning in biology from separate camps, recent calls highlight the necessity of interdisciplinary research agendas. Interdisciplinary collaborations allow for a complicated and expanded approach to questions about learning within specific science domains, such as biology. Despite its benefits, interdisciplinary work inevitably involves challenges. Some such challenges originate from differences in theoretical and methodological approaches across lines of work. Thus, aims at developing successful interdisciplinary research programs raise important considerations regarding methodologies for studying biology learning, strategies for approaching collaborations, and training of early-career scientists. Our goal here is to describe two fields important to understanding learning in biology, discipline-based education research and the learning sciences. We discuss differences between each discipline’s approach to biology education research and the benefits and challenges associated with incorporating these perspectives in a single research program. We then propose strategies for building productive interdisciplinary collaboration.

scholarly journals Design-Based Research: A Methodology to Extend and Enrich Biology Education Research

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. es11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily E. Scott ◽  
Mary Pat Wenderoth ◽  
Jennifer H. Doherty
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Learning Sciences ◽  
Instructional Tools ◽  
Design Based Research ◽  
Research Collaborations

Design-based research from the learning sciences is a compelling methodology for investigating the mechanisms by which students to develop sophisticated ideas about biology. It fosters research collaborations across disciplines, develops and tests theory-based instructional tools, and draws on mixed methods to examine how students learn.

scholarly journals Undergraduate Biology Education Research Gordon Research Conference: A Meeting Report

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. mr1
Author(s):  
Erin L. Dolan ◽  
Michelle Borrero ◽  
Kristine Callis-Duehl ◽  
Miranda M. Chen Musgrove ◽  
Joelyn de Lima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Undergraduate Education ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Meeting Report ◽  
Research Seminar ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Research Conference ◽  
Poster Presentations ◽  
Broad Overview

This report provides a broad overview of the 2019 Undergraduate Biology Education Research Gordon Research Conference, titled “Achieving Widespread Improvement in Undergraduate Education,” and the associated Gordon Research Seminar, highlighting major themes that cut across invited talks, poster presentations, and informal discussions.

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