Genetics Education: Current Challenges and Possible Solutions (Contributions from Biology Education Research)

✍ Scribed by Michal Haskel-Ittah (editor), Anat Yarden (editor)

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 2022
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 183
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This edited volume presents the current state of the art of genetics education and the challenges it holds for teaching as well as for learning. It addresses topics such as how genetics should be taught in order to provide students with a wide and connected view of the field. It gives in-depth aspects that should be considered for teaching genetics and the effect on the student’s understanding. This book provides novel ideas for biology teachers, curriculum developers and researchers on how to confront the presented challenges in a way that may enable them to advance genetics education in the 21st century. It reviews the complexity of teaching and learning genetics, largely overlooked by biology textbooks and classroom instruction. It composes a crucial component of scientific literacy.

✦ Table of Contents

Preface
Contents
Part I: Reflecting Upon the Content of Genetic Curriculum
Chapter 1: Should We Give Peas a Chance? An Argument for a Mendel-Free Biology Curriculum
1.1 The Problem: Mendelian Genetics in Today’s Classrooms
1.2 Current Knowledge About the Problem: Why Mendelian Genetics Is Misleading
1.2.1 Comparing the Effects of Different Teaching Approaches Is Not Informative
1.2.2 Mendelian Genetics Is an Oversimplified Representation of Heredity
1.2.3 The (Stereo)typical Story of Mendel Provides a Distorted View of the NOS
1.3 Remaining Issues: Would a Developmental Genetics Curriculum Work as an Alternative?
1.4 Implications for Teaching
References
Chapter 2: How Can Epigenetics be Used to Integrate Nature and Nurture in Genetics Education?
2.1 The Problem
2.1.1 The Conception of Genetic Determinism
2.2 Current Knowledge About the Problem
2.2.1 Teaching and Learning Genetics
2.3 Remaining Issues
2.3.1 Transforming Epigenetics for School Biology
2.3.2 Epigenetics at the Organism Level
2.3.3 Epigenetics at the Molecular Level
2.4 Implications for Teaching
2.4.1 Teaching Genetics Using an Epigenetic Model
2.4.2 Main Contributions by Integrating Epigenetics in Genetics Education
References
Chapter 3: How Can We Teach Genetics for Social Justice?
3.1 The Problem
3.2 Current Knowledge About the Problem
3.2.1 Inheritance Plays a Role in How Well Children Do in Schools
3.2.2 Children’s School Performance Is Not Predetermined
3.2.3 Education Needs to Stop Ignoring the Possible Role of Genetics in School Performance
3.2.4 Social Justice in Science Education
3.3 Remaining Issues
3.4 Implications for Teaching
3.4.1 The Growth Mindset Movement
3.4.2 Genetics and Better Diagnoses of Educational Issues
3.4.3 Genetics Education
3.4.4 Conclusion
Appendix 1
Genetic Information Is Passed Down from One Generation of Organisms to Another
References
Part II: Reflecting Upon Processes for Constructing Students’ Understanding in Genetics
Chapter 4: How Can Learning Progressions Support the Development of Genetic Literacy?
4.1 The Problem
4.2 Current Knowledge About the Problem
4.3 Molecular Basis of Heredity, Atlas of Science Literacy
4.4 Modern Genetics Learning Progression
4.5 Learning Progression in Genetics—Protein Expression
4.6 The Inverted Genetics Curriculum
4.7 Comparison of Progressions
4.8 Remaining Issues
4.8.1 Messy Middle
4.8.2 Conceptualization of the Upper Anchors
4.9 Implications for Teaching
4.9.1 The Explanatory Role of Molecular Mechanisms
4.9.2 Tackling the Complexity of Multifactorial Traits
4.9.3 Lay Reasoning in Genetics: Fostering Competent Outsiders
References
Chapter 5: How Can We Help Students Reason About the Mechanisms by Which Genes Affect Traits?
5.1 The Problem
5.2 Current Knowledge About the Problem
5.2.1 A Possible Solution
5.3 Remaining Issues
5.4 Implications for Teaching
References
Chapter 6: How Might Authentic Scientific Experiences Promote an Understanding of Genetics in High School?
6.1 The Problem
6.2 Current Knowledge About the Problem
6.2.1 Authentic Scientific Experiences as a Suggested Solution
6.3 Remaining Issues
6.3.1 The Challenges in Implementing Authentic Experiences in Schools
6.3.2 Life Scientists’ Involvement in Authentic Scientific Experiences for High-School Students
6.3.3 The Tension Between Authentic Science and School Science
6.4 Implications for Teaching
6.4.1 Providing More Evidence for the Benefits of Authentic Inquiry to Genetics Learning
References
Part III: Reflecting Upon the Relationship Between Genetics Learning and Related Conceptions and Beliefs
Chapter 7: Is Belief in Genetic Determinism Similar Across Countries and Traits?
7.1 The Problem
7.2 Current Knowledge About the Problem
7.2.1 The Roots of Genetic Determinism
7.2.2 How to Define and Measure Genetic Determinism
7.2.3 Is Genetic Determinism a Universal Belief?
7.2.4 Methods
7.2.5 Results
7.3 Remaining Issues
7.3.1 Genetic Overattribution Across Countries
7.3.2 Genetic Overattribution Across Different Traits
7.4 Implications for Teaching
References
Chapter 8: Why Does Multiple and Interactive Causation Render Comprehension of Genetics Phenomena Difficult and What Could Genetics Educators Do About It?
8.1 The Problem
8.2 Current Knowledge About the Problem
8.2.1 Laypeople’s Causal Attributions of Genetic Phenomena
8.2.2 High-School Students’ Causal Attributions of Behavioral and Psychological Traits
8.2.3 Quantitative Findings for the BGD and BB Scales
8.2.4 Qualitative Findings for High-School Students’ Lack of Endorsement of Items in the BGD Scale
8.2.5 Summary
8.3 Remaining Issues
8.4 Implications for Teaching
References
Chapter 9: How are High-School Students’ Teleological and Essentialist Conceptions Expressed in the Context of Genetics and What Can Teachers Do to Address Them?
9.1 The Problem
9.2 Current Knowledge About the Problem
9.2.1 Genetic Teleology
9.2.2 Genetic Essentialism
9.2.3 Measuring Students’ Genetic Teleological and Genetic Essentialist Conceptions
9.2.4 Genetic Teleology and Genetic Essentialism in High-School Students
9.2.4.1 Method
9.2.4.2 Results
9.2.4.3 Discussion
9.3 Remaining Issues
9.4 Implications for Teaching
References
Chapter 10: How Can We Make Genetics Education More Humane?
10.1 The Problem
10.2 Current Knowledge About the Problem
10.2.1 The Role of Genetics Education in the Development of Genetic Essentialism
10.2.2 The Potential Role of Genetics Education in the Prevention of Genetic Essentialism
10.3 Remaining Issues
10.3.1 The Genetics Knowledge Hypothesis
10.3.2 The Teacher Beliefs Hypothesis
10.3.3 The Identity-Motivated Hypothesis
10.3.4 The Conflict versus Contact Hypotheses
10.3.5 The Resource Competition Hypothesis
10.4 Implications for Teaching
References