An investigation into the prevalence of ecological misconceptions in upper secondary students and implications for pre-service teacher education |
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Authors: | J Butler G Mooney Simmie A O’Grady |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Life Sciences, University of Limerick, Co. Limerick, Ireland;2. Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Co. Limerick, Ireland |
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Abstract: | Students’ and teachers’ misconceptions are an international concern among researchers in science education; they influence how students learn and teachers’ teach knowledge and are a hindrance in the acquisition of accurate knowledge. This paper reports on a literature synthesis of existing research about ecological misconceptions. One means of improving the application of misconceptions involves using diagnostic tests. These form an important component of a broader conceptual toolkit needed to teach science in conceptually accurate ways. Analysis of the results of a diagnostic test, completed by biology students and pre-service teachers in Ireland, revealed the presence of an unacceptably high level of misconceptions and uncovered flaws in students and teachers’ understanding of ecological concepts. A clear link was observed between the misconceptions present in pre-service teachers’ knowledge base and those dominant in students. In this regard, we discuss implications of these findings for teacher education, from pre-service to continuing education. |
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Keywords: | misconceptions ecology secondary pre-service teachers |
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