It is a controversial issue in education that students perform dissection experiments. Different opinions have been noted in studies on this subject, and various applications are recommended according to education levels. This case study aimed to determine pre-service science teachers' views of hands-on dissection and virtual dissection. The study…

Contribution: This article applies science capital research to computing education in order to understand why students engage with a programme involving computing, and what they aspire to get out of their education. Background: Capital is a concept which has been used in educational research to study inequality, aspiration and achievement.…

The aim of this research is to examine the effects of technology-supported drama method applications on students' academic achievements regarding the central nervous system and their attitudes towards biology. In the research, quasi-experimental design with pre-test post-test control group, one of the quantitative research methods, was used. The…

Undergraduate biology educators strive to understand how to best teach students the concepts of climate change. The root of this understanding is the establishment of what students know about climate change. This research aims to describe undergraduate biology students' conceptions of climate change and their argument practices and associated…

In 2020 a global pandemic forced biology teaching laboratories to move to remote instructional environments. In this article, we present data on student perceptions of laboratory instruction modality as experienced pre-, during, and post-pandemic. We designed a survey to evaluate students' perception of key components of scientific critical…

Within the eukaryotic cell, the actin cytoskeleton is a crucial structural framework that maintains cellular form, regulates cell movement and division, and facilitates the internal transportation of proteins and organelles. External cues induce alterations in the actin cytoskeleton primarily through the activation of Rho GTPases, which then bind…

Concepts relating to enzymes and energy are central to understanding chemical and biological processes at the molecular level. Student learning of these crosscutting concepts can be challenging, so it is important to identify misconceptions and remediate them early, especially in introductory classes. Here we describe an activity in which…

Functional feeding guild classification of aquatic insects is partly based on mouthpart morphology, but the link between mouthpart morphology and ecological feeding roles is often missed by students in the classroom. We implemented a Jigsaw activity in a freshwater biology course to help students connect morphology and ecology. Paired students…

Recently, interest in understanding the prospects of virtual environments, specifically virtual reality laboratories (VR Lab) -- those that involve a first-person practica experience via a desktop computer or head-mounted display -- in science education has increased. Seemingly ingrained in the process of implementing a VR Lab is a supposition of…

Hands-on, inquiry-based laboratory activities are excellent opportunities to introduce first-year undergraduate students to the lab environment and to catalyze new interest in topics they may not yet know or be as enthusiastic about studying. We describe a multisession introductory laboratory activity that couples the research areas of medicinal…

The current cohort of undergraduate students is often said to value technology and is assumed to prefer immersive, interactive, and personalized learning experiences. In contrast, many educators recognise the value of face-to-face classes and believe that attending class positively impacts student performance. A novel teaching strategy, including…

Most introductory biology laboratories are taught using direct instruction. An alternative to the direct instruction laboratory course is the Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). CURE courses have been reported to positively impact undergraduate students, increasing self-efficacy, enhancing science identity, improving preparation…

Laboratory courses offer a unique opportunity, and sometimes challenge, to engage students in projects where they can experience ownership and authentic science practices. An important science practice is writing, which can lead to increased learning about concepts and science communication. Experiencing a sense of ownership in research can lead…

Student enrollments in online college courses have grown steadily over the past decade, and college administrators expect this trend to continue or accelerate. Despite the growing popularity of online education, one major critique in the sciences is that students are not trained in the hands-on skills they may need for the workforce, graduate…

Racial biases, which harm marginalized and excluded communities, may be combatted by clarifying misconceptions about race during biology lessons. We developed a human genetics laboratory activity that challenges the misconception that race is biological (biological essentialism). We assessed the relationship between this activity and student…