ERIC Number: EJ1402706
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1043-4046
EISSN: EISSN-1522-1229
Unpacking the Renal System Component of the "Structure and Function" Core Concept of Physiology by an Australian Team
Perry, Ben D.; Cameron, Melissa S.; Cooke, Matthew B.; Towstoless, Michelle; Hryciw, Deanne H.; Hayes, Alan; Lexis, Louise; Tangalakis, Kathy
Advances in Physiology Education, v47 n3 p453-460 2023
An Australia-wide consensus was reached on seven core concepts of physiology, one of which was "structure and function" with the descriptor "Structure and function are intrinsically related to all levels of the organism. In all physiological systems, the structure from a microscopic level to an organ level dictates its function." As a framework for the structure and function core concept, the renal system was unpacked by a team of 5 Australian Physiology educators from different universities with extensive teaching experience into hierarchical levels, with 5 themes and 25 subthemes up to 3 levels deep. Within "theme 1," the structures that comprise the renal system were unpacked. Within "theme 2," the physiological processes within the nephron such as filtration, reabsorption, and secretion were unpacked. Within "theme 3," the processes involved in micturition were unpacked. In "theme 4," the structures and processes involved in regulating renal blood flow and glomerular filtration were unpacked; and within "theme 5," the role of the kidney in red blood cell production was unpacked. Twenty-one academics rated the difficulty and importance of each theme/subtheme, and results were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA. All identified themes were validated as "essential" to "important"/"moderately important" and rated between "difficult" to "not difficult." A similar framework consisting of structure, physiological processes, physical processes, and regulation can be used to unpack other body systems. Unpacking of the body systems will provide a list of what students should be taught in curricula across Australian universities and inform assessment and learning activities. [This article was written with Task Force.]
Descriptors: Physiology, Science Instruction, Foreign Countries, Scientific Concepts, Cytology, Difficulty Level, College Faculty, Course Content, Guidelines, Universities, Teacher Surveys
American Physiological Society. 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3991. Tel: 301-634-7164; Fax: 301-634-7241; e-mail: webmaster@the-aps.org; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2487/journal/advances
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A