Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Science and Mathematics Education
Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Education
What’S In A Gene: Undergraduates’ Ideas And Misconceptions About Gene Function, Justin M. Levaughn
What’S In A Gene: Undergraduates’ Ideas And Misconceptions About Gene Function, Justin M. Levaughn
Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education
The purpose of this study was to field test a two-tiered instrument including multiple-choice and short answer tasks to assess college students’ ideas and level of understanding in genetics. The instrument was constructed from previously tested assessment tasks and findings from the current research literature. Ninety-seven freshmen enrolled in a biology lab course were surveyed. Test validity and reliability were measured using Chronbach coefficients. Multiple-choice and short answer responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify frequencies of answer selections. Written responses were independently evaluated using a five-point scoring rubric by three researchers to identify common misconceptions revealed in students’ …