Biology Commons^™

Student Misconceptions About Plants – A First Step In Building A Teaching Resource, April N. Wynn, Irvin L. Pan, Elizabeth E. Rueschhoff, Maryann A B Herman, E Kathleen Archer

Biological Sciences Research

Plants are ubiquitous and found in virtually every ecosystem on Earth, but their biology is often poorly understood, and inaccurate ideas about how plants grow and function abound. Many articles have been published documenting student misconceptions about photosynthesis and respiration, but there are substantially fewer on such topics as plant cell structure and growth; plant genetics, evolution, and classification; plant physiology (beyond energy relations); and plant ecology. The available studies of misconceptions held on those topics show that many are formed at a very young age and persist throughout all educational levels. Our goal is to begin building a central …