In a
world first CRC SIIB researchers have developed a series of classroom biotechnology
learning materials and teacher professional development workshops. Head of the
project, Dr Kim Nichols from the University of Queensland, recently announced
that
'these resources have proven to be effective in promoting middle and high
school students' understanding of biotechnology and biomaterials and in
developing teachers' capacity to teach this emerging field.'
According to Dr Nichols, the CRC SIIB
team have been successful in their multi-study education project which focused on the
development of science educational strategies and an in-depth analysis of how
teachers, students, and parents learn about biotechnology and biotechnology
education.
The project
involved biotechnologists from CRC partner organisations including
*UQ and
*BSES
Limited, educators from UQ and
*EQ, and academics from UQ. Over 300 students
and teachers have participated in the classroom-based research or teacher
workshops.
OUTCOMES
Student
and teacher understanding enhanced!
Student understanding of biotechnology
was enhanced as a result of our classroom-based studies. The scientific
literacy of middle year students changed in terms of increased knowledge of
genetic concepts and developing more favourable attitudes to most biotechnology
applications. The percentage of students who were able to identify GM crops
increased dramatically, see Figure 1.
There were significant improvements in
chemistry students' learning outcomes, as measured by pre- and post-test
comparisons and examination of their classroom work. When surveyed two years
later, students (who at the time of the survey were completing high school) said
these benefits continued throughout their senior years. Pre- and post-test comparisons showed that the instructional approaches
and resources used in this project enhanced students' learning outcomes. Many
post-test performances were significantly higher than those in the pre-test (see Figure 2).
These indicate that overall our strategies were very effective. The comparisons also show that teaching with
digital technologies enhances chemistry learning outcomes.
Overall, student
technological and laboratory skills were enhanced along with their ability to
make informed and educated decisions about biotechnologies, including issues
associated with GM foods.
The project also addressed the needs of teachers by
providing them with models of instructional materials and approaches, training
them in ways to help students learn about cutting-edge biotechnologies, and
providing them with research-based
information on importance of implementing such approaches. Ultimately, this led
to changes to curriculum and classroom practices employed by the participating
teachers.
During the research, middle and secondary
school teachers reported modifying their teaching practices in response to our
teacher workshops and to working in the classroom with a scientist. Those who
attended our initial workshops returned for follow-up workshops and reported effectively
using our strategies in their classrooms. Many teachers noted our teaching
resources made a difference to their practice and said they would use them in
future semesters.
RESEARCH APPROACH
Three
studies undertaken
The project comprised of three studies involving
different education approaches. Two of the studies used classroom-based
research (organised under either the Middle School or Senior School Unit) to determine
how effective our teaching resources and strategies were in authentic settings.
Classroom-based research was conducted over several school terms in different
classrooms, in public and private, middle and secondary schools. To test the
effectiveness of our education, students were, surveyed, interviewed, filmed
and given standard tests. Over 200 students participated in the classroom
research.
The third study (Teacher Professional
Development Unit) involved the development of teacher training and classroom
resources. A supporting study examined scientist-teacher relationships, and
involved observational and interview data. Over two years, teachers and
scientists were tracked while working on a number of schemes to improve the
teachers' scientific understanding and enhance the value and relevance of
science education.
Middle School Unit: Should
Australia Grow GM Crops?
This a theoretical inquiry-based unit in
which students aged between 12 and 15 years explore the question: Should Australia
grow *GM crops? Through individual inquiry, students posed and answered their
own questions about GM crops and other applications of modern biotechnology. Web-based
and other classroom resources were created to support students' higher order
thinking, decision-making skills and engagement in collaborative research. Students
learnt about different applications of biotechnology and completed a variety of
tasks including sharing knowledge with their parents.
Senior School Unit: The
Biomaterial World
This unit was designed to enable students
to learn about fundamental chemistry concepts (ie chemical bonding and
structure) in the context of *biomaterials. The unit integrated a wide range of
digital technologies including molecular modelling software, simulations, and
multimedia authoring tools, to engage students in theoretical and experimental
inquiry tasks. Students
learnt about how the structure and bonding of biomaterials influence their
properties and developed an understanding of how biotechnology is applied to
create or modify materials to align their properties with intended uses.
Teacher
Professional Development Unit
Teacher professional development
workshops were conducted around Queensland and at national science teacher
conferences. These were hands-on with teachers working through classroom
inquiry-based activities, using software, and online inquiry-based materials, and
experiencing the activities from a students' perspective. This unit also
involved some time looking at the benefit of a researcher being assigned to a classroom
to model teaching strategies and use of materials for other teachers by instructing
their classes. Overall, teacher feedback was that these strategies were
beneficial and positively influenced their science instruction.
ADOPTION
Strong support in both middle
and secondary schools
The CRC SIIB
Education team's new approaches to curriculum and integration of learning
support technologies have engendered strong support for uptake within middle
and secondary schools. CRC SIIB learning activities have been adopted by the
participant schools.
The
chemistry curriculum in a participant school now includes an extended
experimental investigation into the properties of
*bioplastics. The schools
that participated in the middle years' project have adopted the instructional
units and resources
.
Teachers who
participated in the professional development workshops have adopted the learning
approaches and technology-based activities into their classrooms in schools
across the state and Australia.
To assist with
future adoption, plans include the development of teacher workshop materials
and online resources to support teachers in the implementation of biotechnology-based
activities in the classroom. Training resources and teacher workshops will be
made available to Education Queensland.
Overall, this project was designed to
help achieve broad public support of biotechnology as a science. It is an
outstanding example of collaboration within a CRC to address a national
imperative: the need to enhance students' and teachers' knowledge and
understanding of biotechnology and biotechnology education. Ultimately, the CRC
SIIB Education Project has resulted in production of high-value up-to-date
biotechnology education materials and teaching strategies.
For more information about the education
resources to come out of this project, contact Dr Kim Nichols on: 07 3346 7236
or 0434 603 062.
*UQ: University
of Queensland – www.uq.edu.au
*BSES Limited:
Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations Limited –
www.bses.org.au
*EQ: Education
Queensland –
www.education.qld.gov.au
*GM stands for
the genetic modification of a living organism to enhance one or more of the
organisms’ existing traits.
*biomaterials
are base materials used in the production of a product that depends on plant
materials as its core ingredient, ie biofuels or bioplastics.
In a
world first CRC SIIB researchers have developed a series of classroom biotechnology
learning materials and teacher professional development workshops. Head of the
project, Dr Kim Nichols from the University of Queensland, recently announced
that
'these resources have proven to be effective in promoting middle and high
school students' understanding of biotechnology and biomaterials and in
developing teachers' capacity to teach this emerging field.'
According to Dr Nichols, the CRC SIIB
team have been successful in their multi-study education project which focused on the
development of science educational strategies and an in-depth analysis of how
teachers, students, and parents learn about biotechnology and biotechnology
education.
The project
involved biotechnologists from CRC partner organisations including
*UQ and
*BSES
Limited, educators from UQ and
*EQ, and academics from UQ. Over 300 students
and teachers have participated in the classroom-based research or teacher
workshops.
OUTCOMES
Student
and teacher understanding enhanced!
Student understanding of biotechnology
was enhanced as a result of our classroom-based studies. The scientific
literacy of middle year students changed in terms of increased knowledge of
genetic concepts and developing more favourable attitudes to most biotechnology
applications. The percentage of students who were able to identify GM crops
increased dramatically, see Figure 1.
There were significant improvements in
chemistry students' learning outcomes, as measured by pre- and post-test
comparisons and examination of their classroom work. When surveyed two years
later, students (who at the time of the survey were completing high school) said
these benefits continued throughout their senior years. Pre- and post-test comparisons showed that the instructional approaches
and resources used in this project enhanced students' learning outcomes. Many
post-test performances were significantly higher than those in the pre-test (see Figure 2).
These indicate that overall our strategies were very effective. The comparisons also show that teaching with
digital technologies enhances chemistry learning outcomes.
Overall, student
technological and laboratory skills were enhanced along with their ability to
make informed and educated decisions about biotechnologies, including issues
associated with GM foods.
The project also addressed the needs of teachers by
providing them with models of instructional materials and approaches, training
them in ways to help students learn about cutting-edge biotechnologies, and
providing them with research-based
information on importance of implementing such approaches. Ultimately, this led
to changes to curriculum and classroom practices employed by the participating
teachers.
During the research, middle and secondary
school teachers reported modifying their teaching practices in response to our
teacher workshops and to working in the classroom with a scientist. Those who
attended our initial workshops returned for follow-up workshops and reported effectively
using our strategies in their classrooms. Many teachers noted our teaching
resources made a difference to their practice and said they would use them in
future semesters.
RESEARCH APPROACH
Three
studies undertaken
The project comprised of three studies involving
different education approaches. Two of the studies used classroom-based
research (organised under either the Middle School or Senior School Unit) to determine
how effective our teaching resources and strategies were in authentic settings.
Classroom-based research was conducted over several school terms in different
classrooms, in public and private, middle and secondary schools. To test the
effectiveness of our education, students were, surveyed, interviewed, filmed
and given standard tests. Over 200 students participated in the classroom
research.
The third study (Teacher Professional
Development Unit) involved the development of teacher training and classroom
resources. A supporting study examined scientist-teacher relationships, and
involved observational and interview data. Over two years, teachers and
scientists were tracked while working on a number of schemes to improve the
teachers' scientific understanding and enhance the value and relevance of
science education.
Middle School Unit: Should
Australia Grow GM Crops?
This a theoretical inquiry-based unit in
which students aged between 12 and 15 years explore the question: Should Australia
grow *GM crops? Through individual inquiry, students posed and answered their
own questions about GM crops and other applications of modern biotechnology. Web-based
and other classroom resources were created to support students' higher order
thinking, decision-making skills and engagement in collaborative research. Students
learnt about different applications of biotechnology and completed a variety of
tasks including sharing knowledge with their parents.
Senior School Unit: The
Biomaterial World
This unit was designed to enable students
to learn about fundamental chemistry concepts (ie chemical bonding and
structure) in the context of *biomaterials. The unit integrated a wide range of
digital technologies including molecular modelling software, simulations, and
multimedia authoring tools, to engage students in theoretical and experimental
inquiry tasks. Students
learnt about how the structure and bonding of biomaterials influence their
properties and developed an understanding of how biotechnology is applied to
create or modify materials to align their properties with intended uses.
Teacher
Professional Development Unit
Teacher professional development
workshops were conducted around Queensland and at national science teacher
conferences. These were hands-on with teachers working through classroom
inquiry-based activities, using software, and online inquiry-based materials, and
experiencing the activities from a students' perspective. This unit also
involved some time looking at the benefit of a researcher being assigned to a classroom
to model teaching strategies and use of materials for other teachers by instructing
their classes. Overall, teacher feedback was that these strategies were
beneficial and positively influenced their science instruction.
ADOPTION
Strong support in both middle
and secondary schools
The CRC SIIB
Education team's new approaches to curriculum and integration of learning
support technologies have engendered strong support for uptake within middle
and secondary schools. CRC SIIB learning activities have been adopted by the
participant schools.
The
chemistry curriculum in a participant school now includes an extended
experimental investigation into the properties of
*bioplastics. The schools
that participated in the middle years' project have adopted the instructional
units and resources
.
Teachers who
participated in the professional development workshops have adopted the learning
approaches and technology-based activities into their classrooms in schools
across the state and Australia.
To assist with
future adoption, plans include the development of teacher workshop materials
and online resources to support teachers in the implementation of biotechnology-based
activities in the classroom. Training resources and teacher workshops will be
made available to Education Queensland.
Overall, this project was designed to
help achieve broad public support of biotechnology as a science. It is an
outstanding example of collaboration within a CRC to address a national
imperative: the need to enhance students' and teachers' knowledge and
understanding of biotechnology and biotechnology education. Ultimately, the CRC
SIIB Education Project has resulted in production of high-value up-to-date
biotechnology education materials and teaching strategies.
For more information about the education
resources to come out of this project, contact Dr Kim Nichols on: 07 3346 7236
or 0434 603 062.
*UQ: University
of Queensland – www.uq.edu.au
*BSES Limited:
Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations Limited –
www.bses.org.au
*EQ: Education
Queensland –
www.education.qld.gov.au
*GM stands for
the genetic modification of a living organism to enhance one or more of the
organisms’ existing traits.
*biomaterials
are base materials used in the production of a product that depends on plant
materials as its core ingredient, ie biofuels or bioplastics.