Tessa C. Andrews

Misconceptions Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

We review the use and meaning of the term misconceptions in education research today, describe yesterdays debates that account for the terms controversy, and identify two areas of research related to misconceptions with implications for tomorrows biology education research and biology instruction.

It’s Personal: Biology Instructors Prioritize Personal Evidence over Empirical Evidence in Teaching Decisions

This study investigates the conditions and factors that influence college biology instructors as they make decisions about adopting, sustaining, and improving the effectiveness of case study teaching.

The Genetic Drift Inventory: A Tool for Measuring What Advanced Undergraduates Have Mastered about Genetic Drift

The Genetic Drift Inventory is a multiple true–false format concept inventory consisting of 22 statements. It tests how well upper-division undergraduate biology students grasp four key concepts, while simultaneously testing for the presence of six misconceptions.

Colleagues as Change Agents: How Department Networks and Opinion Leaders Influence Teaching at a Single Research University.

This study investigates colleague–colleague relationships within life sciences departments and how they may promote teaching reform. The authors found that discipline-based education researchers are perceived as promoting changes among colleagues in views about teaching and teaching practices. Other faculty may also be leveraged to support change.

What Motivates Biology Instructors to Engage and Persist in Teaching Professional Development

This qualitative study uses expectancy-value theory to explore the motivation for college biology instructors to participate and persist in teaching professional development for 2.5 years.

Moving Evolution Education Forward: A Systematic Analysis of Literature to Identify Gaps in Collective Knowledge for Teaching

A systematic analysis of the literature undertaken to identify gaps in collective knowledge for teaching undergraduate evolution is reported. A total of 316 peer-reviewed papers were analyzed to determine: evolutionary topics addressed; whether the focus was student thinking, assessment, instructional strategies, or goals; and the type of work. Future research priorities are proposed.

A Guide for Graduate Students Interested in Postdoctoral Positions in Biology Education Research

Intended as a resource for life sciences graduate students, this essay discusses the diversity of postdoctoral positions in biology education and the careers to which they lead. The authors also provide advice to help graduate students develop the skills necessary to obtain a biology education research postdoctoral position.

Pedagogical Knowledge for Active-Learning Instruction in Large Undergraduate Biology Courses: A Large-Scale Qualitative Investigation of Instructor Thinking.

BackgroundThough active-learning instruction has the potential to positively impact the preparation and diversity of STEM graduates, not all instructors are able to achieve this potential. One important factor is the teacher knowledge that instructors possess, including their pedagogical knowledge. Pedagogical knowledge is the knowledge about teaching and learning that is not topic-specific, such as knowledge of learning theory, classroom management, and student motivation. We investigated the pedagogical knowledge that 77 instructors who report implementing active-learning instruction used as they analyzed video clips of lessons in large active-learning biology courses. We used qualitative content analysis, and drew on cognitive and sociocultural perspectives of learning, to identify and characterize the pedagogical knowledge instructors employed. We used the collective thinking of these instructors to generate a framework of pedagogical knowledge for active-learning instruction in large undergraduate biology courses.ResultsWe identified seven distinct components of pedagogical knowledge, as well as connections among these components. At the core of their thinking, participants evaluated whether instruction provided opportunities for students to generate ideas beyond what was presented to them and to engage in scientific practices. They also commonly considered student motivation to engage in this work and how instruction maximized equity among students. Participants noticed whether instructors monitored and responded to student thinking in real-time, how instruction prompted metacognition, and how links were built between learning tasks. Participants also thought carefully about managing the logistics of active-learning lessons.ConclusionsInstructors who report using active-learning instruction displayed knowledge of principles of how people learn, practical knowledge of teaching strategies and behaviors, and knowledge related to classroom management. Their deep knowledge of pedagogy suggests that active-learning instruction requires much more than content knowledge built through training in the discipline, yet many college STEM instructors have little or no training in teaching. Further research should test this framework of pedagogical knowledge in different instruction contexts, including different STEM disciplines. Additional research is needed to understand what teacher knowledge is critical to effective active-learning instruction and how the development of this knowledge is best facilitated. Achieving widespread improvement in undergraduate STEM education will likely require transforming our approach to preparing and supporting undergraduate instructors.

Teacher Knowledge for Active-Learning Instruction: Expert–Novice Comparison Reveals Differences

This study examined teacher knowledge important to effective active-learning instruction in large college biology courses by comparing expert and novice thinking. Experts paid attention to particular aspects of instruction more frequently than novices and reasoned more deeply as they evaluated and made suggestions about how to improve lessons.