Exploring Upper Elementary Students' Understandings of the Relationship Between Inheritance of Traits and Variation of Traits

• In Event: 63.085 - Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: 63.085-1 - Fostering, Assessing, Mapping, and Enhancing Scientific Reasoning

Abstract

Genetics has become increasingly important in everyday life and, correspondingly, in state and national standards. This study examines the relationship between 474 fifth-graders' understandings of the concepts of inheritance of traits and variation of traits. A confirmatory factor analysis, supplemented with qualitative analyses of students’ responses, revealed a relationship between these concepts and contributed evidence about the nature of students' challenges. While most students demonstrated some normative ideas, students still struggled to explain variation of traits as resulting from equal inheritance of genetic information from two parents. Instead, they focused on generational patterns of visible traits or on the influence of non-genetic factors. Deepening understanding of young students' heredity-related thinking can improve older students’ preparation for learning advanced genetics-related concepts.

Authors

• Amal Ibourk, Michigan State University

• Michelle Williams, Michigan State University

• Amanda Opperman, Michigan State University

• Yiyu Xie, University of California - Berkeley