Postsecondary Biology Students' Ways of Participating in Critique During Structured Primary Literature Discussions

• In Event: Participation, Understanding, and Reasoning in Science Education

Abstract

This longitudinal, multiple-case study described postsecondary biology students’ ways of participating in critique during primary literature discussions. The cases included a lower-division ecology course, an upper-division organismal course, and a journal club that was a component of a summer undergraduate research program. Each case was designed to incorporate weekly discussions of primary literature. We used multiple analytical frameworks to code 12 focal discussions (4 from each case) for ways of participating in critique. Four themes emerged from the cross-case analysis related to the substance of critique, the organization of critique across the discussion, the positive and negative framing of critiques, and the role of collective sensemaking in these contexts. These findings have implications for instructional design and future research.

Authors

• Gabby Jablonski, Idaho State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Anna Strimaitis Grinath, Idaho State University
  Presenting Author