Scaffolding Secondary Students' Natural Selection Transfer Through Computational Thinking

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: Division C Section 1d: Science Poster Session 2 (San Diego)

Abstract

Natural selection is an important mechanism of evolution. However, students hold misconceptions about natural selection and struggle to explain it in different organismal contexts. This study aimed to scaffold transfer of natural selection understanding across contexts through creation of hand-written algorithmic explanations using computational thinking (CT). Students explained four natural selection scenarios as pre- and post-unit assessments: bacteria, mice, lilies, and mosquitos. Students’ explanations significantly increased in natural selection content from pre- to post-unit. There were less significant differences between context in post-unit explanations than pre-unit explanations. Misconceptions occurred mostly within explanations with low sequencing scores. Students who sequenced natural selection correctly were more likely to include both mutation and initial variation in their explanations. Implications are discussed.

Authors

• Amanda Peel, Northwestern University

• Golnaz Arastoopour Irgens, Clemson University