Fostering Understanding of Complex Systems in Biology Education: Pedagogies, Guidelines and Insights from Classroom-based Research (Contributions from Biology Education Research)

"This book synthesizes a wealth of international research on the critical topic of ‘fostering understanding of complex systems in biology education’. Complex systems are prevalent in many scientific fields, and at all scales, from the micro scale of a single cell or molecule to complex systems at the macro scale such as ecosystems. Understanding the complexity of natural systems can be extremely challenging, though crucial for an adequate understanding of what they are and how they work. The term “systems thinking” has become synonymous with developing a coherent understanding of complex biological processes and phenomena. For researchers and educators alike, understanding how students’ systems thinking develops is an essential prerequisite to develop and maintain pedagogical scaffolding that facilitates students’ ability to fully understand the system’s complexity. To that end, this book provides researchers and teachers with key insights from the current research community on how to support learners systems thinking in secondary and higher education. Each chapter in the book elaborates on different theoretical and methodological frameworks pertaining to complexity in biology education and a variety of biological topics are included from genetics, photosynthesis, and the carbon cycle to ecology and climate change. Specific attention is paid to design elements of computer-based learning environments to understand complexity in biology education." --Cover Preface Contents Chapter 1: Theoretical Perspectives on Complex Systems in Biology Education 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Systems Dynamics and Systems Thinking 1.3 From Structure, Behavior, Function to Phenomena-Mechanisms-Components 1.4 Agent-Based Modeling 1.5 Thinking in Levels 1.6 Conclusion References Chapter 2: Long Term Ecological Research as a Learning Environment: Evaluating Its Impact in Developing the Understanding of Ecological Systems Thinking – A Case Study 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Literature Review 2.2.1 The Ecosystem as Complex System 2.2.2 The Difficulties Associated with Understanding Complex Ecological Systems 2.2.3 Developing and Assessing System Thinking 2.3 Methods 2.3.1 Setting and Population 2.3.2 Research Tools and Data Analysis 2.4 Results 2.4.1 Analysis Level 2.4.2 Synthesis Level 2.4.3 Implementation Level 2.4.4 Students’ Understanding of the Content and the Value of LTER 2.5 Discussion References Chapter 3: Involving Teachers in the Design Process of a Teaching and Learning Trajectory to Foster Students’ Systems Thinking 3.1 Introduction 3.1.1 Definitions of Systems Thinking 3.1.2 Teaching Systems Thinking 3.1.3 Focus of the Research 3.2 Method 3.2.1 Participants 3.2.2 LS Meetings 3.2.3 Designed Lessons 3.2.3.1 Lesson 1 3.2.3.2 Lesson 2 3.2.4 Pre- and Post-interviews 3.3 Results 3.3.1 RQ1: Contributions of the Teachers 3.3.2 RQ2: Learning Experiences 3.4 Conclusion References Chapter 4: Supporting University Student Learning of Complex Systems: An Example of Teaching the Interactive Processes That Constitute Photosynthesis 4.1 Introduction 4.1.1 What Makes Biological Systems Complex? 4.1.2 How Students Learn About Complexity 4.1.3 How Instruction Can Support Student Learning of Complex Systems 4.1.4 Teaching and Learning the Complexity of Photosynthesis 4.2 Classroom Context and Methods 4.3 Results from Implementation 4.4 Conclusions and Implications References Chapter 5: High School Students’ Causal Reasoning and Molecular Mechanistic Reasoning About Gene-Environment Interplay After a Semester-Long Course in Genetics 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Background of the Study 5.3 Aims and Objectives 5.4 Method 5.4.1 Sample 5.4.2 Assessment of Students’ Reasoning 5.4.3 The Interviews 5.4.4 Coding the Students’ Responses to the Open-Response Task 5.5 Results 5.5.1 Findings for the First Question of the Task: What Does the Eye Color of Fruit Flies Depend on? 5.5.2 Findings for the Second Question of the Task: Tracing Trait Formation 5.5.3 Findings from the Interviews 5.6 Discussion and Educational Implications References Chapter 6: Systems Thinking in Ecological and Physiological Systems and the Role of Representations 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Similarities and Differences of Complex Systems 6.3 Systems Thinking 6.4 Representations of Complex Systems 6.5 Purpose and Methodology 6.6 Systems Thinking in Ecological Contexts 6.7 Systems Thinking in Physiological Contexts 6.7.1 Process Continuity 6.7.2 Self-Regulation 6.7.3 Causal-Mechanistic Relations 6.8 Discussion References Chapter 7: The Zoom Map: Explaining Complex Biological Phenomena by Drawing Connections Between and in Levels of Organization 7.1 Introduction 7.2 What Makes Biological Explanations Complex? The Perspective of Scientists 7.2.1 Characteristics of Biological Explanations 7.2.2 A Plethora of Biological Levels 7.2.3 Organizing the Levels of Biological Organization 7.2.4 Comparing the Levels of Scientific Disciplines 7.3 What Makes Biological Explanations Complex? – The Students’ Perspective 7.3.1 Students’ Difficulties for Explaining Phenomena 7.3.2 Zooming in on the Construction of Explanations 7.4 Guiding the Process of Explaining with the Zoom Map—The Educators’ Perspective 7.4.1 Theoretical Learning Principles for Teaching Complex Phenomena 7.4.2 The Zoom Map 7.5 Design of the Study and Materials 7.5.1 The Zoom Map Prepared for a Particular Explanation 7.5.2 Experience-Based Conceptions Are Needed to Construct an Explanation 7.5.3 External Representations Depict the Mechanism 7.5.4 Participants 7.5.5 Analysis 7.6 Results 7.6.1 A Zoom Map to Explain Upright and Wilted Leaves 7.6.2 A Zoom Map Demands Exhaustive Editing 7.6.3 Learners Drill Down to Lower Levels in Their Explanations 7.6.4 Direction of Explanation: Top-Down, Bottom-Up, or yo-yo 7.7 Discussion 7.8 Implications for Biology Teaching References Chapter 8: Pre-service Teachers’ Conceptual Schemata and System Reasoning About the Carbon Cycle and Climate Change: An Exploratory Study of a Learning Framework for Understanding Complex Systems 8.1 Introduction 8.1.1 Knowledge About the Carbon Cycle and Climate Change 8.1.2 Climate Change Education 8.1.3 Systems Thinking and the Structure-Behavior-Function (SBF) Conceptual Framework 8.1.4 Research Objectives 8.2 Methods 8.2.1 Participants 8.2.2 Learning Intervention 8.2.2.1 Concept Maps 8.2.2.2 Lab Experiments 8.2.2.3 Computer Simulations 8.2.2.4 Concept Map Revision and Reflections 8.2.3 Data Collection and Analysis 8.2.3.1 Concept Map Analysis 8.2.3.2 Interview Analysis 8.3 Results 8.3.1 Group A: Slovenian Pre-service Lower-Secondary-School Biology Teachers 8.3.2 Group B: Cyprus Pre-service Primary School Teachers 8.3.3 Group C: Cyprus Pre-service Preschool Teachers 8.4 Discussion 8.4.1 Educational Implications and Suggestions for Future Research References Chapter 9: Teaching Students to Grasp Complexity in Biology Education Using a “Body of Evidence” Approach 9.1 Introduction 9.1.1 What Is a Body of Evidence Approach? 9.1.2 A BOE Approach for Middle School Science: Understanding Goals 9.2 Research Questions 9.3 Methods 9.3.1 Design 9.3.2 Participants 9.3.3 Curriculum 9.3.4 BOE Intervention Components 9.4 Data Sources and Analysis 9.4.1 Concept Maps 9.4.2 Post-interviews 9.5 Results 9.5.1 Concept Maps 9.5.2 Interviews 9.5.2.1 Confounding Causal Factors with Sources of Evidence 9.5.2.2 Expressing the Value of Multiple Possible Explanations/Models 9.5.2.3 Recognizing a Collection of Evidence Intended to Support a Claim 9.5.2.4 Making Connections to Other Learning about Evidence 9.5.2.5 Acknowledging Ecosystems Science Experimentation as Sensitive to Not Harming the Environment 9.6 Discussion Appendix Overview of the Plus BOE Curriculum Experimentation Tools in EcoXPT EcoXPT Thinking Move Posters Including a Body of Evidence Approach Script for Body of Evidence Approach Thinking Move Video Body of Evidence Worksheet Thinking About Different Types of Evidence Worksheet (Both Classes) Supporting Materials for Body of Evidence Thinking Move Learning from Opportunistic Experiments Discussion Sheet Uncertainty and Constructing a Best Explanation Discussion Sheet References Chapter 10: Science Teachers’ Construction of Knowledge About Simulations and Population Size Via Performing Inquiry with Simulations of Growing Vs. Descending Levels of Complexity 10.1 Introduction 10.1.1 Simulations 10.1.2 Performing a Simulation-Based Scientific Inquiry 10.2 The Study and Its Context 10.2.1 Participants 10.2.2 Data Collection 10.2.3 Data Analysis 10.2.4 Procedure 10.3 What Did we Learn About Teachers’ Knowledge and SBSI? 10.3.1 Teachers’ Knowledge About Simulations and their Function 10.3.2 Teachers’ Pedagogical Knowledge and Beliefs About Teaching with Simulations 10.3.3 Teachers’ Knowledge and Understanding of Population Dynamics and Related Representations 10.3.4 Science Teachers’ Inquiry Performance 10.3.5 SBSI Time Duration 10.3.6 Inquiry Phases 10.3.7 Teachers’ Talk About Population Dynamics and SBSI Experiences 10.4 Promoting System Thinking through the Use of Simulations – Few Recommendations for a Pedagogy and a Learning Environment As Well As Implications for Instruction and Learning References Chapter 11: Designing Complex Systems Curricula for High School Biology: A Decade of Work with the BioGraph Project 11.1 Developing a Coherent Understanding of Biological Systems 11.2 The BioGraph Curriculum and Instruction Framework 11.2.1 Curricular Relevance: What Is Being Learned? 11.2.2 Cognitively-Rich Pedagogies: How Does Learning Happen? 11.2.3 Tools for Teaching and Learning: What Is Used to Support Instruction and Learning? 11.2.4 Content Expertise: What Is the Knowledge to Be Learned? 11.3 Designing for Teacher PD 11.3.1 Face-to-Face PD: Exploring Teacher Learning and Community Development 11.3.2 Online Asynchronous PD: Exploring How to Scale BioGraph Resources 11.4 Research Findings 11.4.1 Students Improve in Biology and Complex Systems Understanding 11.4.2 Students Understanding of Biology as a Coherent Set of Ideas Improves 11.4.3 Teachers Indicate High Usability in their Biology Courses 11.4.4 Developing Teacher’s Social Capital Is Key 11.5 Benefits of Computer-Supported Complex Systems Curricula and Lessons Learned References Chapter 12: Lessons Learned: Synthesizing Approaches That Foster Understanding of Complex Biological Phenomena 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Perspectives and Frameworks 12.3 Analysis of the Contributions in Terms of System Characteristics 12.3.1 Understanding Complexity in the Carbon Cycle 12.3.2 Understanding Complexity in Ecosystems 12.3.3 Understanding Complexity in Plant Physiology 12.3.4 Understanding Complexity in Genetics and Human Physiology 12.4 Pedagogical Guidelines and Scaffold Strategies 12.4.1 Modelling 12.4.1.1 Qualitative Pen and Paper Modelling Activities 12.4.1.2 Computer Based Modelling Activities 12.4.2 Authentic Inquiry Approach 12.4.3 Cross-Level Reasoning 12.4.4 Use of System Language 12.4.5 Summary References