Learning Genetics and Evolution through scientific practices. A case study with secondary students
- Ageitos Prego, Noa
- Blanca Puig Mauriz Director
Defence university: Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
Fecha de defensa: 10 October 2019
- Konstantinos Kampourakis Chair
- Paloma Blanco Anaya Secretary
- Ánxela Bugallo-Rodríguez Committee member
Type: Thesis
Abstract
This thesis examines scientific and reasoning practices, as well as epistemic actions while students learn genetics and evolution to explain diverse human diseases. The research aims to advance biology education research on modelling and argumentation in this context, particularly on the interactions between both practices. The introduction of rhetoric to the analysis of argumentation and the application of the three worlds of knowledge framework in modelling constitute the main contributions of this research. The results show that the use of evidence plays a central role in modelling gene expression and point to students' difficulties in moving through biological levels of organization when reasoning about genetics and evolution.