Främjande av elevernas begreppsförståelse i biologi. En intervjustudie om högstadie- och gymnasielärares undervisningsmetoder

Abstract

Previous research shows that students may experience difficulties in developing an understanding of concepts in the subject of biology. This can be related to the subject’s level of abstraction and complexity, students’ misconceptions, as well as teachers’ choices of instructional methods. These factors may result in students becoming unmotivated to learn the subject. Since knowledge of concepts constitutes a central part of biology education, it is important for future subject teachers to be able to identify how teachers work to promote conceptual understanding in biology. This qualitative interview study investigates how teachers work to support students understanding of biological concepts. In other words, the study examines which teaching methods teachers report using and how they describe their didactic choices in relation to student motivation. To collect data, seven biology teachers at the lower and upper secondary school levels were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The transcribed material was analysed using thematic analysis. The 5E- and 7E instructional models, as well as Self-Determination Theory (SDT), were used as frameworks to interpret the results. From the thematic analysis, one key result was identified: teachers’ didactic choices, along with three themes, teacher-centred activities, student-centred activities and activities that include both teacher – and student-centred approaches. The result shows that teachers use a variety of teaching methods and approaches to support students conceptual understanding. Teachers connect concepts to students’ everyday experiences and break down concepts to make them more concrete and easier to understand. They use practical approaches, games and competitions, as well as digital and interactive tools to engage and motivate students to learn the concepts. The findings also indicate that teachers emphasize the importance of varying their teaching methods to reach as many students as possible.