How do misconceptions about biology affect subject achievement and tool use?

Examining misconceptions among pupils with and without mild intellectual disabilities

Abstract

Background and aims: In this study we examine biology related misconceptions of seventh-grade pupils with and without mild intellectual disability in the context of subject achievement and the use of tools in biology classes. The examination of misconceptions has been a concern of researchers for a long time (Korom, 1997, 2002, 2022, Kádár & Farsang, 2019), one of the most potential devices is the word association method which can help us to reveal the knowledge and misconceptions quickly and efficiently (Sójáné & Tóth, 2017). This kind of research is common domestically and internationally as well among children with typical development (Daru & Tóth, 2014; Timur, 2012). On the other hand, there haven’t been that many studies centered around students with learning disabilities. In addition, the two groups have not yet been compared this way.

Method: The first part of the research consisted of taking a self-composed questionnaire followed by the word association test during which the students had one minute to associate with the given stimulus words. The data were analysed in the SPSS program using ANOVA method.

Results: The results clearly show the difference between the two pupils’ group, as students with mild intellectual disability produce more misconceptions in the same amount of time. Furthermore, it can be seen how factors such as subject achievement and the use of tools in biology class influence the students’ abilities to associate words.

Conclusions: Due to the number of participants, we cannot draw general conclusions. However, during the examination we highlighted the problematic areas. Furthermore, we can also make suggestions for factors that can be used to increase the proportion of correct associations so that fewer misconceptions can be incorporated during pupils’ acquisition of knowledge.

Keywords: misconceptions, biology, subject achievement, mild intellectual disability