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Discussion The discussion focuses on the findings based on the research questions – How can the students’ understanding of photosynthesis be enhanced through its relation to the environment and the nature of science? And what is the impact of the teaching intervention on the teachers and the students? Regarding the first question, the findings indicated that the teaching intervention contributed to enhancing students’ understanding of photosynthesis, the relationships between photosynthesis and the environment, and the nature of science. 1. Teaching for a Better Understanding of Photosynthesis This research examined students’ conceptions in five introductory photosynthesis concepts: roles of chlorophyll, plant food, plant materials, plant and light energy, and simple photosynthesis equation. This research found that students who understand the introductory concepts appear to understand the advanced concepts. Those include four concepts: structures and functions of chloroplast, light dependent (light) phase, light independent (dark) phase, necessary factors affecting photosynthesis rate. 222 It seems to this research that teaching photosynthesis should begin with eliciting and correcting students’ prior misconceptions. Correcting the misconceptions should be done after having assessed the students’ introductory knowledge of photosynthesis and their Thai view about plants. Using concept mapping with explanation and discussion seems to facilitate the process of correcting the misconceptions. The studies of Hazel and Prosser (1994); Brown (2003) also supported that concept mapping with discussion powerfully helped teachers to explore and analyze the students’ conceptions. Also, using story-telling to explain scientific ideas, such as what plant food is, where the food comes from, and how plants make food appear to powerfully facilitate
the students to understand the relationships between plant food, plant materials and 223 the photosynthesis process. In the case study conducted at the Border School, the concepts were discussed using the booklet “why do plants make sugar?” The findings indicated that a majority of students could correct the misconceptions. For example, the misconception about plant food; “mineral, fertilizer, water and air are plant food...” was correctly substituted by the scientific concept; “glucose was plant food.” These findings are supported by the studies of Barker and Carr (1989b, 1989c); Matthews (1994). Osborne and Wittrock (1985) also supported that exploring the students’ prior knowledge using think share pair, think pair square, challenging them link and generate new ideas about the concepts with their pair using game such as “True or False” and “Matching Me” game, and assessing their own ideas with anybody else in the classroom using story-telling and concept mapping helped them to correct their misconceptions. Observations and interviews (in the case studies of the Market School and the Babysat School) also supported that emphasizing on lecturing without exploring the prior knowledge probably decreased the teachers’ formative assessment. Students then had fewer chances to assess their own ideas. Some students retained their misconceptions or generated new misconceptions. Surveys and interviews in the case studies indicated that the students’ prior understanding of introductory concepts support the students’ understanding of advanced concepts. S01, S07 and S12, the students who corrected the misconception about plant food appeared to scientifically understand the light independent (dark) phase. On the other hand, students’ learning difficulties of chemical structure and oxidation-reaction possibly had brought them to misunderstand the light dependent (light) phase. For example, S01 who perceived that oxygen atom of H2O and CO2 are electrons. S01 held some misconception that CO2 is separated into the electron and the oxygen gas by light energy (see Table 5.4). Thus, there are introductory concepts that this research additionally suggests to enhance high school students’ understanding of advanced photosynthesis concepts. Teachers should probe and
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THESIS CASE STUDIES OF TEACHING AND
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABL
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) iii P
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) v Pag
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LIST OF TABLES Table Page 2.1 Struc
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LIST OF TABLES (CONTINUED) Table Pa
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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This chapter
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led to improvement in the promotion
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water worked as food transported wi
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suggested peer collaboration for hi
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chloroplasts and pigments, the ligh
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would like to develop a new teachin
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concepts, such as absorption of lig
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conceptions, the scope of biology e
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3, and 8. In Grades 11-12, the scie
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Table 2.3 Basic Science Content Sta
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Table 2.3 (Cont’d) Contents Conte
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light energy and chlorophyll 2 H O
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2. Photosynthesis Itself Plants, al
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of chlorophyll. The students believ
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Up to this point, those previous st
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partly because of the biology educa
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(Matthews, 1997: 6). Philosophicall
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understanding capability of environ
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4. Social Constructivism The Russia
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5. Constructivist-Based Teaching ab
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peers, while the control group work
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generation to the next” (Cobb and
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2.1) Thai Living Styles Thailand is
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focuses prepare them to take the Na
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culture. First, Thai existing views
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Third, the nature of science is the
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democratic view, that the understan
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4. Summary: Integrating the Nature
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elationship between one concept and
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Brown (2003) used a combination of
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Focusing on thinking and encouragin
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Which aspect of the nature of scien
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teaching photosynthesis needs impro
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− encouraging students to partici
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The attempt to understand and inter
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Figure 3.1 Research Design of the T
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was considered to differentiate the
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2.1) Teacher Preparation for Implem
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3. Evaluating Impacts of Photosynth
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Figure 3.2 Survey Developmental Pro
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1.2) Advanced Photosynthesis Survey
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1. accessibility - is enabling the
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implementation of the teaching inte
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Table 3.4 Data Collection Program S
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students. The learning culture in t
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1. Surveys: Content Analysis Conten
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They were confirmed by the teachers
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CHAPTER IV THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS TEACH
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structures and functions of chlorop
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Therefore, this study focused on us
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from constructivism to socio0cultur
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Sub-stand 1: Living Things and Livi
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stroma. 5.3) Lists of Concept Propo
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c) Light independent (dark) phase
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Figure 4.1 Photosynthesis Concept M
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Lesson 1 ‘Plant food’, aimed to
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Lesson 5 ‘Light independent (dark
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Table 4.1 Photosynthesis Lesson Pla
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Table 4.1 Cont’d Lesson 3. Struct
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Table 4.1 Cont’d Lesson 5. Light
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Table 4.1 Cont’d Lesson 6. Studen
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After the researcher finished devel
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per a week, namely two 60-min perio
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always asked what she really did no
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schooling studying, she studied Phy
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B = blackboard C = instrument cupbo
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Forty nine percentages had partial
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for photosynthesis. Only seven perc
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Table 5.3 Correcting the Introducto
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Mrs. Engka: Right (confirmed). You
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structures might be a metaphor of u
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Table 5.4 Advanced Photosynthesis C
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In her planning for the nature of s
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participating in role play discussi
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5.4) Principle IV: Enabling Student
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inside and outside teaching period.
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Activities 5.6) Principle VI: Encou
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6. Summary of the Border School In
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2. Background Information about Mr.
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Table 5.7 Mr. Vyn’s Students Sele
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Mr. Vyn had his own style of teachi
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5. Mr. Vyn’s Implementation of th
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Mr. Vyn: …No. 4…mineral is plan
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The misconception that CO2, mineral
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Although the students incompletely
Page 185 and 186: model of chloroplast structure base
Page 187 and 188: undle-sheath cells. Both cells cont
Page 189 and 190: Table 5.9 Advanced Photosynthesis C
Page 191 and 192: However, there was no discussion ab
Page 193 and 194: change in term of application of ol
Page 195 and 196: 5.4) Principle IV: Enabling Student
Page 197 and 198: discussion. “The teacher always d
Page 199 and 200: photosynthesis e.g. dark phase. Als
Page 201 and 202: 2. Background Information about Mrs
Page 203 and 204: Table 5.12 Mrs. Amp’s Students Se
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Page 207 and 208: misconceptions about plant food, pa
Page 209 and 210: The misconceptions about plant and
Page 211 and 212: Table 5.13 Correcting the Introduct
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Page 215 and 216: Table 5.14 Advanced Photosynthesis
Page 217 and 218: One conception about science demand
Page 219 and 220: Table 5.15 The Nature of Science of
Page 221 and 222: Not only relating photosynthesis kn
Page 223 and 224: the book and summarized the concept
Page 225 and 226: Cross Case Studies: Implementation
Page 227 and 228: In case of the teachers e.g. Mrs. A
Page 229 and 230: students’ own views about plants
Page 231 and 232: CHAPTER VI SUMMARY, DISCUSSION AND
Page 233 and 234: 5. The students’ understanding of
Page 235: learning participation rarely appea
Page 239 and 240: the science project for environment
Page 241 and 242: ecause old knowledge was reinterpre
Page 243 and 244: Table 6.2 Learning Activities Sugge
Page 245 and 246: understandings about the light inde
Page 247 and 248: Therefore, this research suggested
Page 249 and 250: Amir, R. and P. Tamir. 1995. Propos
Page 251 and 252: Bell, B. 1998. Teacher development
Page 253 and 254: Campbell, N. and J. Reece. 2002. Bi
Page 255 and 256: Duit, R. and D. Treagust. 2003. Lea
Page 257 and 258: Govindjee, J., T. Beatty, and H. Ge
Page 259 and 260: Institute for the Promotion of Teac
Page 261 and 262: Lin, H. and C. Chen. 2002. Promotin
Page 263 and 264: Merriam, S. 1988. Case Study Resear
Page 265 and 266: Patton, M. 1990. Qualitative Evalua
Page 267 and 268: Smith, M. and L. Scharmann. 1999. D
Page 269 and 270: Von Glasersfeld, E. 1995. Radical C
Page 271 and 272: APPENDIX A: INTRODUCTORY PHOTOSYNTH
Page 273 and 274: 1. Tick any of these items which ca
Page 275 and 276: 6.5) Plants need carbohydrate for t
Page 277 and 278: APPENDIX B: ADVANCED PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Page 279 and 280: 5. Tick any item (s) which you thin
Page 281 and 282: 12. Here is a statement about plant
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