The purpose of this study was to compare instructional effectiveness of traditional animal dissections and computer simulation dissections related to student achievement and attitudes.

Thesis (MPhil) (Higher Education)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Transformation in biology teaching is inevitable. There is a global concern about the quality of undergraduate biology teaching, especially when considering the growth in the fields of biotechnology and the molecular sciences. Programmes of learning have to be market orientated, and the contents of curricula have to equip students for entrance into a specific career. At the University of Stellenbosch the School for Biological Sciences has developed an interdisciplinary approach to first-year biology teaching. The new programmes in Biological Sciences, implemented in 2000, contain first-year curricula that introduce students to the disciplines of genetics, botany, zoology, microbiology, biochemistry and statistics. This involves participation by six departments, and lecture facilitation in two languages for up to 600 students. As contact sessions between lecturers and students are limited, self-study is becoming increasingly important, and lectures should be fully exploited to obtain deep learning. This study investigated various ways to enhance the teaching and learning process for first-year biology students in a module fraught with growing pains and problems. The influence of software support on student learning was evaluated, while the introduction of an innovative approach to teaching statistics to first-year students was analyzed. Supplementing the statistics section with video-recordings of the lectures was further considered as a possible way of overcoming various obstacles in especially this section of the module. The application of a practical laboratory course to enhance the quality of the theoretical lectures was also investigated and evaluated. It can be concluded that no simple solution could be found to solve the variety of problems that arose with implementation of the new programmes of learning. Technology proved to be invaluable, but should be applied after thorough needs assessment and impact studies have been performed. Provision of IT tools and facilities do not necessarily imply their application and effect, and innovation and inspiration still proved to be most effective in enhancing biology teaching. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Transformasie in biologie-onderrig is onvermydelik. Daar is wêreldwye kommer oor die kwaliteit van voorgraadse biologie-onderrig, veral in die lig van die vooruitgang in biotegnologie en die molekulêre wetenskappe. Programme van onderrig moet markgerig wees, en die inhoud van leerplanne loopbaangerig. Die Skool vir Biologiese Wetenskappe van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch het sedert sy stigting 'n interdissiplinêre benadering tot eerstejaarsbiologie-onderrig ontwikkel. Die nuwe programme in die Biologiese Wetenskappe wat in 2000 geïmplementeer is, bevat eerstejaarskurrikula wat studente bekendstel aan die dissiplines van genetika, botanie, sooloqie, mikrobiologie, biochemie en statistiek. Ses departemente is hierby betrokke, en lesings word in twee tale vir tot 600 studente aangebied. Aangesien kontaksessies tussen dosente en studente beperk is, word selfstudie toenemend belangrik, en lesure moet ten volle benut word om 'n diepgaande leerproses te verkry. Hierdie studie ondersoek derhalwe verskeie potensiële maniere waarop die onderrigen leerproses by eerstejaarbiologie-studente versterk kan word. Die invloed van sagteware-ondersteuning by die leerproses is geëvalueer, terwyl 'n nuwe innoverende benadering tot statistiek-onderrig vir eerstejaarstudente geanaliseer is. Uitbreiding en ondersteuning van die statistiek-seksie, d.m.v. videoopnames van die lesings, is verder oorweeg om verskeie van die hindernisse in veral hierdie deel van die module te oorkom. Die toepassing van 'n laboratoriumkursus om die kwaliteit van die teoretiese lesings uit te brei is ook geëvalueer. Daar kan saamgevat word dat geen enkelvoudige oplossing bestaan om die verskeidenheid van probleme op te los wat met implementering van die programme ontstaan het nie. Tegnologie is onontbeerlik, maar moet toegepas word nadat behoorlike behoeftebepaling en impakstudies uitgevoer is. Verskaffing van informasietegnologie impliseer nie noodwendig die nodige toepassing en effek nie, en innovasie en inspirasie blyk steeds onontbeerlik te wees om biologie-onderrig uit te brei en te versterk.

Development of a college level freshman biology course was undertaken in response to government reports that American students have fallen behind students of other countries in the area of the sciences. Teaching strategies were investigated to accomplish two objectives, to define essential academic material to include in the course and to investigate teaching techniques that would increase deep processing of the information. An active process that consisted of applying the cognitive information to solving problems or developing answers to questions was defined as critical thinking. Critical thinking was incorporated into the course by the use of case studies.

More so than any other science in the past several decades, Biology has seen an explosion of new information and monumental discoveries that have had a profound impact on much more than the science itself. Much of this has occurred at the molecular level. Many of these modern concepts, ideas, and technologies, as well as their historical context, can be easily understood and appreciated at the high school level. Moreover, it is argued here that the integration of this is critical for making biology relevant as a modern science. A contemporary high school biology curriculum should adequately reflect this newly acquired knowledge and how it has already has already begun to revolutionize medicine, agriculture, and the study of biology itself. This curriculum provides teachers with a detailed framework for integrating molecular biology into a high school biology curriculum. It is not intended to represent the curriculum for an entire academic year, but should be considered a significant component. In addition to examining key concepts and discoveries, it examines modern molecular techniques, their applications, and their relevance to science and beyond. It also provides several recommended labs and helpful protocols.

The primary purpose of this study was to develop the considerations and techniques for the selection, development, and validation of laboratory experience units in general biology for prospective elementary school teachers. The completed laboratory experience unites developed in this study may serve as resources of activities for college instructors who teach general biology to undergraduate majors in elementary education. For purposes of this study the laboratory experience unites were centered about those principles of general biology which an elementary school teacher should understand in order to teach about plants and animals.

D.Phil. / Education in South Africa is currently in a process of transformation. The transformation is aimed at facilitating equal opportunities for all learners. All educational institutions are primarily involved in the realisation of the human potential of each and every prospective citizen of this diverse country. This research was conducted with the ultimate aim of determining whether Biology as subject could unlock processes of thought in learners, resulting in the development of certain essential skills. The attainment of these mentioned skills might contribute to the optimal cultivation of human potential. A comprehensive study, in which relevant literature was scrutinised, was conducted in order to explore concepts concerning the field of human potential, as well as aspects concerning the discipline of Biology as subject. Qualitative- and quantitative research methods were used. The qualitative research entailed interviews with a focus group. For the purpose of the comparative study, a questionnaire was developed. This represented the quantitative component of the research. The questionnaire was designed to determine to what extent skills of grade 12 Biology learners were developed regarding the following domains: • Cognitive- and psychomotor domains • Affective- and ethical-normative domains • Social domain The results obtained from the empirical study indicated significant statistical differences concerning the extent of skills development in learners studying Biology as opposed to learners not studying Biology as a subject. It can be concluded that the extent of the development of cognitive-, psychomotor-, ethical-normative- and affective skills of Biology learners statistically exceeds those of the non-Biology learners. The extent of development of skills regarding the social domain did not reflect statistically significant differences between the two groups. Regarding the development of additional essential skills, the Biology learners selected Biology in particular as the specific subject contributing extensively towards the development of these additional skills. Post-hoc statistical analysis indicated disparities regarding schools with different languages of instruction. The extent of development of skills of Biology learners attending schools with Afrikaans as medium of instruction significantly exceeds the level of development of learners attending English schools. Results of this research confirm the fact that Biology as subject develops skills in learners across a broad spectrum of domains. With the proposed implementing of the 2006 Further Education and Training (FET)-Curriculum it is imperative that the training of teachers, teaching methods, the positioning of Biology/Life Sciences in the curriculum and the selection of curriculum content are amongst the important issues which have to be addressed. In conclusion it can be stated that, according to the judgement of the learners, Biology as a subject develops an exceptional range of skills and thus contributes to cultivating essential aspects of human potential. The skilful and effective application of the subject Biology can enhance self-discovery in learners and aid them in fostering positive prospects concerning their future.

A research project submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, .Johannesburg, in part fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg 1993. / This study aims at providing some evaluation of the impact of the Transvaal Senior Certificate, Higher Grade, Biology Examination on Biology teaching in the Transvaal, It also looks. at the effectiveness of this exarnlnatlon as an assessment/evaluation instrument. A questlonnalre is used to secure the views qf practising Biology teachers, and teacher trainers, about the stated objectives of Biology teaching at senior high school level in terms of:- - their relative merit and importance. - their attainment through current teachinq practices. - their evaluation by the examination Board, The views of 63 teachers and 9 teacher trainers are analysed and the views of Transvaal and Natal teachers are compared to those of Teacher Trainers. Much consensus is found in the responses of all three groups of educators. They are well aware of modern trends and methodologies in the field of Biology Education but are pessimistic about the current achievement of many of the objectives they identify as being Important for effective Biology Teaching. They see the examination as one which focuses mainly on the assessment of Recall of Knowledge, The implications of these findings are discussed and several recommendations are made. / AC2017

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Thesis (M.A. (English)) --University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus), 2007 / The study sought to investigate the challenges which teachers and learners encountered on daily basis when they use English as the medium of instruction (MOI) in content subjects. The study was conducted at Jim Chavani High school which was convenient for the researcher who is a deputy principal of the school. The researcher has purposively selected Biology which is regarded as one of the most difficult subjects and which has high failure rate in most schools in the Malamulele area. The literature review was obtained from a variety of sources which include library books, journals, government gazettes, news papers and the internet. The review shed light on the challenges of teaching through the medium of English among learners with indigenous language backgrounds. This body of research has shown that attention was placed on townships and urban areas with little or no focus on remote rural areas such as Malamulele. The researcher used the qualitative research methodology to collect data through classroom observations, interviews, and writing protocols.The use of qualitative enquiry enabled the researcher to explore the challenges in a natural setting. Three teachers and eighteen learners were respondents in the study. Data collected were discussed and analysed in order to select the most suitable information which could address the aim and objectives of the study. The result of the study showed that the learners were negative towards the use of English as the MOI. On the converse, the teachers have mixed feeling on the choice for English even though they acknowledge difficulties iv posed by English in their classrooms. Spoken data showed a varied degree of code-alternation and culturally induced strategies were found in their writing protocols. Given these findings, the study draws a conclusion that using English as the MOI in remote rural areas further disadvantages the learners from getting the full benefits for comprehension in the content subject. It was therefore recommended that language planners needed to step up the process of allowing indigenous African languages as the media of learning while English is taught as the school subject.