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Learning Introductory Biology: Students' Concept-Building Approaches Predict Transfer on Biology Exams

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Title: Learning Introductory Biology: Students' Concept-Building Approaches Predict Transfer on Biology Exams
Language: English
Authors: McDaniel, Mark A., Cahill, Michael J., Frey, Regina F., Limeri, Lisa B., Lemons, Paula P.
Source: CBE - Life Sciences Education. Dec 2022 21(4).
Availability: American Society for Cell Biology. 8120 Woodmont Avenue Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20814-2762. Tel: 301-347-9300; Fax: 301-347-9310; e-mail: ascbinfo@ascb.org; Website: https://www.lifescied.org/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2022
Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Contract Number: DRL1350345
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Introductory Courses, Concept Formation, Scientific Concepts, Biology, Cognitive Psychology, Science Tests, Active Learning, Teaching Methods, Transfer of Training, Retention (Psychology), Abstract Reasoning, Intelligence Tests, College Entrance Examinations, Scores, Undergraduate Students, Test Items
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices, ACT Assessment, SAT (College Admission Test)
DOI: 10.1187/cbe.21-12-0335
ISSN: 1931-7913
Abstract: Previous studies have found that students' concept-building approaches, identified a priori with a cognitive psychology laboratory task, are associated with student exam performances in chemistry classes. Abstraction learners (those who extract the principles underlying related examples) performed better than exemplar learners (those who focus on memorizing the training exemplars and responses) on transfer exam questions but not retention questions, after accounting for general ability. We extended these findings to introductory biology courses in which active-learning techniques were used to try to foster deep conceptual learning. Exams were constructed to contain both transfer and retention questions. Abstraction learners demonstrated better performance than exemplar learners on the transfer questions but not on the retention questions. These results were not moderated by indices of crystallized or fluid intelligence. Our central interpretation is that students identified as abstraction learners appear to construct a deep understanding of the concepts (presumably based on abstract underpinnings), thereby enabling them to apply and generalize the concepts to scenarios and instantiations not seen during instruction (transfer questions). By contrast, other students appear to base their representations on memorized instructed examples, leading to good performance on retention questions but not transfer questions.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2023
Accession Number: EJ1375878
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: American Society for Cell Biology. 8120 Woodmont Avenue Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20814-2762. Tel: 301-347-9300; Fax: 301-347-9310; e-mail: ascbinfo@ascb.org; Website: https://www.lifescied.org/
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  Data: 14
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  Data: Previous studies have found that students' concept-building approaches, identified a priori with a cognitive psychology laboratory task, are associated with student exam performances in chemistry classes. Abstraction learners (those who extract the principles underlying related examples) performed better than exemplar learners (those who focus on memorizing the training exemplars and responses) on transfer exam questions but not retention questions, after accounting for general ability. We extended these findings to introductory biology courses in which active-learning techniques were used to try to foster deep conceptual learning. Exams were constructed to contain both transfer and retention questions. Abstraction learners demonstrated better performance than exemplar learners on the transfer questions but not on the retention questions. These results were not moderated by indices of crystallized or fluid intelligence. Our central interpretation is that students identified as abstraction learners appear to construct a deep understanding of the concepts (presumably based on abstract underpinnings), thereby enabling them to apply and generalize the concepts to scenarios and instantiations not seen during instruction (transfer questions). By contrast, other students appear to base their representations on memorized instructed examples, leading to good performance on retention questions but not transfer questions.
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