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Flower or Leaf Characteristics, Coloured or Black and White Illustrations -- What Helps Student Teachers to Identify Plants?

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Title: Flower or Leaf Characteristics, Coloured or Black and White Illustrations -- What Helps Student Teachers to Identify Plants?
Language: English
Authors: Martin Remmele (ORCID 0000-0003-1260-842X), Elisa Wieland, Larissa Hahn (ORCID 0000-0002-5864-1594), Pascal Klein (ORCID 0000-0003-3023-1478), Petra Lindemann-Matthies (ORCID 0000-0003-1876-5784)
Source: Journal of Biological Education. 2025 59(3):468-483.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Undergraduate Students, Student Teachers, Biology, Science Education, Plants (Botany), Identification, Naming, Illustrations, Color, Eye Movements, Attention
Geographic Terms: Germany
DOI: 10.1080/00219266.2024.2351387
ISSN: 0021-9266
2157-6009
Abstract: For a sound understanding of biological diversity, it is not only important to identify species and recall their names, but to be able to distinguish between organisms based on a range of characteristic traits. However, whether flower or leaf characteristics are more important in identifying plant species and whether colour illustrations in identification books are more helpful than black and white ones is largely unexplored. With the help of a mobile eye-tracking device and pictures from two plant identification books, this study aimed to contribute to filling this knowledge gap. Thirty student teachers, all undergraduates in biology, were shown two freshly picked wildflowers ("Medicago sativa" and "Echium vulgare") and asked to select the corresponding illustration from each of four plants on an identification sheet, which was either in colour or in black and white. For both plants, the number of fixations, and positively correlated fixation duration, were significantly higher for the flower than the leaf part. Although flowers and leaves were fixated longer and more frequently in the black-and-white illustrations, correct identifications were more likely with the coloured identification sheets. The results indicate that colour illustrations and sorting by flower characteristics are particularly helpful in identification aids for undergraduate students.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1496555
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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PubType: Academic Journal
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  Data: Flower or Leaf Characteristics, Coloured or Black and White Illustrations -- What Helps Student Teachers to Identify Plants?
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  Data: English
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Martin+Remmele%22">Martin Remmele</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1260-842X">0000-0003-1260-842X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elisa+Wieland%22">Elisa Wieland</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Larissa+Hahn%22">Larissa Hahn</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5864-1594">0000-0002-5864-1594</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pascal+Klein%22">Pascal Klein</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3023-1478">0000-0003-3023-1478</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Petra+Lindemann-Matthies%22">Petra Lindemann-Matthies</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1876-5784">0000-0003-1876-5784</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Biological+Education%22"><i>Journal of Biological Education</i></searchLink>. 2025 59(3):468-483.
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  Label: Availability
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  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
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  Data: 16
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Undergraduate+Students%22">Undergraduate Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Teachers%22">Student Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biology%22">Biology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Science+Education%22">Science Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Plants+%28Botany%29%22">Plants (Botany)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Identification%22">Identification</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Naming%22">Naming</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Illustrations%22">Illustrations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Color%22">Color</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Eye+Movements%22">Eye Movements</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attention%22">Attention</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Germany%22">Germany</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
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  Data: 10.1080/00219266.2024.2351387
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  Data: 0021-9266<br />2157-6009
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: For a sound understanding of biological diversity, it is not only important to identify species and recall their names, but to be able to distinguish between organisms based on a range of characteristic traits. However, whether flower or leaf characteristics are more important in identifying plant species and whether colour illustrations in identification books are more helpful than black and white ones is largely unexplored. With the help of a mobile eye-tracking device and pictures from two plant identification books, this study aimed to contribute to filling this knowledge gap. Thirty student teachers, all undergraduates in biology, were shown two freshly picked wildflowers ("Medicago sativa" and "Echium vulgare") and asked to select the corresponding illustration from each of four plants on an identification sheet, which was either in colour or in black and white. For both plants, the number of fixations, and positively correlated fixation duration, were significantly higher for the flower than the leaf part. Although flowers and leaves were fixated longer and more frequently in the black-and-white illustrations, correct identifications were more likely with the coloured identification sheets. The results indicate that colour illustrations and sorting by flower characteristics are particularly helpful in identification aids for undergraduate students.
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  Data: As Provided
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  Data: 2026
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  Label: Accession Number
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  Data: EJ1496555
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/00219266.2024.2351387
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 16
        StartPage: 468
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Undergraduate Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Biology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Science Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Plants (Botany)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Identification
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Naming
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Illustrations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Color
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Eye Movements
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attention
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Germany
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Flower or Leaf Characteristics, Coloured or Black and White Illustrations -- What Helps Student Teachers to Identify Plants?
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            NameFull: Martin Remmele
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              Y: 2025
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