Investigating the use of term recall and recognition tools in learning terminology and concepts in a senior biology classroom

Two teaching procedures that focussed on term awareness and recognition were researched for this paper, those procedures were: 1) Term Recall - now and before worksheets; and, 2) Term Recognition cards and worksheets. (Please note, the development of these procedures will not be discussed as it is beyond the scope of this paper however, please contact the first author should you require further details.)

Student responses to both teaching procedures were collected from the first author’s senior secondary Biology classes at the same school over a five year period. Student responses were examined and the effectiveness of the procedures in exploring student term awareness and familiarity considered in conjunction with systematic teacher reflection documented through journaling.

Context

Units 3 and 4 VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education) Biology are final secondary school science subjects in Victoria, Australia that include both internal and external assessment. The internal assessment score (worth 34% of the total final end of year score) is moderated against students’ external examination score. VCE comprises the final 2 years of secondary (high) school education. Traditionally Units 1 & 2 are in the second last year (Year 11) and Units 3 & 4 are in the final year (Year 12). However, students can accelerate their study and complete some Units 1 & 2 in Year 10 and therefore study some Units 3 & 4 in Year 11. The school year is a calendar year comprising four 10 week terms with two week breaks between each term across the year. Within the research study time period, there were two external exams worth 33% each, the first after 16 weeks of study in June and the second after the next 16 weeks of study in October; the same applied to each cohort each year for the five years of the study.

Throughout the time of the study, Unit 3 VCE Biology consisted of two Areas of Study. Area of Study One included content on the chemical nature of the cell, role of organelles and plasma membranes in the packaging and transport of biomolecules and the nature of biochemical processes (such as photosynthesis and cellular respiration). Area of Study Two included content related to control and regulation (e.g., homeostasis), infectious diseases and the immune response.

Unit 4 VCE Biology also consisted of two Areas of Study. Area of Study One focused on heredity and included molecular genetics (such as protein synthesis), genetic tools and techniques, transmission of heritable characteristics, cell reproduction, variation and patterns of inheritance in sexually reproducing organisms. Area of Study Two included population genetics, evolution and human intervention in evolutionary processes.

Data was collected throughout both Unit 3 and Unit 4 VCE Biology and representative data has been selected for presentation from across all data sets. The topics and terms selected as part of the study were chosen because they were part of the outlined for curriculum (as described above) and had terminology that was suited to the study.

Data sets

In this study, four key data sets were collected: 1) the identification and development of the teaching procedure; 2) student responses related to using the teaching procedure; 3) teacher responses related to using the teaching procedure; and, 4) teacher journal entries and reflections based on the ongoing teaching and learning experiences of the teacher-researcher.

Teacher journal

Throughout the planning and delivery of lessons, teacher-researcher thoughts and reflections were recorded and reflected upon. Teacher journal entries included reasons for developing the teaching procedure and the perceived influence of the procedures on student learning.

Teaching procedure 1: Term recall– before and now?

Students reflected on the topic recently studied. They then used a modified version of Osler and Flack’s (2008) Linking Circles. The adopted form of Linking Circles (see Figure 1) were referred to as a Term recall - before and now? and used as worksheets to record the key terms that students knew: 1) at the beginning of the course; 2) terms that they now knew; and, 3) types of activities they identified that helped them to link their learning.

Figure 1. Term Recall - before and now? Worksheet

Teaching procedure 2: Term Recognition cards and worksheets

Teaching procedure 2 incorporated the use of term-recognition response cards to ascertain students’ familiarity with the relevant biological terms of a specific topic of study. The Term Recognition cards and worksheet (and mapping of the links) procedure was often repeated either later, during, or at the end of the topic, to determine where the students were ‘at’ in their recognition and linking of the terms. This ‘retesting’ was used to determine if there were any gaps or areas that needed to be addressed before moving on to the next unit of work.

As a new biological concept was introduced, the familiarity with the relevant biological terms was ascertained. Information was obtained by students scoring each term against the criteria of a scoring sheet (see Figure 2) and by using coloured cards to quickly respond to teacher queries during class.

Figure 2. Example of term recognition worksheet

Participants

The student participants of this study were all studying Unit 3 and 4 VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education, VCE comprises the final 2 years of secondary (high) school education. Traditionally Units 1 & 2 are in the second last year (Year 11) and Units 3 & 4 are in the final year (Year 12). However, students can accelerate their study and complete some Units 1 & 2 in Year 10 and therefore study some Units 3 & 4 in Year 11. The study was conducted in Biology classes at a coeducational K-12 independent suburban college in Victoria, Australia, where classes were generally 1/3 male: 2/3 female and year levels studied were approximately 25% year 11 students and 75% year 12 students. The students were mostly of Caucasian heritage aged between 16-18 years. The class sizes ranged between 12 – 20 students. Most of these students had studied ‘preparatory’ Units 1 and 2 VCE Biology in the previous year.

Over 500 student responses were collected for each teaching procedure across the five years of the study. Using teaching procedure 1 (Term Recall – before and now?) responses to three topics were analysed: Plasma membranes; Inheritance; and, DNA structure. The same applied for teaching procedure 2 (Term Recognition cards), the three topics being: Plasma membranes; Biomolecules; and, Photosynthesis. (For details of the participants and timing of collection of data see Table 1.)

Table I. Term recall and recognition: Participants and timing of data collection

Type of data collection (What)	Topic (Which content?)	Participants (Who) *	Timing of data collection (When)
Student biological Term recall - before and now? responses	Plasma membranes	Unit 3 VCE Biology students Classes Yr3A &Yr3B (n=30)	During class at various times throughout instruction
	Inheritance DNA structure	Unit 4 VCE Biology students Classes Yr2A & Yr2B (n=26) Yr2A (n=13)	During class at various times throughout instruction
Student biological Term recognition cards and worksheet responses	Biomolecules Plasma membranes Photosynthesis	Unit 3 VCE Biology students Classes Yr3A (n=17); Yr3B (n=14) Yr4A (n=15); Yr4B (n=13) Yr5A (n=18); Yr5B (n=12)	Collected in lessons at various times throughout instruction

Table Key: * Yr1= Year 1; Yr2= Year 2; Yr3= Year 3; Yr4= Year 4; Yr5= Year 5
A & B refer to different classes, for example, Yr3A is Class A in Year 3 and Yr4B is Class B in Year 4

In this study, the Term recall– before and now? and Term Recognition cards and worksheets were used as both teaching procedures and as data collection tools. Students responses to these procedures form the data that has been analysed.

As the data was collected as part of and during the teaching of topics, the procedures used were chosen to ensure they were appropriate for the content being taught and the learning needs of the students in the classes. The decisions made were both pedagogical and research driven. Thus, there is some difference in the procedures being used and the timing of data collection across different topics, however, the procedures and collection are the same across the years, (see Table 1, row 3 for clarification).

Data analysis

In the Term recognition card and worksheet teaching procedure, while the students’ response cards (coloured cards related to level of recognition – see Figure 2) provided immediate feedback to the teacher during class, completed student worksheet responses were collated and analysed after class. Familiarity scoring (i.e., combining responses for ‘Never seen the term before’ and ‘Recognise the term’; and combining responses for ‘Recognise and can define/describe’ and ‘Recognise and could help others understand the term’) offered data for analysis of terms as well as opportunities to discern student patterns.

Although the learning of every individual student is important, and their individual responses valued, an arbitrary boundary percentage was set for analysis of the student response data. This enabled comparison across classes and topics to be more easily focused upon. For example, a figure of 33% of the students within a class was used as a ‘cut off’ point in interpretation for the familiarity of specific terms for both the Term recall worksheet and the Term recognition card and worksheet. In other words, terms were included for analysis once at least 33% of the students “recognised the term” (refer to Figure 4 for an example).

The 33% figure was adopted because it provided a useful visual representation that was easy to ‘get a handle on’ when teaching and making judgements about discernible ‘response rates’ in the class. It also provided a simple indication of issues that may be associated with particular terminology. The quantitative data from these ‘recognition surveys’ was tabulated and graphed in order to be used for interpretation and analysis.

No statistical analysis of the quantitative data was employed beyond conversion to percentages. In terms of a teacher research project and the need for efficient and meaningful feedback on practice, the quantitative data (as percentages) was used to specifically determine patterns of recall within classes and was sufficient for shaping development of, and adjustments to, both ongoing teaching and the perceived value of the teaching procedure itself in relation to the pedagogical purpose it was designed to serve. There were no expectations of generalizability, hence quantitative data served to inform the teacher rather than suggest outcomes that might be applied to broader cohorts or contexts. The qualitative data (teacher learning through the teacher journal, student learning through feedback and ‘reasons for change’) were the major shaping factors influencing understanding and value of the teaching procedures for practice; the formative feedback in shaping researching teaching and learning as a teacher.