Crossing Boundaries in Undergraduate Biology Education.

Vanderklein, Dirk; Munakata, Mika; McManus, Jason

In an effort to make mathematics relevant to biology students, we developed two modules that sought to integrate mathematics and ecology instruction to differing degrees. The modules were developed by a team of biology and mathematics educators and were implemented in an ecology course using three different instructional methods for three classes. One class (comparison group) received traditional lecture-based instruction where the mathematics was taught in the same manner it was usually presented in the lecture, another class (partial-treatment group) completed mathematics-centered worksheets with class discussion, and the third (full-treatment group) received hands-on, inquiry-based tasks with the mathematics at the forefront. Results of pre- and postmodule attitudinal surveys, focus group interviews, and selected test items were analyzed to determine the impact of the varying degrees of integration on students' understanding of the modules and on their attitudes and perceptions about the role of mathematics in biology. Overall, the results suggest that a deliberate attempt to integrate mathematics into the ecology curriculum challenges students' notions of the role of mathematics in biology but other factors also play a role in how successful the integration is.

MATHEMATICS education (Higher); BIOLOGY students; UNDERGRADUATE education; TEACHING methods; ECOLOGY education in universities & colleges

Journal of College Science Teaching, 2016, Vol 45, Issue 3, p41

0047-231X

Academic Journal

10.2505/4/jcst16_045_03_41