Pre-service Science Teachers’ Neuroscience Literacy: Neuromyths and a Professional Understanding of Learning and Memory

Gefördert durch den Publikationsfonds der Universität Kasse

Review on the Prevalence and Persistence of Neuromyths in Education – Where We Stand and What Is Still Needed

Gefördert durch den Publikationsfonds der Universität Kasse

Berücksichtigung von Studierendenvorstellungen zum Thema Gehirn und Lernen in der Lehrkräfteausbildung Biologie

Das dieser Arbeit zugrundeliegende Vorhaben wurde im Rahmen der gemeinsamen Qualitätsoffensive Lehrerbildung von Bund und Ländern mit Mitteln des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung unter den Förderkennzeichen 01JA1505 und 01JA1805 gefördert. Die Verantwortung für den Inhalt dieser Veröffentlichung liegt bei der Autorin

Mysterys als Testinstrument zur Messung von vernetztem Professionswissen angehender Biologielehrkräfte. Was uns die Analyse von Mystery-Maps und lautem Denken über den Lernerfolg von Studierenden verrät

International zeigen empirische Studien bei angehenden und praktizierenden Lehrkräften eine hohe Zustimmung zu Neuromythen, d.h. Fehlvorstellungen zum Thema Gehirn und Lernen. Ein Erklärungsansatz dafür könnte sein, dass Lehramtsstudierende daran scheitern, ihr Wissen aus unterschiedlichen Studienelementen (Bildungswissenschaft/Fachwissenschaft/Fachdidaktik) auf kognitiver Ebene ausreichend miteinander zu verbinden. Um derartige Annahmen empirisch zu prüfen, braucht es Testinstrumente, mit denen sich ein unterschiedlicher Grad kognitiver Wissensvernetzung erfassen lässt. In diesem Beitrag wird die Mystery-Methode vorgestellt und herausgearbeitet, dass dabei entstehende Lernprodukte neue Einblicke in den Vernetzungsgrad von Professionswissen sowie das vernetzte Denken angehender Biologielehrkräfte bieten können. (DIPF/Orig.)Internationally, empirical studies among pre- and in-service teachers show a high endorsement of neuromyths, i. e. misconceptions about the topic learning and the brain. One explanation for this could be that pre-service teachers fail to sufficiently connect their knowledge from different fields of study (educational science/main subject/subject-matter didactics) on a cognitive level. In order to empirically examine such assumptions, test instruments are needed that can be used to measure different degrees of interconnected knowledge. This article presents the mystery method and shows that the resulting learning products can offer new insights into the degree of interconnected professional knowledge and networked thinking of pre-service biology teachers. (DIPF/Orig.

Pre-service Science Teachers’ Neuroscience Literacy: Neuromyths and a Professional Understanding of Learning and Memory

Transferring current research findings on the topic of learning and memory to “brain-based” learning in schools is of great interest among teachers. However, numerous international studies demonstrate that both pre-service and in-service teachers do not always succeed. Instead, they transfer numerous misconceptions about neuroscience, known as neuromyths, into pedagogical practice. As a result, researchers call for more neuroscience in teacher education in order to create a professional understanding of learning and memory. German pre-service science teachers specializing in biology complete neuroscientific modules (human biology/animal physiology) during their studies because they are expected to teach these topics to their students. Thus, they are required to demonstrate a certain degree of neuroscience literacy. In the present study, 550 pre-service science teachers were surveyed on neuromyths and scientific concepts about learning and memory. Pre-service science teachers’ scientific concepts increased over the course of their training. However, beliefs in neuromyths were independent of participants’ status within teacher education (first-year students, advanced students, and post-graduate trainees). The results showed that 10 neuromyths were endorsed by more than 50% of prospective science teachers. Beliefs in the existence of learning styles (93%) and the effectiveness of Brain Gym (92%) were most widespread. Many myths were endorsed even though a large share of respondents had thematically similar scientific concepts; endorsement of neuromyths was found to be largely independent of professional knowledge as well as theory-based and biography-based learning beliefs about neuroscience and learning. Our results suggest that neuromyths can exist in parallel to scientific concepts, professional knowledge and beliefs and are resistant to formal education. From the perspective of conceptual change theory, they thus exhibit characteristic traits of misconceptions that cannot simply be counteracted with increased neuroscientific knowledge. On the basis of our study’s findings, it can be concluded that new teacher programs considering neuromyths as change-resistant misconceptions are needed to professionalize pre-service science teachers’ neuroscience literacy. For this, an intensive web of exchange between the education field and neuroscientists is required, not just to deploy the latest scientific insights to refute neuromyths on learning and memory, but also to identify further neuromyths

Angebot, Nutzung und Ertrag von Konzeptwechseltexten zu Neuromythen bei angehenden Biologielehrkräften

Gefördert im Rahmen des Projekts DEA

Vernetzung von Wissen bei Lehramtsstudierenden. Schlaglichter auf eine Black Box der Professionalisierungsforschung

Die Herausgeber*innen des Sammelbands wollen mit diesem abschließenden Beitrag systematisierend zusammenfassen, welche Antworten zum aktuellen Zeitpunkt auf zwei Fragen gefunden werden konnten: Erstens interessiert, ob Wissensvernetzung bei Lehramtsstudierenden weiterhin eine Black-Box für die Professionalisierungsforschung darstellt, und zweitens wird untersucht, auf welche unterschiedliche Art und Weise es gelungen ist, eine konzeptionelle sowie empirische Ausschärfung des Konstrukts zu erreichen. (DIPF/Orig.

Testate amoebae in pollen slides

Among the non-pollen micro-fossils commonly encountered in Quaternary sediment samples prepared for pollen analysis are many shells of testate amoebae. Testate amoebae are eukaryotic micro-organisms which are increasingly used in ecological and palaeoecological studies, particularly as indicators of hydrological change in Sphagnum-dominated peatlands. In this study we address the extent to which testate amoebae are used in palynological research, the key challenges to more widespread use, and the extent to which ecological information is retained in the testate amoeba assemblages of standard palynological slides. To achieve this we review the literature on the use of testate amoebae in palynology, compare testate amoeba records produced by palynological and water-based preparation methods and carry out simulations using previously-derived datasets. Our results show that testate amoebae are widely encountered in Quaternary palynological studies, primarily in peatlands, but the information which they can provide is undermined by limited taxonomic knowledge. Many taxa are destroyed in pollen preparations, but for taxa that are retained patterns of abundance parallel those determined using water-based preparation methods. Although the loss of sensitive taxa limits the ecological information contained in testate amoeba assemblages the information preserved is likely to be useful in a multiproxy approach to palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. To help improve taxonomic awareness and encourage the use of testate amoebae in palynology we present a basic introduction to testate amoeba taxonomy and a guide to the taxonomic literature

The curse of taxonomic uncertainty in biogeographical studies of free-living terrestrial protists: a case study of testate amoebae from Amsterdam Island

Abstract: Aim A current debate in microbial biogeography contrasts two views concerning the distribution of free-living microorganisms. The first view assumes a ubiquitous distribution, while the second assumes that at least some species have limited geographical distributions. We tested for limited geographical distributions by identifying testate amoebae morphospecies from an extremely remote oceanic island where the potential for endemism is high. Location Amsterdam Island, Indian Ocean. Methods Sixty moss and water samples collected from the top of the volcano to the lowland were investigated for their testate amoeba content. Due to taxonomic uncertainties among the Argynnia (Nebela) dentistoma species complex (including A. antarctica), we also performed light and scanning electron microscopy investigations on the shell ultrastructure and biometric analyses on several specimens of this taxon. Results We identified a total of 43 testate amoeba taxa belonging to 15 genera. Only four testate amoeba taxa had previously been recorded on this island. Testate amoeba communities of Amsterdam Island are dominated by cosmopolitan ubiquitous euglyphid taxa such as Trinema lineare, Assulina muscorum and Corythion dubium. The length and width ranges for Argynnia dentistoma on Amsterdam Island overlap with other records of this species and of A. antarctica, suggesting that A. antarctica is not a distinct taxon. Main conclusions Although Amsterdam Island is among the most remote islands in the world, an extensive inventory of testate amoeba morphospecies provided no clear evidence for endemism. On the one hand, our detailed morphometric analysis of the A. dentistoma complex revealed that A. antarctica, a morphospecies previously suggested to display endemism, cannot be confidently distinguished from the cosmopolitan morphospecies A. dentistoma. On the other hand, five morphotaxa could not be identified with certainty and might represent new species, potentially with limited distribution. These examples illustrate how taxonomic uncertainties undermine biogeographical studies of testate amoebae. In order to allow better interpretation of morphology-based testate amoeba distribution data, an assessment of genetic diversity among and within morphotaxa in relation to geographical distance for some common testate amoebae should be given high priority

Peatland Microbial Communities as Indicators of the Extreme Atmospheric Dust Deposition

We investigated a peat profile from the Izery Mountains, located within the so-called Black Triangle, the border area of Poland, Czech Republic, and Germany. This peatland suffered from an extreme atmospheric pollution during the last 50 years, which created an exceptional natural experiment to examine the impact of pollution on peatland microbes. Testate amoebae (TA), Centropyxis aerophila and Phryganella acropodia, were distinguished as a proxy of atmospheric pollution caused by extensive brown coal combustion. We recorded a decline of mixotrophic TA and development of agglutinated taxa as a response for the extreme concentration of Al (30 g kg−1) and Cu (96 mg kg−1) as well as the extreme amount of fly ash particles determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, which were used by TA for shell construction. Titanium (5.9 %), aluminum (4.7 %), and chromium (4.2 %) significantly explained the highest percentage of the variance in TA data. Elements such as Al, Ti, Cr, Ni, and Cu were highly correlated (r>0.7, p<0.01) with pseudostome position/body size ratio and pseudostome position. Changes in the community structure, functional diversity, and mechanisms of shell construction were recognized as the indicators of dust pollution. We strengthen the importance of the TA as the bioindicators of the recent atmospheric pollution