‘The College at Brockport: State University of New York Digital Commons @Brockport Basen ad man Devspent Mat acta Haman Desay 6-1998 Student Misconceptions in Science: The Human Digestive System Heather A. Dry The College at Brockport Follow this and additional works at: https:/ /digitalcommons brockportedu/ehd_theses © Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics Education Commons, and the Secondary Education Commons Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Science and To learn more about our programs visit: http:/ /www:brockportedu/ehd/ Repository Citation Dry; Heather A, "Stadent Misconceptionsin Science: The Human Digestive System” (1998), Education and Human Development Masters Theses. 1086 hitpe://digtalcommonsbrockported/chd_theses/1086 “This Thess x rowphto youfor fee and open acces the Easton and Haman Development at Digtl Commons @rockport. thas been scoped forinlron in Eaton and Human Development Maser+ Tse hy an authorized aminitratrof gal Commons @Brockport For or nfommtion plese contact nyeriaociportdSTUDENT MISCONCEPTIONS IN SCIENCE: THE HUMAN DIGESTIVE SYSTEM ‘THESIS Submitted to the Graduate Committee of the Department of Education and Human Development State University of New York College at Brockport in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Education by Heather A, Dry State University of New York College at Brockport Brockport, New York dune, 1998SUBMITTED BY: . AVA Candidate Date APPROVED BY: foes Qo. Parbyed 6lor Thesis Advisor Date devtt DLbasom oavyay Second Faculty Reader Date dott D. Kbnaey Yas Director of Graduate Studies DateTABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page ABSTRACT. 0.00. .0ceeees a RAT LONALE Se Peer ee eee eee cee ery 3 cra REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE..... 5 Introduction. History........ Current Research...... faire tafogupseasanoasces LLL METHODS... . Introduction... Subjects........... Procedural Design.. Iv. RESULTS........ peer 28 Introduction... per 28 Summary of Results. ped Analysis of Results... +++ 36 DISCUSSION. Beat Conclusions and Implications. . Suggestions for Further Study. REFERENCES... 60.0 0eeseseeeeeees APPENDIX A, Student Objectives. APPENDIX B. Pretest/Post Test. APPENDIX C. Delayed Post Test.Table LIST OF TABLES Page Pretest vs. Post Test vs. Delayed Post Test (DPT) Results............. 29 Pretest and Post Test question 6 vs. DPT question 8............0..045 32Figure LIST OF FIGURES Page Sample question from Odom & Barrow’s (1995) diagnostic test regarding diffusion eee es Hypothesized Interaction between Science Instruction and Naive Misconceptions of Concrete and Formal Operational Students......... 16 Sample misconceptions obtained by Lawson & Thompson (1988)............ 17 Scoring system used to determine nature of student responses. = 20 aiiStudent Misconceptions 2 Abstract Students bring their personal belief systems with them into classrooms. In the science classroom, these beliefs may be misconceptions, ideas that are not congruent with currently accepted scientific facts and theories. This study sought to identify student misconceptions as they pertained to a unit of study on the human digestive system. The hypothesis was that students, when submitted to traditional, lecture-type teaching which does not confront students’ preconceived notions, will learn the correct information for the formal unit test, but will revert back to their previously held notions upon leaving the class. Each of the 85 high school biology students who participated in the study was given a test prior to and immediately following instruction. Test development was based on student drawings and interviews. After 21 weeks, the same test was administered as a delayed post test. Summary and analysis of test results clearly indicate support for the hypothesis. Students have the ability to mimic learning through rote memorization, but do not truly incorporate the accurate information into their cognitive structures. Implications for teachers and suggestions for further study are discussed.Student Misconceptions 3 CHAPTER T Rationale In order to teach students more effectively, educators are continuously striving to better understand the way in which students process information to construct knowledge. Recent studies have generated data to support theories surrounding the impact of prior knowledge on classroom learning. This is true in all subject areas, but much of the research has specifically focused on the construction of knowledge in science classrooms. It is understandable that when students enter a science classroom, each brings along her own beliefs about scientific concepts, and each student will defend these ideas as fact. Many times, however, the beliefs do not correspond with currently accepted scientific theories. Educators have come to refer to these false beliefs by several names which include: “misconceptions”, “naive theories", “alternative frameworks", “preconceptions”, and “private concepts” (Mintzes, 1984). In this study, the term misconception will be used to describe misinterpretations that students make, or misunderstandings that students have regarding biological concepts. Whichever name is applied, one may not expect students to hold these same misconceptions after having been correctly taught the information. Conversely, students possess the ability to supply the correct answers on a test, but leave the classroom only to revert back to their previously held ideas. Concepts believed to have been taught clearly and succinctly have somehow not been processed by the students in the way the instructor hadStudent Misconceptions 4 intended. Thus, the existence of the misconceptions often goes unnoticed by both students and teachers alike (Arnaudin & Mintzes, 1985). Teachers need to be made aware that students hold alternative scientific conceptions. ‘They should understand the origins of these notions, why the beliefs are difficult to alter, and what may be done in order to successfully displace false ideas with those currently accepted by scientists. The purpose of this study is to search for, discover, and examine some student misconceptions in science. It will focus on content being presented in a high school biology classroom. It is hoped that the data from this study will accomplish the following: (a) reinforce the wealth of information that already exists regarding the presence of student misconceptions, thereby raising awareness in educators; (b) provide educators with methods to discover student misconceptions within their own classrooms; (c) illustrate the impact that misconceptions have on student learning; (d) illustrate that misconceptions usually continue to exist after thorough instruction has been given; and, (e) suggest methods of instruction that may serve to eliminate the misconceptions being studied.Student Misconceptions 5 CHAPTER IT Review of Related Literature Introduction This chapter contains an overview of literature related to studies that have been done on student misconceptions. It begins with a historical account of those who were initially responsible for acknowledging the existence of preconceived notions in children. It continues with a summary of the most current research, and ends with a brief account of how this study relates to and expands upon the current research on student misconceptions. History The study of student misconceptions is not a novel one. One of the first individuals to explore such a topic was Jean Piaget who published The Child’s Conception of the World in 1929, and its sequel, The Child's Conception of Physical Causality, in 1930. Within these works, Piaget attempts to seek answers to two questions regarding child cognitive development. The first deals with ideas about the world that children naturally form at different stages of their development (Piaget, 1929). The second involves how the child goes about using this information to explain various phenomena. In other words, what is the child’s perception of cause and effect? Piaget (1929) felt that such questions were among the most difficult to answer. He notes that in order to discover the very intimate, personal beliefs children hold requires special methods and cannot rely solely on formalStudent Misconceptions 6 tests, the kind in which all questions are the same for all children, and the results of which are based on a scale or standard of comparison (Piaget, 1929). Testing in this form tends to lead student thinking in a predetermined direction rather than allowing a student to answer impulsively. Impulsive responses are preferred since they contain the clues necessary to get at a child’s true belief system. According to Piaget (1929), observation is one way to begin research into the child’s conception of reality. One must listen to the spontaneous questions that students ask because they can provide insight into what they think they already know. when a child asks, ‘Who made the sun?’, there is an implication that the child believes a person or some entity created it (Piaget, 1929). This question is much different from the question ‘How was the sun made?’ or ‘What caused the sun to form?’ However, Piaget (1929) continues that observation alone, like testing, is not enough to satisfy the task of discovering student misconceptions. Especially in children, there tends to be a certain amount of what Piaget (1929) terms, ‘romancing’, in which the child’s spontaneous statements during play are not necessarily the same as his true beliefs. For example, a child playing with dolls will converse with them, exhibiting a sense that these dolls are alive when, in fact, the child knows they are not, and would respond as such if asked directly. Piaget (1929) suggests that a combination of pure observation and testing be utilized in what is called a clinical examination often used by psychiatrists as a means of diagnosis. According toStudent Misconceptions 7 Piaget (1929), the skill in administering such an examination requires a considerable amount of training on the part of the individual hoping to tap into a child’s hidden beliefs. This raises interesting questions about teacher training. Are courses in child psychology currently required? Is there a course of instruction that shows teachers how to discover student misconceptions, how to show students their own misconceptions, and how to instruct students in such a way that their misconceptions are not supported? Jean Piaget has many ardent followers, most of whom feel as he did that a child’s belief system develops at an early age, that such beliefs do not always represent accurate scientific explanations, and that these beliefs are nét easily ‘taught’ into accuracy. One such follower is Eleanor Duckworth. In her book, The Having of Wonderful Ideas and Other Essays on Teaching and Learning, published in 1996, she continually makes reference to Piaget and how his teachings have influenced her. In a chapter surrounding the construction of knowledge, Duckworth points out that one does not need verbal language to have a thought, but that words are in fact used to create new thoughts. Thoughts are used to make internal connections between ideas. with this in mind, making connections is a purely personal endeavor which no one else may be able to understand or influence except for the individual having the thought. Therefore, the particular words that a teacher uses in the classroom may or may not illicit the desired “connection” in every child (Duckworth, 1996). Language, on the other hand, is used for communication purposes. when a child isStudent Misconceptions 8 first learning this communication process the words really have no meaning until they are associated with something concrete. For example, if a child hears her mother say “car” just as a car drives down the street on which they are standing, the child will make an association. The child would probably make the same association for any moving vehicle whether it be a car, truck, van, or motorcycle (Duckworth, 1996). This idea relates to student misconceptions in that students of all ages may make associations between words and concepts that may or may not be related to one another. Continuing in this vein, Duckworth (1996) points out that individuals tend to become absorbed in their own thoughts, and hear things that other people say the way they want to hear them. One takes what he is hearing and conforms it to what he is thinking of at the moment. If this is true of students in a classroom, think of a teacher presenting a lesson, and of how many different perceptions there may be according to what each individual student happens to have on her mind at the moment. Even if a child is concentrating on the lesson being presented, the words of the teacher may still be misconstrued in that detailed explanations of certain events will only be as good as the child's preconceived notions of those events. The child will fit the words of the teacher into what she believes to be true even if this belief is wrong (Duckworth, 1996). Duckworth, like Piaget, believes that by simply telling children that something is true will not help them to internalize it or understand it (Duckworth, 1996). Only if the childrenStudent Misconceptions 9 themselves see, or are shown the conflicts in their own thinking and are distressed by these conflicts, will they construct more accurate knowledge of happenings in the world. Another pioneer in the field of education is David P. Ausubel. He and others published two works, Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View originally published in 1968, and published in 1969. Both include discussion about preconceived notions and how individuals learn in meaningful ways. Ausubel (1978) agrees with Piaget and Duckworth that students have hidden misconceptions. He also notes that some students are very skilled at using abstract terms and concepts appropriately without fully understanding what they are verbalizing or writing. This is due to the fact that students are unconsciously trained to learn in rote fashion. When students hear information, but perceive and internalize it differently than intended by the teacher, their test answers are marked wrong. In order to get a “good grade” and get the ‘right” answer on the test, students will simply memorize the concept as the teacher presents it rather than truly learning or understanding it (Ausubel, 1969). It is for this reason that Ausubel stresses learning that is meaningful. According to Ausubel (1978), learning can only be meaningful if it is humanly possible for someone to learn the information. Ausubel feels, in fact, that most concepts are “learnable”. Meaningful learning is also a product of subsumption, which refers to the learner’s ability to anchor new knowledge to his preexisting perceptions (Ausubel, 1969). However, it is clarifiedStudent Misconceptions 10 by Ausubel (1969), that subsumption is not a simple, linear connection between new and old ideas. On the contrary, the novel concepts modify the prefatory ones until the bonds within one’s cognitive structure form a hierarchy of relationships between concepts. Instead of taking each new idea and packaging it as separate from all other learnings, rather each new piece of information is classified accordingly within a framework ranging from the most general to the very specific (Odom & Kelly, 1998). Learnings in science are mentioned by Ausubel (1969) as being among the most difficult to assimilate into one’s prior knowledge base. Scientific principles are usually very new to an individual, and cannot easily be related or anchored to old ideas, making these novel concepts harder to acquire. Ausubel (1978) disagrees with Piaget and Duckworth in that he feels language does play a role in one’s thinking and learning rather than being used solely for communication purposes. If a child hears the word ‘dog’ just as the child is shown a dog, the child will make the association between the vocabulary word and the object. This, according to Ausubel (1978), is a type of meaningful learning called representational learning which does contribute to a child’s cognitive structure, and will therefore become important to the acquisition of more complex concepts in the child’s future. Current Research In the last twenty years there has been a renewed interest in examining student misconceptions. The reemergence of this topicStudent Misconceptions a illustrates the continuing need to understand the effects of prior knowledge on student learning. There are numerous studies documented as to the alternative views that young children hold at the elementary school level. There are also many reports on student views in the physical sciences. This review will focus on those research projects that apply to this paper which investigates student misconceptions in Biology at the high school level. Odom and Barrow (1995) performed a study on students’ understanding of diffusion and osmosis after a course of instruction was given. The students used in this study were biology and non-biology majors enrolled in a college freshman biology laboratory. The term ‘misconception’ was applied in this article, and was defined by Odom and Barrow (1995) as the post- instructional ideas of students that are inconsistent with those ideas accepted by the scientific community. To assist teachers in detecting student misconceptions, one of the goals, and thus outcomes, of this study was the development and implementation of a two-tiered multiple choice testing instrument. Content boundaries regarding diffusion and osmosis were identified. A random sampling of students was then interviewed to determine misconceptions. A multiple-choice test with free response questions was made and administered to confirm the misconceptions discovered during the interviewing process. This data provided the researchers with the information necessary to complete the two-tiered diagnostic test. The first tier consisted of multiple- choice, content based questions. The second tier consisted ofStudent Misconceptions 12 multiple-choice questions which required students to choose the best reason for their response to the first tier. Included in the choices were the misconceptions obtained through the interviewing and the initial testing process. The results of the Odom and Barrow study determined that some misconceptions seem to be the result of a misunderstanding of terminology. Students had memorized terms, but did not fully understand the process with which they were associated. For example, students were given a diagram showing a beaker divided by a semipermeable membrane, water on one side of the membrane, dye on the other. They were asked to determine the way in which the water molecules would move across the membrane (Odom & Barrow, 1995). (see Figure 1.) Some students chose the alternative (incorrect) answer, “water moves until it becomes isotonic’. The term isotonic refers to a solution in which the concentration of solute (dissolved particles) on both sides of a membrane are equal. students who had memorized the term isotonic as meaning simply “equal” without understanding osmosis chose the alternative response. Since it is the water molecules that would have moved rather than molecules of solute (in this case dye), no isotonic solution would result. The correct response would have been “the concentration of water molecules was less on side 1” explaining why the water would be higher on side one after osmosis took place.Student Misconceptions 13 SIDE 1 SIDE 2 8b. ‘he reason for my answer is becaus a. Water will move from the hypertonic to the hypotonic solution. DYE & WATER b. The concentration of water molecules is WATER —T less on side 1. c. Water will become isotonic. a. Water moves from low to high MEMBRANE concentration. Eigure 1. Based on their findings, Odom and Barrow (1995) argue that misconceptions must be identified so that adequate teaching strategies may be developed to address such misconceptions. Teachers should examine the effectiveness of using terminology that could influence student learning of scientific concepts, and their subsequent use of the scientific process for solving problems. Students should learn the processes first, and be introduced to terminology and definitions at a later time. Odom and Kelly (1998) have continued the research of Odom and Barrow (1995) using the same topics of diffusion and osmosis. They have zeroed in on a combination of teaching strategies that seem to enhance student understanding, thus reducing the number of misconceptions present following a unit of instruction. Their methods are based on the ideas of both Ausubel and Piaget. As mentioned previously, Ausubel believes that meaningful learning is a conscious act on the part of the learner to couple new ideas to former ones as part of an overall classification system of concepts. It is from this notion of subsumption that Odom and Kelly (1998) decided to utilize concept mapping. Concept mapping allows a student to take her thoughts and organize them inStudent Misconceptions 14 a way that makes sense and shows relationships between ideas. Concept mapping alone, however, is not sufficient to ensure that students are making correct sense of the theories being taught. Therefore, Odom and Kelly (1998) also draw from Piaget's theory that learning can only take place through active participation and social interaction. Manipulation of materials related to concepts, along with discussion with one’s peers surrounding such concepts, provides for hands-on experiences prior even to the presentation of terminology (Odom & Kelly, 1998). Bach set of experiences is referred to as a “learning cycle”. In this study, Odom and Kelly (1998) combine a series of eight learning cycles interspersed with concept mapping to teach students about diffusion and osmosis. It is the belief of Odom and Kelly (1998) that the learning cycles present students with new ideas while avoiding confusing terminology, and the concept maps allow students to put’ the new ideas into a framework that makes sense and relates them to one another. In congruence with the theory of Ausubel, then, Odom and Kelly (1998) discovered that the test group receiving the combination of learning cycles with concept mapping scored much higher on the subsequent two-tiered diagnostic test (Odom & Barrow, 1995) that was administered following the unit of instruction on diffusion and osmosis. Another biological concept that has been used to investigate student misconceptions is the theory of natural selection. This topic encompasses student ideas in genetics as well as the theoryStudent Misconceptions 15 of evolution. Two such studies that will be discussed here are those of Bishop and Anderson (1990), and Lawson and Thompson (1988). Lawson and Thompson (1988) utilized a group of typical seventh-graders for their study. In accordance with previous research, they knew that the majority of students enter a science classroom with certain misconceptions. A misconception in this article is defined as the impulsive accumulation of knowledge gained through personal experience, however inconsistent with accepted scientific theory (Lawson and Thompson, 1988). The researchers sought to discover those factors which determine the ability of some students to overcome their misconceptions, and if such determinants are lacking in those students who cannot (Lawson and Thompson, 1988). Lawson and Thompson (1988) attributed this to four items which include formal reasoning ability, mental capacity, verbal intelligence, and cognitive style. Formal reasoning ability was the focus of the working hypothesis, and so it is the one item defined here. Formal reasoning ability allows a student to consider the credibility of competing hypotheses using the evidence at their disposal, and her ability to make a decision as to which set of conclusions is the scientific one.. The researchers hypothesized that students who possess formal reasoning ability will be able to overcome their misconceptions, while those that possess a more concrete set of operational thinking patterns will be unable to make comparisons, and will not draw the correct conclusions based on the evidence before them. (see Figure 2.)Student Misconceptions 16 TABLE I Hyposthesized Interaction between Science Instruction and Naive Misconceptions of Conerete and Formal Operational Students Before After Instruction Instruction Instruction End Product Concrete students naive concept naive concept naive concept scientific scientific concept concept Formal Students naive concept naive concept naive concept scientific scientific scientific concept concept concept Eigure 2. The seventh-graders were pretested to determine their ranking in each of the four items mentioned above. A course of instruction was then given on evolution and genetics using a traditional lecture/textbook approach. The students were then given an essay test that required the application of genetics principles to biological events, in order to determine their misconceptions. Figure 3. is an example of one of the questions used by Lawson and Thompson (1988) along with several of the misconceptions (incorrect responses) which students gave.ir) (a) (b) te) m (a) (>) (co) rt) Figure 3 Student Misconceptions 17 ‘Skin Color Question If the fair-skinned and fair-haired girl shown in the picture grew up in Africa, what would you predict would happen to the color of her skin? If she married someone of her own race and they lived in Africa and had children born in Africa, what would you predict their children’s skin would look like at birth? Please explain your prediction. Correct responses Her skin would most likely become darker (i.e., tanned due to increased exposure to the sun). ‘The children’s skin at birth should be fair. Skin color at birth is determined by the combined genetic contribution of both parents, which in this case produces a fair-skin trait. Incorrect responses “As generations pass on, the offspring will become a little darker each time because of adaptation.” ‘Probably somewhat darker because the mother’s chromosomes have adapted.” “It’s not a sex-linked trait. their skin wold be dark because both of their parent’s skin is dark.“ “Both parents’ skin was dark and it will probably be passed on.” "A little darker, but just because of the temperature.” “In Africa the sun shines hotter and people's skin gets much darker, so when children are born their skin would be a little darker than normal."Student Misconceptions 18 It was discovered that many students tended to believe incorrectly that characteristics acquired throughout life can be passed on to future offspring, a notion that is consistent with that of the early evolutionary theorist, Lamarck. Students also misused terms such as carrier, sex-linked trait, adaptation, and dominance. This supports the findings of Odom and Barrow (1995) which show that use of complex terminology without full understanding of the process can be detrimental to a students’ conception of the scientific theory being discussed. There was some evidence in this study to indicate that formal reasoning skills are necessary to overcome a misconception. All of the students in the study group may have gained an understanding of genetics and the theory of natural selection, but the concrete students failed to apply these concepts to various examples. An alternative possibility was that the concrete students failed to gain an understanding of genetics or the theory of natural selection in the first place, and when presented with various phenomena maintained their original naive theories. In conclusion, Lawson and Thompson (1988) stress the importance of providing students with the opportunities to discuss their naive conceptions. Then, when the scientific conceptions are presented, students must make comparisons. They must be shown the “correctness” of the newly introduced concepts, and the “incorrectness” of their beliefs. If formal reasoning skills are required for students to make such comparisons then teachers must incorporate the development of these skills into their curriculum. The second study that makes use of the theory of naturalStudent Misconceptions 19 selection is that of Bishop and Anderson (1990). Bishop and Anderson (1990) observed that students in a college nonmajors’ biology course had considerable difficulty in understanding the mechanism of evolution even though appropriate instruction was. thought to have been given. In order to discover the origin of their students’ problems, Bishop and Anderson (1990) relied upon the research surrounding conceptual change teaching. Conceptual change teaching is centered around the idea of student misconceptions and preconceived notions. It takes into account, the fact that students enter a classroom with a belief system gained through personal experience and previous schooling, and that this belief system may or may not be compatible with currently accepted scientific theory. The students of this study were pretested to determine their initial conceptions about the theory of natural selection and the reasons for evolutionary change. They also completed a questionnaire asking them about their previous experiences with biology instruction. Bishop and Anderson (1990) wanted to examine the effects of prior learning on student conceptions, and also wanted to discover if prior learning influences a student’s ability to benefit from the instruction being given in a different class. The students were tested again after a course of instruction dealing with this topic. Bishop and Anderson (1990) were also interested in finding if student conceptions concerning evolution were impacted by their personal belief in it as historical fact. Therefore, a question was included on each test asking students if they supported theStudent Misconceptions 20 theory of evolution or not. The remaining test questions were a combination of the multiple-choice and open-ended essay type which require students to give scientific explanations for their answers. Bishop and Anderson (1990) also interviewed students to further their understanding of the misconceptions contained in the written responses on the tests. Student answers were grouped according to whether they held the scientific conception or the naive conception. (see Figure 4.) Nature of Response Score +2. Response provides a clear statement that students believes in the conception (scientific or naive). +1 Response allows inference that student believes in the conception. ° Response does not provide readily interpretable evidence concerning student's beliefs about the conception. Response permits inference contrary to belief in the conception. -2 Response clearly contradicts the conception. Figure 4. Bishop and Anderson (1990) pinpointed three areas in which student notions differed from scientific ones, These areas are: origin and survival of new traits in populations, the role of variation within a population, and evolution as the changing proportion of individuals with discrete traits. Most students thought that traits in a species gradually change over time as aStudent Misconceptions 21 result of changes in the organism’s environment which were subsequently passed on to future generations. This is consistent with the findings of Lawson and Thompson (1988) in which most students believed in a Lamarckian view of evolution rather than the accepted theories of random mutation and sexual recombination. Students did not attribute variations in single organisms as having an impact on the evolutionary process, but instead held the notion that evolution occurs in a species or population as a whole. They did not seem to understand that because of genetic variation in individual organisms, either beneficial or detrimental, the proportions of those traits in a population will change over time. Conversely, students thought that traits progressively improved or deteriorated from one generation to the next (Bishop and Anderson, 1990). In addition to the three areas outlined above, Bishop and Anderson (1990) found that terminology tended to confuse students, and therefore influence the conceptions they had. This reiterates the findings of both Lawson and Thompson (1988) and Odom and Barrow (1995). In this study, students had difficulty with two terms in particular, “adapt” and “fitness”. Bishop and Anderson (1990) believe that students’ common, everyday usage of these terms caused them difficulty in learning their secondary definitions as they apply to the theory of evolution. Overall, Bishop and Anderson (1990) discovered that more than half of their study group held alternative conceptions about evolution. Previous instruction in biology apparently had little, if any, impact on students’ misconceptions or their ability toStudent Misconceptions 22 overcome their notions. students with two or more years in biology had the same number and kinds of misconceptions as those students with less than two years of instruction. This led Bishop and Anderson (1990) to conclude that current teaching strategies, for this topic at least, are inadequate in providing students with an understanding of genetics and the theory of natural selection. It was decided that belief in evolution as historical fact did not influence student conceptions. The percentages of students believing or not believing in evolution did not significantly change between the pretest and posttests administered. Bishop and Anderson (1990) suggest that misconceptions in evolution are deeply ingrained due to the complicated nature of its mechanism. The media, teachers, and even scientists tend to use language that is easy for the general population to understand and ultimately leaves impressions about the process of evolution that are scientifically incorrect. A major part of many biology curricula focuses on systems of the human body.. Arnaudin and Mintzes (1985) investigated students’ alternative conceptions regarding the human circulatory system. The research was performed on a group of Canadian school children ages 7-18. Data was collected via concept mapping, followed by interviews with each student regarding his/her concept maps. Topics included the structure and function of blood, the structure and function of the heart, the pattern of blood flow through the circulatory system, ‘the relationship between circulation and breathing, and closed versus open circulation (Arnaudin and Mintzes, 1985). Information generated from thisStudent Misconceptions 23 phase of the study led to the development of a test which was administered to 495 students at varying levels of study ranging from fifth grade to college freshman/biology majors. The assessment tool consisted of 15 questions, 11 of which were of the multiple choice variety, and four open-ended essay type questions. This particular study employed the use of the Likert scale which requires students to indicate their confidence level in making a response, thus providing the researchers with some idea of which students were just guessing and which truly held a particular notion. Some alternative conceptions held by the elementary school pupils were replaced by the correct, scientific notions at the secondary and college levels, while others remained relatively consistent for all students. This led Arnaudin and Mintzes (1985) to conclude that less complicated scientific concepts are more easily taught and explained, making it easier to restructure misconceptions if they exist.. Other, more sophisticated concepts, those not easily explained or shown, may not readily displace a students’ naive ideas. Arnaudin and Mintzes (1985) suggest using a confrontational method to help students in eliminating their preconceived notions. In other words, create a classroom environment where thoughts and ideas are exchanged without fear of being wrong. In this way, students’ alternative conceptions will come into the foreground. the teacher may then address the misconceptions, and cause students to become dissatisfied with their current framework of knowledge. Students will begin toStudent Misconceptions 24 restructure their framework to incorporate the new information they have just received. The researchers also point out that many of the naive ideas about science that students possess are the same ideas that scientists held historically before much was discovered. Therefore, in confronting misconceptions, an appreciation for their place in the learning cycle can be developed. Summary Many teachers still believe in and instruct with the notion that children enter their classrooms as “blank slates” (Mintzes, 1984). That is, any information imparted to the student will be learned, understood, and remembered exactly as intended. However, it is apparent that this theory is in contrast to what studies have shown. Children develop a belief system regarding the world around them at a very young age, one that is deeply engrained and difficult to alter. Likewise, students are conditioned to learn by rote memorization, and will provide a teacher with the correct responses on a test only to leave the classroom having reverted back to their naive theories. The study that follows will serve to reinforce the already well documented fact that students hold relatively complex theories, some naive and some not, regarding functions of the human body systems, in particular those of the human digestive system (Mintzes, 1984).Student Misconceptions 25 CHAPTER III Methods Introduction A unit of study on the human digestive system was used to investigate student misconceptions. The methods employed are briefly described below, and were fashioned after several other studies that researched student misconceptions in science, including Arnaudin and Mintzes (1985) and Odom and Barrow (1995). Subjects: Eighty-five students were used in this study. Students were selected from four New York State Regents level high school biology classes. The majority of the subjects were sophomores, and had received prior instruction pertaining to the human digestive system. Students were aware of the fact that they were participating in a research project and were asked to answer all questions to the best of their ability. Students also knew that the tests administered would not affect their grade in the course. Eighty-three students participated in the delayed post test. Two students transferred out of the high school during the 21 week period following the post test. Procedural Desian The first step was to determine the educational objectives and expected student outcomes for the human digestive system lessons to be taught. (see Appendix A) These were formulatedStudent Misconceptions 26 using four biology textbooks of varying difficulty levels, and the input of three biology instructors. To assess student misconceptions prior to teaching the unit, students from one class of 19 were asked to draw and label the parts of the human digestive system. They were also requested to describe the specific function of each part that they had drawn. After the sketches and definitions had been examined for apparent misconceptions, further research was done by individually interviewing each of the 19 students. Each student was asked to expand on what had been included in his drawing. Specific, predetermined questions were also asked of each student. Based on the results of the interviews, a pretest was devised in which both multiple-choice and free-response questions were asked. (see Appendix B) This test was given to four classes with a total of 85 pupils, the original class of 19 included. The purpose of the pretest was to confirm the existence of, and specifically identify, the preconceptions students had regarding the human digestive system. The unit on the human digestive system was then taught in a traditional, lecture-type format. Following instruction, the same pretest was administered to the same group of 85 students as a post test. (see Appendix B) The post test results were compared to those of the pretest to determine if misconceptions had been either eliminated or maintained. Following a period of 21 weeks, the same group of students was tested again. The delayed post test (DPT) asked the same questions as both the pretest and post test with a few minorStudent Misconceptions 27 changes. The order of the questions as well as the answer choices was rearranged. All questions, with the exception of number eight, were converted to a multiple choice format. In this way, any student who may have remembered which answer choices she circled on the pretest and post test would not simply be able to go to the same question and letter on the delayed post test based on repetition alone. Rather, students were informed of the changes, and had to read each question and answer choice carefully before deciding on a final answer. The purpose of the delayed post test was to observe whether students had retained the correct information regarding the human digestive system, or if they had reverted back to their ideas held previous to instruction of the unit.Student Misconceptions 28 Chapter Iv Results Introduction This chapter serves to summarize and compare the results of the three tests (pretest, post test, and delayed post test) administered to students in this study. The tests themselves are included in Appendices B and C, while Tables 1 and 2 illustrate the frequency of student responses for each question in each test. Summary of Results Forty-two per cent of the participants chose the correct response for question one prior to instruction. This figure increased to 92% on the post test, but fell to 76% on the delayed post test (DPT). Two choices on the pretest, letters b. and e., were the most frequent alternatives at 18% and 24%. These numbers fell to almost zero during the post test. Sixteen per cent of the subjects reverted back to choice e. on the DPT. Question two on the pretest and post test corresponded to question three on the DPT. An incorrect response was most frequently chosen on both the pretest and again on the DPT at 55% and 60%. During the post test there was an even distribution between the aforementioned incorrect response and the correct answer at 42% and 43%. Students were evenly divided between two answers for question three on the pretest and post test, and question six on the DPT.Student Misconceptions 29 Table 1 Pretest vs, Post Test vs, Delaved Post Test (DPT) Results Question Pretest Post Test DPT Question la. 36 78 3 b. de be 15 2 4 a. c 4 0 o c. a. 6 2 3 a. e 24 3 2B e. 2. mouth A 2 3 Ee ‘esophagus 1 1 1 stomach a7 36 50 small int. 9 37 18 large int. 25 2 ua intestines a 1 ° stomach & small int. o 6 ° 3a. 41 43 47 6 b. 3 0 o c. 39 40 35 a. 2 1 0 no answer ° 1 1 4. 18 ft. 24 ° - 4. 6-10 6 2 9 <10 ft. 11-20 2 6 aa 10-30 21-30 23 65 - 31-50 7 10 22 31-50 51-100 6 ° 11 >50 101-500 7 fT = > 500 10 0 - no answer 0 1 ° 5. a. 10 6 ) hb Wp b. 5 a1 un c. e 4a 1 10 b. a. 8 4 v7 a. e. 52 55 32 e. - - 19 £. Cee 1 47 40 a9 be 59 a4 32 b. ce. 4 2 3 oe a. 3 A 1 os e. 1 1 7 e. no answer 1 ° °Student Misconceptions 30 Table 1 Pretest vs, Post Test ve, Delaved Post Test (DPT) Results Question Pretest Post Test pPr Question mouth 51 20 74 as esophagus 6 o 2 stomach 16 2 3 small intestine 5 2 4 large intestine 6 1 o intestines a} o 0 mouth (mechanical) / small int. (chemical) 0 1 o 9 a 37 6 34 a5. b. 40 21 39 on ce 8 3 5 b. 5 a. 10. right 13 13 middle 55 27 left a7 44 middle towards right 0 1 Note, See Appendices B and C for pretest/post test and delayed post test questions. Dashes indicate that the answer choice was not available to participants on the test in question. Numbers throughout the table indicate frequency of student response.Student Misconceptions 31 Table 2 Pretest and Post Test question 6 vs, Delayed Post Test question 8 Organ Pretest Post Test Der liver filters fat needs water gets rid of toxins 2 helps digest food storage @igests alcohol puts stuff in bloodstream cleans out water fluids to help break down food makes bile stores bile makes HCl makes uric acid makes urea helps the heart makes enzymes kidney helps digest food stores water purifies water in your body filters out toxins like alcohol filter for your liquids protects liver digests urine filters urine where your urine and feces come from holds/gets rid of liquid waste u cleans blood controls if you need to use bathroom excretion gets rid of nutrients makes urine break down fats takes sugar in & out of blood transports blood filters out urea filters white & red blood cellsStudent Misconceptions 32 Table 2 Pretest and Post Test question 6 vs, Delayed Post Test question 8 Organ Pretest Post Test Der pancreas storage (of waste, food) 1 2 ° makes sugar helps digest food something to do with digested food after it comes out of large intestine fi o 1 controls glucose level 2 2 ° stores energy 2 1 ° has villi 0 1 ° transfers (stores) bile 0 7 5 gets rid of HCL ° 1 1 sends water to liver ° 1 ° pancreatic juices used in digestion ° 28 8 stores/produces enzymes ° 5 1 helps liver ° 1 0 makes hormones ° ° 1 gets rid of urine/helps excretion ° ° 6 filters blood 0 ° a makes urea 0 ° 1 gallbladder holds liquid waste until ready to leave body 11 7 1s makes urine 3 ° ° helps kidneys 1 ° ° gallstones here 1 ° ° gets rid of waste 4 ° ° nothing to do with digestion 1 ° ° breaks down food 2 0 2 stores bile 0 21 an sends nutrients into blood 0 a a gets rid of fatty foode 0 1 0 holds pancreatic juice o 1 ° makes bile 0 2 ° mixes food with bile 0 1 ° makes HCl ° Ai ° pushes water into celle ° 1 ° filters toxins ° 1 ° makes enzymes ° ° alStudent Misconceptions 33 The correct choice, letter a., came in at 48%, 51%, and 57% while the alternative response, choice c., occurred at 46%, 47%, and 428%. Subjects did not respond in an overwhelming majority to any one answer choice for question four on the pretest. However, 76% of the students chose the correct response during the post test. This value fell to 49% during the DPT. Sixty-one per cent of the participants chose the incorrect response, letter e., on the pretest for question five while only 6% chose the correct answer. During the post test, 65% of the students continued to believe that letter e. was the accurate choice, although 25% selected the true answer, letter b. The DPT showed a wide distribution of responses which included all answer choices. Due to its free-response nature, the results of question six on the pretest and post test and question eight on the DPT are shown in Table 2. Students were asked to provide information regarding the function(s) of several human body organs. Many students did not complete this portion of the tests, and these numbers are noted at the end of Table 2. Some students gave answers for only a few of the organs listed, and these answers were included in the data. Also, many students provided two or three different functions for each organ. Therefore, total numbers of responses may not necessarily match the number of subjects who took the tests. sixty-seven per cent of the students who responded’ had some idea that the job of the liver is to rid the body of harmfulStudent Misconceptions 34 substances. This value was consistent with the post test results, and increased to 73% on the DPT. None of the students mentioned its digestive function during the pretest, but 41% mentioned the production of bile during the post test. Only 5% of the subjects listed bile production as a function of the liver on the DPT. Although most students did not identify the kidneys as not being a part of the human digestive system, 34% had knowledge of their role in getting rid of liquid waste for the human body. This percentage rose to 63 during the post test, but then fell to zero on the DPT. The DPT results show a distribution between the following answers: filter for your liquids, makes urine, filters out urea, and filters white and red blood cells. During the pretest, only ten subjects furnished answers as to the role of the pancreas in the human body. The post test results showed that 57% of the pupils were aware that the pancreas is responsible for the production of pancreatic juices which aid in digestion. This amount, however, dropped to 28% during the DPT, and most students did not provide an answer in any form. Forty-eight per cent of those who responded cited inaccurately that the gallbladder is a structure that holds liquid waste until it is ready to be eliminated from the body. The post test revealed a decline in this notion down to 16%, only to have it rise again during the DPT to 55%. The storage of bile was not mentioned as a function of the gallbladder by any of the respondents during the pretest. This number grew to 63% on the post test, but fell back to 33% on the DPr.Student Misconceptions 35 Students responded incorrectly 81% of the time for question seven on the pretest with 69% of the answers going to choice b. Nineteen per cent indicated the correct response, letter a. Following instruction, 62% of the pupils maintained their incorrect answer choice while there was rise in the number of students electing the accurate response at 55%. This split between the two choices cited above remained consistent during the DPT at 39% (incorrect answer) and 48% (correct answer). More than half of the participants identified the correct answer in question eight prior to instruction. Post test as well as DPT values for the true response rose to approximately 90%. Question nine had the respondents split between answer choices a. and c. at 43% and 47%, respectively. During the post test, 72% of the students indicated the correct choice, letter a., while only 25% continued to believe in letter c. Question ten asked students to expand on the answer they had given in question nine. Sixty-five per cent of the subjects chose an incorrect response on the pretest, while 20% chose accurately. The post test had the percentages for these same two answer choices reversed with the invalid answer at 32% and the valid response at 52%. Number five on the DPT combined questions nine and ten from the pretest and post test. The distribution of percentages looked similar to those on the pretest. Forty-one per cent chose correctly, and 47% selected the same incorrect response.Student Misconceptions 36 Analysis of Results Pretest scores revealed those pieces of information regarding the human digestive system students did, in fact, already know, as well as information they did not know. Likewise, it was evident by the frequency of responses to some questions that students were quite confident, and “thought they knew” the answer, although the answer they chose was wrong. Thus, the pretest brought to the forefront several student misconceptions. For example, almost half of the students seemed to believe that the large intestine is situated either before the small intestine, or before both the stomach and small intestine. (see Table 1, question 1) Also, more than half of the respondents felt that the majority of digestion occurs in the stomach. (see Table 1, question 2) In question five, students were asked to identify any organs that were not a part of the human digestive system, and very few chose the correct response, “kidneys”. Sixty-one per cent decided on ‘all are part of this body system” as their answer. Most students acknowledged the stomach as being the largest organ listed in question seven as opposed to the liver, and the location of the stomach was decidedly the middle of the abdomen, just above the bellybutton as opposed to under the ribcage, to the left-hand side of the body. (see Table 1, questions 7, 9, & 10) Post test percentages showed a marked increase in the students’ selection of correct responses which initially indicated that the instruction given was effective in displacing any misconceptions.Student Misconceptions 37 In question one, ninety-two per cent of the subjects had “learned” the correct order of the parts of the alimentary canal. The numbers of students who believed that the majority of @igestion occurs in the stomach declined by 13% while the correct answer, small intestine, rose 32%. The kidneys were identified by 25% of the pupils as not being part of the digestive system, this up 19% from the pretest. However, the percentage of students who continued to select “all are part of this body system" remained high at 65%. Many students maintained their belief that the stomach was the largest organ listed in question seven, but 36% more individuals chose the correct response, the liver, as their answer during the post test. Finally, there was an increase in the number of correct responses to questions nine and ten during the post test. Approximately 30% more students accurately cited the location of the stomach as being just under the ribcage to the left-hand side of the body. Delayed post test results, in many instances, demonstrated that students had not retained the information they had obtained during instruction in preparation for the post test, and that they had reverted back to their previously held ideas as witnessed on the pretest. Only 76% as opposed to 92% of the students maintained the correct order of the parts of the alimentary canal, and 16% had gone back to the notion that the large intestine is located ahead of the small intestine. The percentage of students believing that the stomach is where most of the digestion occurs rose 18% on the DPT causing this value to be even higher than it was initially onStudent Misconceptions 38 the pretest. The number of students who maintained the knowledge that the small intestine carries out the majority of digestion dropped by 21%. Only 13% of the subjects chose the kidneys as not being part of the human digestive system, this value down 12% from the post test. The vast majority of students continued to choose ‘all are part of this body system" or “none are part of this body system” as was seen in both the pretest and post test. students reverted back to their misconception regarding the location of the stomach. The correct response, “just under the ribcage, to the left hand side of body”, was chosen 31% less on the DPT than on the post test, while the frequency of incorrect responses, “middle of abdomen, just above bellybutton",.was up 22%. Not all of the questions on each of the three tests showed such dramatic fluctuations in the selection of either the valid or invalid response. Question eight on the pretest and post test, and question two on the DPT is one example. Students were asked as to where in the alimentary canal digestion first begins. sixty per cent of the students already knew that this process starts in the mouth, while 19% believed it begins in the stomach. However, this misconception was not evident in either the post test nor the DPT. In this instance, students had retained the correct information long after instruction had been given. Students did not seem to hold any preconceived notions regarding the length of the human intestines. (see Table 1, question 4) Therefore, the positive response to instruction was clear on both the post test and the DPT, during which about 76%Student Misconceptions 39 and 50% of the respondents selected the correct answer choice of 10-30 feet. The free-response question on each test (see Table 2) definitively illustrates either a complete lack of knowledge on the part of the student, or the existence of misconceptions, prior to instruction. It also shows the apparent effectiveness of instruction, followed by the reversion or decline of knowledge after the 21 week delay. Not one student identified the role of the pancreas in digestion correctly on the pretest. Sixty per cent cited its proper role during the post test, only to observe this number drop to 28% on the DPT. Similarly, not one student mentioned the gallbladder’s digestive function, that is, the storage of bile, during the pretest. Many students seemed to have confused the gallbladder with the urinary bladder, and stated its function as a structure which holds liquid waste. However, 63% noted the storage of bile as a function of the gallbladder on the post test, while the mention of its ability to store liquid waste dropped to 16%. The DPT showed 55% of the subjects reverting back to the idea of the gallbladder holding liquid waste, and the number of students making mention of its storage of bile dropped by 308. Question three on the pretest and post test, and question six on the DPT, did not illicit an adequate response during any of the tests. This was due to the poor wording of both the question itself and the answer choices. Students were asked to choose the most accurate description of the human intestines both large and small. Responses were split between two answer choices, both ofStudent Misconceptions 40 which may be considered valid depending on the reader's interpretation of the question. “Thin tube, long and winding" might be considered most appropriate especially in terms of the small intestine. However, “thick tube, long and winding” may also be considered accurate if one is thinking of the large intestine specifically. The terms “thick” and “thin” are relative to what the subject may have been comparing to the intestines. Although the question was ambiguous, to some extent it was helpful in determining students’ accurate conception of the intestinal tract as “long and winding’ as opposed to “short and straight".Student Misconceptions 41 CHAPTER V Discussion Conclusions and Implications One significant outcome of this study is its identification of some misconceptions students possess regarding the human digestive system. These misconceptions may be added to the already well developed list of notions students hold about the human body as reported in other papers like Mintzes (1984). Such documentation may be of benefit to educators by simply raising awareness in them as they plan and execute their lessons. Teachers may decide to discuss naive theories with their pupils in order to more effectively present scientifically accepted theories and promote more meaningful learning. Results of this paper are also significant in that they provide support for the original hypothesis. students are given a course of instruction that is.deemed appropriate, students “learn* the information and pass the test. However, students walk away with or revert back to the same beliefs they held prior to having entered the classroom at all. It is obvious that students have been and continue to be trained to learn in rote fashion and do not retain material for their future use. Teachers, especially those in New York state where the syllabus is predetermined, condition themselves to teach “for the test". This is not to say that these teachers are ineffective or incompetent. On the contrary, they cover anStudent Misconceptions 42 extraordinary amount of material in a short period of time and in a number of creative ways, and their students score well overall on the state exam. However, these same instructors realize the disservice they are doing to students in their classes and feel trapped by the curriculum, Fortunately, at the time of this study, New York State was in the process of changing the focus and scope of the curriculum as well as the format of the exam. The new exam will require depth of understanding rather than memorization of discrete facts. As the wealth of information regarding student misconceptions and their tenacity obtain greater recognition and acknowledgment on the part of educators, teachers will hopefully begin to search for ways to alter their methodologies and employ strategies such as those suggested by Mintzes (1984) and Odom and Kelly (1998). Suggestions for Further Study A misconception may only be dispelled if a student is first confronted with his naive concept, shown its incorrectness, made to feel dissatisfied with the idea, and is then presented with the accurate explanation (Arnaudin & Mintzes, 1985; Lawson & Thompson, 1988). Therefore, the investigation of ways to discover student misconceptions in science must continue in conjunction with the careful documentation of misconceptions that have been revealed. Likewise, educators must continue to search for methods to assist students in eliminating their misconceptions thus replacing them with those ideas currently accepted by scientists.Student Misconceptions 43 References Arnaudin, M. W., & Mintzes, J. J. (1985). Students’ alternative conceptions of the human circulatory system: A cross-age study. Science Education, 69(5), 721-733. Ausubel, D. P., Novak, J. D., & Hanesian, H. (1978). Educational psychology: A cognitive view, 2nd ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, Inc. Ausubel, D. P., & Robinson, F. G. (1969). Sch ning: An_introduction to educational psychology. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, Inc. Bernstein, L. (1990). Globe biology, New Jersey: Globe Book Company. Biggs, A., Kaskel, A., Lundgren, L., & Mathieu, D. (1994). Biology: Living systems. New York: Glencoe. Bishop, B. A., & Anderson, C. W. (1990). Student conceptions of natural selection and its role in evolution. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 27(5), 415-427. Duckworth, E. (1996). The having o: derful i “ and other essavs on teaching and learning. New York and London: Teachers College Press & Teachers College Columbia University. Lawson, A. E., & Thompson, L. D. (1988). Formal reasoning ability and misconceptions concerning genetics and natural selection. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 25(9), 733-746. Miller, K. R., & Levine, J. (1993). Biology (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.Student Misconceptions 44 Mintzes, J. J. (1984, November). Naive theories in biology: Children’s concepts of the human body. School Science and Mathematics, 84(7), 548-555. Odom, A. L., & Barrow, L. H. (1995). Development and application of a two-tier diagnostic test measuring college biology students’ understanding of diffusion and osmosis after a course of instruction. Research in Science Teachi 32. 45-61. Odom, L. A. and Kelly, P. V. (1998, April). Making learning meaningful. The Science Teacher, 65/4), 33-37. Piaget, J. (1929). y ion of 1 London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, Ltd. Piaget, J. (1930). child’ ion of causality. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, Ltd. Schraer, W. D., & Stoltze, H. J. (1999). Bioloay: The study _ of life (7th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.Student Misconceptions 45 Appendix A Student Objectives: ‘The student will be able to identify the organs of the human digestive system on a diagram. ‘The student will be able to name the parts of the human alimentary canal in the order in which food passes through them. The student will be able to describe what occurs in each part of the human alimentary canal distinguishing between mechanical and chemical digestion .of the various nutrients. The student will be able to identify and describe the roles of the accessory organs in human digestion. The student will be able to cite and explain several digestive diseases/disorders. The student will be able to explain the importance of increased surface area to the processes of chemical digestion and absorption. The student will be able to list the three types of digestive enzymes, the nutrient (s) each acts upon and the resulting end products. The student will be able to explain the relationship between the human digestive and circulatory systems.Student Misconceptions 46 Appendix B Human Digestive System Pretest/Post test Directions: Please read each question carefully and circle the letter of the choice that you believe best answers that question. For some questions you may be asked to elaborate on the answer you chose for the previous question. Please answer all questions; do not leave any blank. Answer all questions to the best of your ability. It is not necessary to put your name on this paper. The results of this post test are for the purpose of gathering information only, not for a letter or percentage grade. 1. Which of the following accurately represents some of the parts of the human digestive system in the proper order? a. mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine b. mouth, esophagus, large intestine, small intestine, stomach c. mouth, esophagus, large intestine, stomach, small intestine a. mouth, esophagus, small intestine, stomach, large intestine e. mouth, esophagus, stomach, large intestine, small intestine 2. In which of the organs listed above, does the majority of digestion occur? 3. Which of the following most accurately describes the human intestines (large and small)? a. thin tube, long and winding b. thin tube, short and straight ¢. thick tube, long and winding d. thick tube, short and straight 4. Please give your best estimation of the length of the human intestines in feet. 5. Which of the following organ(s) are NOT part of the human digestive system?Student Misconceptions 47 a. liver b. kidneys/bladder ©. pancreas d. gallbladder e. all are part of this body system 6. To the best of your ability, please describe the function that each of the organs in question #5 has in the human body. 7. Which of the following structures is the largest in comparison with the other three? a. liver b. stomach ¢. pancreas d. gallbladder e. urinary bladder 8. Where does digestion begin in the human digestive system? (This may or may not be the same place in which most of the digestion occurs.) 9. Which of the following best describes the location of the stomach? a. just under the ribcage b. middle of the abdomen, just above bellybutton ¢. lower abdomen, beneath bellybutton 10. Regardless of which choice you made for question #9, is your stomach in the middle, right, or left-hand side of your body?Student Misconceptions 48 Appendix C Delayed Post Test Directions: Please read each question carefully and circle the letter of the choice that you believe best answers that question. For some questions you may be asked to elaborate on the answer you chose for the previous question. Please answer all questions; do not leave any blank. Answer all questions to the best of your ability. It is not necessary to put your name on this paper. The results of this post test are for the purpose of gathering information only, not for a letter or percentage grade. 1. Which of the following accurately represents some of the parts of the human digestive system in the proper order? a. mouth, esophagus, large intestine, small intestine, stomach b. mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine c. ‘mouth, esophagus, large intestine, stomach, small intestine 4. mouth, esophagus, small intestine, stomach, large intestine e. mouth, esophagus, stomach, large intestine, small intestine 2. In which of the organs listed above does digestion first begin? a. esophagus b. large intestine ¢. mouth d. small intestine e. stomach 3. In which of the organs listed above does most of the digestion occur? a. esophagus b. large intestine ¢. mouth d. small intestine e. stomachStudent Misconceptions 49 About how long are your intestines? a b. c. a less than 10 ft. 10-30 ft. 31-50 ft. longer than 50 £t. Which of the following best describes the location of the stomach? under the ribcage, to the left side of body under the ribcage, to the right side of body middle of upper abdomen, above bellybutton middle of lower abdomen (beneath bellybutton) Which of the following most accurately describes the human intestines (large and small)? a. b. cs a. thin tube, long and winding thin tube, short and straight thick tube, long and winding thick tube, short and straight Which of the following organ(s) is/are NOT part of the human digestive system? (More than one answer may be circled) gallbladder pancreas kidneys liver all are part of this body system none are part of this body system Please briefly describe the job that each of the organs in question #7 has in the human body. gallbladder - pancreas - kidneys - liver -Student Misconceptions 50 Which of the following structures is the largest in size in comparison with the other four? a. gallbladder b. stomach ¢. pancreas ad. liver e. kidney