DETERMINANT OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ INTEREST AND ENGAGEMENTS IN THE STUDY OF GENETICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA

Collins Owusu-Fordjour, Rosemary Naana Kumi-Manu, Charles Kwesi Koomson

Abstract


Genetics is a fundamental aspect of biological education, crucial for understanding heredity, variation, and molecular mechanisms in life. Despite its importance, student engagement in genetics courses at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) varies widely. This study investigates the factors influencing undergraduate students' interest and engagement in the study of genetics, focusing on the perceived relevance of genetics, pedagogical approaches, challenges faced by students, and misconceptions. A descriptive survey design was used, with data collected from 150 undergraduate students enrolled in the Biology and Integrated Science Education programs. Results indicate that the perceived relevance of genetics to students’ lives, including its application in health and global issues like food security, is the most significant predictor of interest and engagement (R² = 0.56). Pedagogical approaches, particularly hands-on activities and interactive learning methods were also found to enhance engagement. However, students faced moderate challenges in understanding genetic concepts, which reduced their overall engagement. Misconceptions about genetics were less impactful but still contributed to shaping students’ attitudes. The findings suggest that aligning teaching strategies with real-life applications and addressing student misconceptions can improve student engagement in genetics education.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter


Keywords


employment, intellectual disability, learners with intellectual disability, parental involvement, transition

Full Text:

PDF

References


Bates, M., Bigot, M., Cropp, R., Engwirda, D., Friedman, C., & D. W., H. (2016). On the formulation of environmental fugacity models and their numerical solutions. Environ. Toxicol. Chem, 35(9), 2182-2191. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.3403

Casanoves, M., Salvadó, Z., González, Á., Valls, C., & Novo, M. T. (2017). Learning genetics through a scientific inquiry game. Journal of Biological Education, 51(2), 99-106. https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.2016.1177569

Collins, A., & Halverson, R. (2018). Rethinking education in the age of technology: The digital revolution and schooling in America. Teachers College Press. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264869053_Rethinking_education_in_the_age_of_technology_the_digital_revolution_and_the_schools

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Retrieved from https://www.ucg.ac.me/skladiste/blog_609332/objava_105202/fajlovi/Creswell.pdf

Davis, J. A. (1971). Elementary survey analysis. Prentice-Hall. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Elementary_Survey_Analysis.html?id=c63ZAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y

Johnson, E. C., Demontis, D., Thorgeirsson, T. E., Walters, R. K., Polimanti, R., Hatoum, A. S., & Wang, J. C. (2020). A large-scale genome-wide association study meta-analysis of cannabis use disorder. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(12), 1032-1045. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(20)30339-4




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v11i11.5610

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2024 Collins Owusu-Fordjour, Rosemary Naana Kumi-Manu, Charles Kwesi Koomson

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright © 2015-2023. European Journal of Education Studies (ISSN 2501 - 1111) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library (Biblioteca Nationala a Romaniei). All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms. All authors who send their manuscripts to this journal and whose articles are published on this journal retain full copyright of their articles. All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).