Determining the effectiveness of a biotechnological curricular modification to biology instruction.

Abstract

This research assessed the implementation of biotechnology-based instruction into high school biology. Two suburban high schools agreed to participate and the study was conducted by using a teacher and his biology classes in each school. Experimental and control groups were used in each school. Two major hypotheses were tested in this study. (1) Does a biotechnology-based curriculum modification promote greater student achievement in biology than traditional laboratory presentations? (2) Do attitudes toward biology significantly improve as a result of this biotechnology-based curriculum modification? When the results from the two groups of students were statistically controlled (ANCOVA), the biotechnologic group demonstrated significant differences in such measures of achievement as laboratory and quiz scores, as well as more positive responses for the laboratory activities, the discipline of biology, the role of biologists, and the relevance of scientific experimentation. Within school comparisons between experimental and control groups reflected the teachers' background. Students from the biotechnologic group at one school consistently demonstrated significant differences in achievement measures and positive attitude responses. These conflicting results may be due to a teacher effect. In fact, teacher interaction with the outcome measures of achievement and attitude was significant (p $<$.001). The uniform student achievement of the biotechnologic group at one school speaks persuasively of the value of this curricular modification. This group achieved significant differences both in the conceptual knowledge of biomolecule separation, restriction enzymes, and protein structure (p $\le$ 0.019); and in positive attitudinal responses to biology and the role of biologists (p $\le$ 0.022). Therefore, the efficacy of biotechnology-based instruction on student achievement and attitude has been demonstrated in a high school setting where the instructor Is cognizant of current biotechnologies. The documented difference in teacher experience that concluded with the student performance at the two schools illustrates the need for thorough teacher instruction. When a teacher is inexperienced with current developments in biology, then even preservice and inservice sessions were inadequate. An in-depth experience (e.g. NSF sponsored multiple-week workshop) is certainly appropriate and would very likely add to the effectiveness of biotechnology in the classroom.