The purpose of this study was to analyze research trend on biological misconceptions and instructional strategies which are able to correct the misconceptions and to synthesize results of studies about biological misconceptions, using meta-analysis te...
The purpose of this study was to analyze research trend on biological misconceptions and instructional strategies which are able to correct the misconceptions and to synthesize results of studies about biological misconceptions, using meta-analysis technique. In this study, we reviewed the treatises about biological misconceptions which were published from 1986 to 2005 in Korea. A total of 141 treatises were found in the studies about biological misconceptions. It was 1986 when the study on biological misconceptions begins and the studies have been brisk since the mid-1990s in Korea. The analyzed topics were investigations of misconceptions(63.2%), corrections of misconceptions(24.2%), causes of misconceptions formation (8.8%) and traits of misconceptions(3.6%). Most of objects were elementary or secondary students(88.9%) and the studies about misconceptions of teachers', undergraduates' and preschoolers' were deficient. Especially, there were not any studies about correction of teachers' misconceptions. The studies of physiology(33.8%), ecology(18.4%) and genetics(16.6%) were dealt plentifully. There were 13 types of instructional strategies for correcting the misconceptions, including cognitive conflict instruction model, instruction using science history, etc. The results of meta-analysis were as follows. Overall mean effect size was .62. This mean that experimental groups which received instruction for correction of misconceptions were more effective in correction of misconceptions than control groups which received traditional instruction. Mean effect size of cognitive conflict instruction model(ES=.91) and science history instruction model(ES=.86) were comparatively higher than the other instructional strategies. Correction of misconceptions was more effective for elementary students (ES=.77) than middle school students(ES=.45) and high school students(ES=.43). Mean effect size of genetics(ES=.30) and physiology(ES=.49) were comparatively lower than the other fields.