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Learning the Cell Structures with Three-Dimensional Models: Students’ Achievement by Methods, Type of School and Questions’ Cognitive Level

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Abstract

The cell topic was taught to 9th-grade students in three modes of instruction: (a) students “hands-on,” who constructed three-dimensional cell organelles and macromolecules during the learning process; (b) teacher demonstration of the three-dimensional model of the cell structures; and (c) teaching the cell topic with the regular learning material in an expository mode (which use one- or two-dimensional cell structures as are presented in charts, textbooks and microscopic slides). The sample included 669, 9th-grade students from 25 classes who were taught by 22 Biology teachers. Students were randomly assigned to the three modes of instruction, and two tests in content knowledge in Biology were used. Data were treated with multiple analyses of variance. The results indicate that entry behavior in Biology was equal for all the study groups and types of schools. The “hands-on” learning group who build three-dimensional models through the learning process achieved significantly higher on academic achievements and on the high and low cognitive questions’ levels than the other two groups. The study indicates the advantages students may have being actively engaged in the learning process through the “hands-on” mode of instruction/learning.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education in Technology and Science, I.I.T—Technion, 32000, Haifa, Israel

    Reuven Lazarowitz & Raphael Naim

Authors
  1. Reuven Lazarowitz
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  2. Raphael Naim
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Reuven Lazarowitz.

Appendix

Appendix

Examples of 6 Questions’ on Cognitive Levels included in the BT

Low Cognitive Level Questions

  1. 17.

    The respiration process occurs in the cell organelle

    • (a) ribosome; (b) mitochondrion; (c) nucleus; (d) golgi system.

  2. 19.

    Which of the following structures helps living cells control their inner ion concentration at a different level from their outer environment?

    • (a) cell wall; (b) cell nucleus; (c) cell membrane; (d) cell vacuoles.

  3. 22.

    Enzymes in general consist of molecules of:

    • (a) fats; (b) carbohydrates; (c) amino acids; (d) proteins.

High Cognitive Level Questions

  1. 15.

    Scientists found a poison which can inhibit protein synthesis in living cells. It can be hypothesized that the site of poison activity is in the:

    • (a) cytoplasm; (b) centrosome; (c) ribosome; (d) vacuole.

  2. 18.

    Plant cells placed in distilled water do not swell, while red blood cells placed in water will rupture immediately because

    • (a) the movement of water into plant cells stops when the turgor pressure is equal to the osmotic pressure,

    • (b) a plant cell membrane is stronger and more flexible than the red blood cell membrane,

    • (c) the outer cell membrane of the plant cell is not permeable to water,

    • (d) the osmotic pressure in plant cells is much lower than the osmotic pressure in red blood cells.

  3. 29.

    In plant cells when plasmolysis occurs, the cell protoplast is removed from the cell wall and a space is created between. This space starts to be filled with:

    • (a) water, since water occurs in a lower concentration outside the cell,

    • (b) the solution which induced the plasmolysis, since its concentration outside the cell is higher,

    • (c) air, since air always fills any empty space in plants,

    • (d) vacuole fluid which leaves the vacuole and penetrates into this space.

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Lazarowitz, R., Naim, R. Learning the Cell Structures with Three-Dimensional Models: Students’ Achievement by Methods, Type of School and Questions’ Cognitive Level. J Sci Educ Technol 22, 500–508 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-012-9409-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-012-9409-5

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