Eliza Rybska1, Barbara Jankowiak2, Sylwia Jaskulska3, Michal Klichowski4,5
1 Laboratory for Nature Education and Conservation, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
2 Unit for Psychopedagogical Research on Human Development, Faculty of Educational Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
3 Faculty of Educational Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University, 60-568 Poznan, Poland
4 Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
5 Learning Laboratory, Faculty of Educational Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
Learning is a process of knowledge construction, a response to environmental requirements, and it happens in a social and physical context by using different information resources and tools (1). Learning environment design influences, to some extent, students' achievements (2), including modes and media used for communication (3). In the presented research, we have created a learning environment in which the IBSE approach was adopted with special emphasis on project-based education. and was sponsored by UE Horizon 2020 project.
Viruses and their pathogenicity, as well as the prevention of viral diseases, are obligatory content during the implementation of the core curriculum in biology all over the world. Although its importance is somehow neglected (4), Teaching about viruses in schools is critical for increasing public awareness about how diseases are transmitted and how infections can be prevented. It also helps reduce unnecessary antibiotic use, which is often a result of patients pressuring doctors for treatment in cases of viral illnesses like influenza (5).
The aim of presented research was to examine whether a rich learning environment, where IBSE methods were introduces, students participated in open – school events can influence their knowledge and attitudes toward viruses and viral infections.
Participants: 202 students from hight schools in Poland, 36 were participating in a control group (without IBSE approach) and 165 were participating in an experimental setting (with IBSE and open-schooling approach). We have conducted questionnaires adopted from the literature.
Our study shows that the interventions used had a significant effect in increasing knowledge about viruses but not attitudes toward viral diseases. Our research shows that attitudes are related to knowledge, but the correlation is not strong. So it can be assumed that students' attitudes are not based on their knowledge but on their emotions. It is worth noting that previous research indicates that attitudes based on emotions are difficult to change through the use of logical arguments, since they are not the result of logical analysis and are related to values (and an attempt to change them is at the same time perceived as an attempt to challenge these values) (6). It can be assumed that due to the post-pandemic time, the topic of viral diseases and attitudes towards them were among the participants linked to their emotions and values; hence, educational interventions based on deep information processing may not have been effective enough.
References
1. Seel, N. M. (2011). Learning environment in Seel, N. M. (Ed.). Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. Springer Science & Business Media.
2. Fisher, K. (2005). Research into identifying effective learning environments. Evaluating quality in educational facilities, 9, 159-167.
3. Jewitt, C. (2008). Multimodality and literacy in school classrooms. Review of research in education, 32(1), 241-267.
4. Simon, U. K. (2021). Teaching Virology at School: An Analysis of Student Knowledge, Textbooks, and Other Published Materials and a Summary of Essential Virology Knowledge for Teachers. Science| Environment| Health: Towards a Science Pedagogy of Complex Living Systems, 263-285.
5. Simon, U. K., Enzinger, S. M., & Fink, A. (2017). " The evil virus cell": Students ‘knowledge and beliefs about viruses. PLos one, 12(3), e0174402.
6. Vogel, T., & Wanke, M. (2016). Attitudes and Attitude Change (2nd ed.). Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315754185