Publication Title: Journal of Research in Science Teaching
Author: Griffiths, A. K., & Grant, B. A. C.
Volume: 22
Page Number: 421-436
Publication Year: 1985
Abstract:
https://scimap.hosted.uark.edu/index.php/references/item/2656
Developing an understanding of the nature of food webs is an important topic in today's biology curricula. The relationships represented in a food web are rule-like in nature. Hence, it should be possible to construct a learning hierarchy for this concept. A hierarchy leading to the ability to determine how a change in the size of one population can affect another population in the same web but not on the same chain was hypothesized. Data from 200 subjects were extremely consistent with the hierarchy. A second major focus related to the identification of specific misconceptions held by subjects for food webs. The need to identify students' misconceptions of important concepts has been expressed widely in the recent science education literature. In the present article, an argument is presented for the usefulness of learning hierarchies in this work. Specific misconceptions and the frequencies of their occurrence are reported.
Misconceptions
- The interpretation of food web dynamics are in terms of a single food chain rather than interconnected food chains.{Age/Grade: 9-12}{Scientific Subjects: Biology, Life Processes (Other than bioenergetics)}
- A population located higher on a given food chain within a food web is a predator of all populations below in the chain.{Age/Grade: 9-12}{Scientific Subjects: Biology, Life Processes (Other than bioenergetics)}
- A change in the size of a prey population has no effect on its predator population.{Age/Grade: 9-12}{Scientific Subjects: Biology, Life Processes (Other than bioenergetics)}