Student-Generated Questions as Opportunities for Sensemaking in Undergraduate Biology

Area of Science:

• Science Education
• Undergraduate Biology Education
• Cognitive Science in Learning

Background:

• Sensemaking, crucial for learning, involves identifying knowledge gaps and building explanations.
• College students often feel their questions are secondary to obtaining correct answers in biology courses.
• Traditional classrooms may not adequately support student-driven inquiry and critical thinking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To argue that eliciting student questions can foster creative and critical thinking for biological sensemaking.
• To demonstrate how student-generated questions facilitate understanding of complex biological phenomena.
• To provide insights for instructors on implementing sensemaking approaches in biology classrooms.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual argument supported by qualitative data.
• Analysis of three interviews with undergraduate students discussing evolutionary biology.
• Focus on how interview framing around student questions impacted sensemaking processes.

Main Results:

• Framing interviews around student questions led to productive biological sensemaking.
• Students engaged in creative and critical thinking when their questions guided the discussion.
• The study illustrates the potential of student-centered inquiry in science education.

Conclusions:

• Eliciting student questions is a viable strategy to promote sensemaking in undergraduate biology.
• Biology instructors can cultivate sensemaking by centering instruction on student curiosity.
• This approach can enhance both student learning and engagement with biological concepts.