Students' Ideas

CHARLES R. B A R M A N M A R Y STEIN SHANNAN M C N A I R NATALIE S . BARMAN

D uring the elementary grades, children build

understanding of biological concepis through direct, con-
crete experiences with living things, their life cycles, and
their habilats (National Research Council, 19Q6). Research
2000: Osborne & Freyberg, 1985; Stepans,1985; Bell,
1981) have found that students" understandings of plants
and what plants need to grow are often hmited. For exam-
ple, in McNair and Stein's research (2001), when asked to
has shown that children and adults ailcn dcveltip under- draw a plant, children and adults alike olten drew, or
standing about their physical and natural world which arc thought Libout, flowering plants. Similarly, Bell (1981")
quite dilterent to those presented by the scientific commu- lound that some children did not consider trees to le
nity (Osborne & Freyberg, 1983; Angus, 1Q81). plants- It v\';is also found that many students did not con-
sider an organisrn lo be a plant unless it possessed specif-
To examine young students' ideas about plants and
ic characteristics or parts such as a [lower or stem.
plant growth, an invitation in Science & Children was
Alternatively, some students thought that nonliving exam-
extended to K-8 teachers lo participate in a national study
ples or other organisms were plants simply because they
(Barman, Stein, Barman & McNair, 2002"). Along with the
had structures that resembled a flower or stem. The hrst
invitation was a protocol that instructed teachers to con-
research question. Is this a plani or not a plant?, sought to
duct student, mterviews and record their responses.
provide inlormation on students' ideas about what they
Specifically, students were asked to look at pictures of 12
believe characterizes a "plant." The set ot pictures were
items and indicate whether they believed the item was a
cotnprised ol a range ol itemssome that we believed
plant or not a plant. They then were asked to explain what
would be fairly obvious to most students (e.g., a Oower) to
all plants have in common. With a second set ol pictures ot
items that would probably be diflicuU for many to distin-
12 items, students were asked to identify the things that
guish based on the characteristics (e.g.. mushroom). We
plants need to grow. Again, after they made their selec-
wondered to what extent flowering plants would continue
tions, they were asked to explain how each of the items
to be the most easily identihed category of piants. Are
they selected help plants to grow. Two hundred twenty-
today's students still having difficulty, as past research sug-
seven itidi\iduals from 16 states in the United States, one
gested, identiiying trees, bushes, or grass as plants? Finally,
United States Territory, and one Canadian Province
some items that might provide the need for greater expla-
responded to this invitation and contributed data from
nation were included in the selection. For example, when
more than 2400 students.
deciding w^hether items with very plant-like characteristics,
such as a mushroom or a walking stick, are plants, stu-
Rationale for Study dents may feel more oi a need to explain their reasoning.

in previous work with siudents, a nutnber of

researchers (McNair & Stein, 2001; Tunnicliffe & Reiss,
R. B.AKM.AX IS Projessor of Science and Euviroumcuial
Educaiion at Indiana University School of Education. Indiauapolif..
IN 46202; e-mail: charman^S'iupui.cdiL M.ARY Sr/:i,v is Associate
Projessor for the Department oj Teacher Development and
Educational Studies at Oakland University, Rochester, Ml 48309.
SHANNA:< MCNMR is Asstn iulc Professor [or the Department of Human
Development and Educational Studies at Oakland Univcnilv.
Rochester, Mi 48309. NAT.MAE S. BARMAN is a Clinical Lecturer in (lie
Department oj Teacher Education at Indiana University School oj
Education, Indianapolis, IN 46202; e-mail: mharman@iupui.edu.
When considering the second question, What do
plants need to groiv?, ideas can become even more compli-
cated. According to the National Science Education
Standards (Nationai Research Council, 1996), students in
grades K-4 should understand that plants have basic needs
that include air, water, nutrients, and light. The idea that
plants need things provided by people rnay make more
sense to young students. For example, we plant plants in
soil, water them, and set them in a lighted space. These
needs may be more obvious to students than the idea thai
plants need air to grow. In addition, students olten ascrioe
human characteristics, or anthropomorphic explanations.

PLANTS & PLANT GROWTH 73

to organisms as they interpret the Table 1. K-8 Content Standards pertaining to plants.
organism's attributes and lunctions
with respect to their own experi- CONCEPT OR PRINCIPLES (GRADES K-4) DESCRIPTOR
ences (Osborne & Freyberg, 198.^;
The characteristics of organisms Plants require air, water, nutrients, and light.
Stein & McNair, 2002). For exam-
ple, students often believe that Life cycles of organisms Plants and animals have life cycles that include being
plants need ^'lood" in a way that is born, developing into adults, reproducing, and
similar to food that people eat. So
eventually dying.
when they hear that plants make
their own food, they are often think- Organisms and environments All animals depend on plants.
ing about food in terms of some-
thing that the plant ingests or "eats" CONCEPT OR PRINCIPLE (GRADES 5-8) DESCRIPTOR '
(Roth, 1985; Smith, & Anderson,
1984). Structure and function in living systems All organisms are composed of cells.

Reproduction and heredity Plants reproduce sexually.

Because the National Science
Education Standards (1996) outline Populations and ecosystems Plants and some microorganisms are producers
specific thtngs K-8 students should
they make their own food. Energy entering ecosys-
know about plants (Table 1) and
tems as sunlight is transferred by producers into
previous data indicated that elemen-
tary students had dilliculty under- chemical energy through photosynthesis.
standmg some major ideas about "
plants and plant growth, tt seemed
appropriate to mitiate an investigation to determine the Reviewing the Data
current thinking of elementary and middle school stu-
dents related to these topics. Plants are a vital component Results of Which Items Were Plants
to our Farth. They are the basic connection between the
The K-8 students had a consistent and fairly good
sun and the energy How that exists in all ecosystems.
grasp of which pictures were plants and those that were
Students have daily experiences with plants from an early
not (Tables 2-4). For example, most of the students (95%
age and should know a great deal about plants as they
or more) were able to identify a flower as a plant and there
combine their daily observations and experiences with
concepts presented each year in school However, miscon- was consensus that the bush and the fern were plants.
ceptions are also introduced and reinforced at early ages. Most of the students knew that bread mold wasn't a plant
Understanding these misconceptions can help us to better (74% or more), however, about half (50-60%) misclassified
address them in the classroom. a mushroom as a plant. In this case, the stalk of the mush-
room resembles the stem of a plant.
Signihcant differences were apparent in the way K-8
Data Collection & Analyses students identified plants (Tables 2-4). Over 50% of the K-
5 students believed a seed was a plant versus 37% of the
As indicated earlier, the investigators who participat-
students in grades 6-8, Students in grades 6-8 appeared to
ed in this study lollowed an interview protocol that was
have more difficulty identifying certain organisms as plants
included witb the 2002 Science & Children invitation. In
than the students in grades K-5. For example, 78% of the
this protocol, the investigators were provided with one
students in grades 6-8 identified grass as a plant while
set of pictures depicting plants and objects that are not
86% of the students m grades 3-5 identified grass as a
plants and another set ol pictures showing things plants
plant. A similar pattern was shown in how the students
need or don't need for growth. Using the first set of pic-
classified an oak tree (78% for grades 6-8 versus 88% for
tures, the investigators asked each student to identify
grades 3-5) and a pine tree (77% for grades 6-8 versus 84%
those illustrations that are plants and when they com-
for grades K-2 and 86% for grades 3-5).
pleted the classification task, tbey were also asked to
explain what all plants have in common. With the sec- When reviewing information about the students' ver-
ond set of pictures, the students were asked to identify bal responses and explanations, it became evident that
the things plants need for growth and to explain how characteristics that students strongly associate with plants
each of the things they identified as needed for plant are that they have leaves, stems, are green, and grow in the
growth actually helps a plant grow. The students' ground/soil. Although some significant differences were
responses to botb sets of pictures are shown in Tables 2- observed between the grade levels, students generally
4. A proportional analysis of the frequency of "yes" selected the flower, fern, and bush as being examples of
responses between grade levels was conducted using plants and these exatnples clearly show the aforemen-
Stata (Statacorp, 2003) to determine whether significant
tioned characteristics. Some significant differences were
differences existed between the responses in each grade
also obser\'ed m their classihcation of grass, the oak tree,
category. The results of these analyses are also shown in
the pine tree, and the Venus Flytrap; however, the percent-
Tables 2-4,
ages of students who thought these were plants were still

74 THE AMERICAN BIOLOGY TEACHER, VOLUME 68, NO, 2, FEBRUARY 2006

 Table 2. A comparison of students' responses in grades K-2 and grades 3-5. Results of What Plants Need
INTERVIEW ITEM Percentage of Students' Responses to "Is this a plant or not a plant?" To Grow
Grades K-2 Grades 3-5 Tables 2-4 display the K-8 students'
(n - 8 6 9 ) {n-1019) ideas about what a plant needs for
Yes No Not Sure growth. Although some significant differ-
No Not Sure
ences exist between the grade levels, tbe
grass 81* 17 2 86 12 2 majority of the K-8 students identified tbe
flower 97* 2 1 95 4 1 sun, water, potting soil, air, and plant food
oak tree 81* 16 3 88 10 2 as the most important factors in plant
bush 87 10 3 87 12 1 growth. About 60% of all of the students
seeds 55 39 6 51 38 n believed oxygen was needed for growth
mushroom 57 38 5 60 30 10 and less than half of the students thought
earthworms were needed for growth. As
venus flytrap 73* 19 8 80 14 6
would be expected, significantly fewer stu-
walking stick (insect) 5* 92 3 9 88 3 dents in K-2 (30%) and 3-5 (59%)
pine tree 84 15 1 86 11 3 believed carbon dioxide was important
fern 88 10 2 90 7 3 compared to 65% of the students in
telephone pole 6* 93 1 3 96 1 grades 6-8- In addition, a significantly
bread mold 8* 85 7 16 74 10 smaller percentage of the K-5 students
versus students in grades 6-8 considered a
Interview Item light bulb important for plant growth.
0 Uo plants need this to grow?
/

Grades K-2 Grades 3-5 ^ When considering what plants need

(n - 869) (n-1019) in order to grow, students tended to por-
Yes Not Sure ' Yes ' No ] Not Sure tray plants as requiring what humans
sun 93* 1 98 1 1 need in order to grow. For example, the
13 3 14 82 4 ideas that plants "eat," "drink," and
light bulb
"breathe" occurred frequendy. The stu-
water 95* 0 98 1 1 dents observe plants as being provided
box of cereal 11* 1 1 99 0 sunlight, water, and food externally, much
bee 44* 51 5 53 40 7 like thetr idea of how they themselves
plant food 86* 10 4 77 18 5 take in food and water to grow, or stand in
worm 41* 55 4 46 48 6 the sun to be warmer. When talking about
78 19 3 81 14 5 the sun, the K-2 students generally said it
air
helps the plant grow by warming the
oxygen 58* 29 13 67 25 8
plant. Students in grades 3-8 said the sun
carbon dioxide 30* 46 24 59 28 13 helps the plant make food, it gives the
sandwich 3* 95 2 1 98 1 plant energy, and it provides heat for the
potting soil 10 2 88 9 3 plant. Even though some of these stu-
dents stated that the sun helps plants
denotes significant test between the frequency of "yes" responses at 0.05 level of signiflcance make food and gives plants energy, there
was very little discussion about photosyn-
thesis or the process of how plants make
quite high. Bell (1981) found thai, children did not consid- their own food. The students' discussion showed no appar-
er trees plants, and more often referred to flowering plants ent link between carbon dioxide and photosynthesis.
as "plants." This may be due to litnited classification skills When talking about the importance ol water for plants, the
rather than specific content knowledge about plants. An students generally felt it was needed for the plant to "drink"
example of this can be observed with one student's verbal or it provided nutrients for the plant. Likewise, piant food
response when asked whether a tree is a plant. The was seen as providing food for plants. As one student stat-
response was, "No, it's a tree." ln addition, very few stu- ed: "Plant iood keeps the plant from getting hungry."
dents believed that the walking stick, telephone pole, or
bread mold were plants. For example, one students
E\'cn young children seemed to understand that
response to bread mold was "It can't grow, its not alive."
plants need water and sunlight. For example, one student
The two Items that appeared to be most difhcult for stu-
said, "Sun gives light, warmth and food." A surprising
dents to characterize were seeds and the mushroom. This
number of K-2 students also understood that plants need
is not surprising because seeds have the potential of
air (78%). This cou!d also be because they know that
becoming a plant and mushrooms have many plant-like
humans need air and consider plants to need the same
characteristics. A student reasoned, ^'lt has no blooms or
things that we do. Significantly fewer K-2 students (Tables
flowers" and therefore decided the seed was not a plant,
2-3) believed that plants needed oxygen and sometimes
agatn supporting Bell's (1981) hndings.
explained that they thought that oxygen and air were the

PLANTS & PLANT GROWTH 75

satne thing. In addition, significanily Table 3. A comparison of students' responses in grades K-2 and grades 6-8.
fewer students in grades Ko versus
those In grades 6-8 (elt ihai carbon diox- INTERVIEW ITEM Percentage of Students' Responses to "Is this a plant or not a plant?"
ide was needed for plant growth. One r
Grades K-2
younger student: ealled it "a poison.'"
Some students indicated thai a reverse Yes No Not Sure
type ot breathing took place with plants
grass 81 17 2
hreathing in carbon dioxide and exhal-
ing oxygen. flower 97 2 1
oak tree 81 16 3

Discussion bush 87 10 3
seeds 55* 39 6
The students tn ihts siudy were miishroom 57*- 38 5
grouped as grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. This
venus flytrap 73 19 8
is similar to the way the National Science
Education Standards (National Research walking stick (insect) 5 92 3
Council, 1996) indicate what stndents pine tree 84* 15 1
should know in elernentary and tniddle fern 88 10 2
school (Table 1). Asking about piants was telephone pole 6* 93 1
of interest because plants are not only a bread mold 85 7
part of our daily experience and of the
environment around us, but they are a
INTERVIEW ITEM Percentage of Students'Responses to"Do plants need this to grow?"
topic addressed at e\'ery grade level in
school. As students learn more about Grades K-2 Grades 6-
plants in each successive grade, it is (n ^ 869) (n = 528
expected they will become lamiliar with Yes No Not Sure ' Yes No Not Sure
plant structure, plant needs, plant growth sun 93* 6 1 99 1 0
and reproduction, and eventually under- ightbulb 13* 84 3 19 79 2
stand more complex concepts, such as water 95* 5 0 99 1 0
the role of piants m the ecosystetii, plant
DOX of cereal 11* 88 1 2 94 4
diversity, genetics, and molecular struc-
ture, ln this discussion we will make an aee 44 51 5 44 50 6
effort to tie some of the students' respons- Diantfood 85* 10 4 69 23 8
es to some of the K-4 and 5-8 standards worm 41 55 4 37 54 9
dealing \\ith plants. air 78* 19 3 83 13 4
oxygen 58* 29 13 64 32 4
The K-4 standards indieate that by
carbon dioxide 30* 46 24 65 23 12
the time the students reach 5th grade,
they should know plants need air. water, sandwich 3 95 2 2 94 4
nutrients, and light. The K-2 students did Dotting soil 88* 10 2 83 13 4 I
not appear to tnake a connection between
denotes significant test between the frequency of "yes" responses at 0.05 level of significance
plants needing air and water for food pro-
duction. Instead, they talked about the in piant growth. For example, many thought that sunlight
plant needing air for "breathing" and water for "drinking." provided heat and warmth lor the plant and some believed
ln previous studies researchers found that students, from that plants needed food "to keep them from getting hun-
young ehildren through high school, had misconceptions gry." Similar to related studies, students are more likely to
that included plants not needing air, or breathing, much see sunlight as sornethtng helpful to plant growth, but not
like people and other animals (Canal, 1999). Even when essential (Canal, 1999). Although the middle school stu-
students understand that earbon dioxide is utilized in Iood dents appeared to agree that sunhght and nutrients were
production, they think ol it as a reverse type of breathing important for plant growth, their understandmgs of the
with oxygen being "exhaled." They also mdicated that the components ol the grades 5-8 standards dealing with how
sun provided warmth lor the plants but did not talk about plants make Iood and how energy is passed through an
sunlight as necessary for piant grovMh. These appear to be ecosystem were unclear. Pius, the lact that many of these
age appropriate responses lor this group oi students. students still clung to the idea o\ plants "breathing air" and
"drinking water" leads one to believe ihat they have a iim-
Many ol the students in grades 3-8 identified air,
iled understanding ol how plants make Iood.
water, nutrients, and sunlight as important for plant
growth. However, a good portion of the students in grades A lew ot the grades 6-8 students mdicated that an arti-
3-5 believed that the air was needed for breathing and the ficial light could take the place of sunlight in providing
water was for plants to drink. It was unclear as to what role energy for plants. This notion was generally absent in any
the grades 3-5 students believed light and nutrients played ol the K-5 responses. It's possible that only a lew students

76 THEAMERICAN6IOLOGYTEACHER,VOLUME68,NO.2, FEBRUARY 2006

in this study have had experience grow- Table 4. A comparison of students' responses in grades 3-5 and grades 6-8.
ing plants under artilicial lights or, il they
did have this experience, they did mn INTERVIEW ITEM Percentage of Students' Responses to"ls this a plant or not a plant?'
make the connection thai these lights
were taking the place ol sunlight. It is
also possible that these students viewed
the picture of the light hulb as the bulb
itseli rather than light from a light bulb. grass
flower
Only a few ol the K-2 students iden-
oak tree
tified roots as a common structure of a
plant and some ol these students said bush
that potting soil "holds the plant in the seeds
ground." It appears that the K'2 siudents mushroom
need more experiences observing dilfer- venus flytrap
ent root systems of plants. Through these walking stick (insect)
obser\'ations, they may come to the real-
pine tree
tzation thai these structures are an inte-
gral part of a plant and that they are fern
responsible for anchoring the plani. telephone pole
Although students are typically taught bread mold
the external "parts" of a plant during the
early years of school, they are prone to INTERVIEW ITEM Percentage of Sttjdents' Responses to "Do plants need this to grow?"
focus on what they can see, what is visi-
blewhich in many cases are [he stem,
leal, and perhaps llower.s. According lo
Not Sure
Canal (.l^Q*^), despite the effort made to
teach students about the basic lunclion sun 98 1 1
light bulb 14* 82 4
01 plant pans (i.e., roots) there are fewer
water 98 1 1
learning acti\'ities or assignments
focused on lunclion than on basic struc- box of cereal 1 99 0
ture. There also appears to be a need to bee 53* 40 7
help the K-2 students \isualtze plants as plant food 77* 18 5
living things. This notion seems to worm 46* 48 6
become tnore prevalent among the views air 81 14 5
of the students in grades 3-8.
oxygen 67 25 8
The National Standards indicate that carbon dioxide 59* 28 13
students in grades 5-8 should know that sandwich 1 98 1
all organisms are composed ol cells. This pottinqsoil 88* 9 3
means that students in the middle grades ^ A A A
should know that plants contain cells * denotes significant test between the frequency of "yes" responses at 0.05 level of significance
and that the cells of piants have basic dif-
ferences from animal cells (e.g.., presence of cell \\alls and studies tCanal, 19*^91, elementary students have a persist-
plastids). fTowever, the idea of plants containing cells was ent notion ihat the Iood source has to come trom outside
absent from the middle school students" responses in this oi the organism. Ozay and Oztas (2003) lound thai even
study. This could be because the pictures used in ihis secondary students largely misunderstood the process of
study's protocol did not elicit this type ol inlormation. food production. Students al all grade levels could benefit
irom investigations that compare plant growth with and
Although there was a signilicant dillercnce between
without plant food. It might also be helpiul if teachers
each grade level with regards to the importance ol plant
made the point that plant iood is actually fertilizer that pro-
food (Tables 2-4), a large percentage in each category lelt
vides nutrients lor plants and is noi a source of food.
plant food was essential for plant growth. This could be
because students view the piant iood as containing the Another interesting hnding in this study was that for
nutrients that plants need in order lo grow, but based on some plant specimens, namely the oak tree and grass,
what they said about plant food, it is more iikely a result ol there was a trend of significantly fewer students identifying
the misnomer of "plant food." Instead of fertilizer, these these as plants in the early grades (K-2) and middle grades
students view it as a source of food for the plant. As one K- (6-8), with the greatest numbers identifying these as plants
2 student stated, "Like humans, plants need food to sur- in grades 3-5. While there are many possible explanations,
vive." Another middle school student made a similar state- one possibility is that students begin with a fairly narrow
ment, "Plant Iood is like hurnati Iood." As found in similar definition of a "plant" and subsequently broaden it as they

PLANTS & PLANT GROWTH 77

 Table 5. Student misconceptions about piants.

MISCONCEPTION EXAMPLES OF STUDENT COMMENTS TEACHING IDEA

Food comes from substances
found in the external
environment of the plant, and
plants "eat" and "drink" similar
to people and other animals.
"if you don't feed them they Confront misconceptions and focus on the differences in plants
don't grovi/" and animalswhy plants are dassified as plants. Use different
"provides a drink" words to help students differentiate between "food"as they
"helps water to go up so plant can eat" experience nutrition.

Sunlight is helpful to plant
growth, but not critical. Sunlight
helps plants grow by keeping
them warm.
"plants need sun to be healthy" Have students grow plants in a warm, lighted environment and
"it warms the plant" compare this with a warm, dark environment. Students will see
"gives plant heat" that initially, when plants germinate, both sets of plants will grow,
but those in the dark are not as green.Over time, the plants in
the dark will die because they cannot produce their own food.

Soil provides a support structure
and food for plants.
Oxygen and carbon dioxide help
plants breathe.
[Soil is] "to grow in, holds it so It
doesn't wobble"
"Plants need soil so they can stand up"
"Potting soil is good so plants don't
have to grow in dirty soil"
"plants use CO/'
"[oxygen] for breathing"
"[carbon dioxide] kind of like air"
Provide examples of piants that grow in water without soil
(e.g., aquariums). Have students germinate seeds in a moist
environment without soil, in a nutrient-rich moist environment,
without soil, and in moist soil. They will see that the plant
germinates and begins to grow in each case, but wiil die without
nutrients.They will also see that the stem grows upward and the
roots downward.
Repeated discussion and demonstration of plant respiration can
help students to develop an understanding of a concept that is
not readily observable. Avoid activities and experiments that
possibly provide contradicting or confusing information.

Trees and grass are not plants. [Grass] "but it doesn't make flowers Expose students to a variety of plants through going to a
does it?" greenhouse or botanical garden,This will help them understand
"Noit's a tree instead of a plant." that there are non-flowering plants and plants that do not always
have the typical plant parts that they associate with angiosperms.

are exposed to more examples in school and their daily
lives. Then, as students learn more about scientific classifi-
cation schemes they begin to narrow these broadened def-
initions once again.
Teaching Implications
Through this study, we were able to identify some
common student misconceptions about plants and plant
growth. Some examples of these misconceptions, the stu-
dent explanations that led to their identification, and some
teaching implications are prov-ided in Table 5. After review-
ing the results, we found that the students' verbal expla-
nations of what they were thinking, and why, were very
helpful m understanding students' existing concepts
about plants. For example, when a student indicates that
he/she believes that a tree is not a plant, it is more impor-
tant to find out why the student has that belief rather than
simply focusing on whether the answer is correct. Informal
conversations with children can reveal more about their
understandmgs than responses to closed questions.
Even young students appeared to understand many
basic characteristics of plants and their needs. Knowing
this, teachers can move beyond what is already understood
into ideas about plants that students haven't considered.
Providing real examples of non-flowering plants or plants
without the typical leatures that students are iamiliar with
may help them to broaden their understandings. Letting
children ''dig in" to obser\'e root structures and consider
their functions may help them to thmk more deeply about
how plants are different from animals. Similarly, when ask-
ing students what plants need in order to grow, the teacher
can ask students whether there is anything that a house
plant needs to grow that humans do not have a role in pro-
viding.
Students at all grade levels attributed anthropomor-
phic characteristics to plants, such as breathing, drinking,
and eating, in their explanations of plant needs. It is in this
realm that the teacher's role is critical tn helping students
go beyond their existing understandings. The teacher can
help students understand ways that plants are dijferent
from humans in form and function. The teacher can also
help students understand ideas that may not be readily
observable to students. For example, when a bee travels
from flower to (lower, what exactly is it doing? Student
interpretations of this included delivering things hke

78 THE AMERICAN BIOLOGY TEACHER, VOLUME 68, NO. 2, FEBRUARY 2006

honey from flower to flower and "sharing" resources
among the flowers. The idea that the bee is obtaining a
substance that it needs and, in the process, that it also aids
in plant reproduction is loreign to young students.
Conclusion
The investigators identified several misconceptions
that K-8 students have regarding plants and plant growth.
This information can be useful to the teachers of these stu-
dents and to prospective teachers of these children. For
example, it was clear from comments received from the
teacher investigators that, through the student interviews,
they not only gatned a better understanding of their stu-
dents' ideas about plants, but also gained insight into the
kinds of activities that might help them develop deeper
understandings of these organisms. As one teacher indi-
cated: "1 learned so r}iuch about my students' way of think-
ing and the effectiveness of my teaching methods."
Another teacher indicated: 'After obtaining the informa-
tion from the inter\'iews, ! can see where I need to make
future modifications in my plant unit."
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Education, 2!(4), 363-37\.
Lumpe. A. T. & Siaver, j . R. tl9Q'i). Peer collaboration and concept
development: Learning about photosynthesis fournal oj
Research in Science Teaching. 32. 71-98.
McNair, S. & Stein, M. U'lirJ^ry, 2001). Drawing on their under-
standing: Using illustrations to invoke deeper thinking about
plants. Presented at the Assoeiation for the Education of
Teachers of Science Annual Meeting, Costa Mesa, California.
National Research Council. (1996). National Science Education
Standards. Washington DC: National Academy Press.
dsborne, R.J. &r Freyberg, P. (1985). Learning in science. London:
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Ozay, E. & Ozlas, H. (2003). Secondary students interpretations of
photosynihesis and plant nutrinon Journal of Biological
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Ruth, K. (1985). Food for plants: Teacher's guide. Research Series
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shown that students" prior knowledge could signilicantly
Stalacorp. (2003). Stata statistical software: Release 8.0. College
influence classroom teaching and learning (Lumpe & Stalion, TX: Siata Corporation.
Staver, 1995). Hopefully, this study will also serve as a cat-
alyst to other teachers to seek ways of probing their stu- Siein, M. & McNair, S. (January, 2002). Science drawings as a tool
dents' understanding oi various science concepts and will for analyzing conceptual understanding. Presented at the
help them guide their future planning ol units dealing with Association for the Education of Teachers of Science Annual
Meeting, Charlotte, North Carolina.
plants.
Stepans. J. (1985). Biology in elementary schools: Children's con-
In the case of teachers who will be working with these ceptions of life. The American Biology Teacher, 47(4), 222-225.
students in the future, the information from this study tiiay
serve as a reality check of what information their students Tunnicliffe, S. D. & Reiss, M.J. (2000). Building a model of the envi-
will bring to their classes about plants, plant growth, etc. ronment: Hovt- do children see plants? Journal oj Biological
Education. .34(4). 172-177.
As this study indicates, students'
views of specific science topics may
be very different from the accepted
beliefs. Therefore, it is good educa-
tional practice to hnd out what your
THE SCIENCE OF ECOSYSTEMS ON KAUAI
Ma> 2 7 - , l u n e .^ July S - 15 Aiii;tisl ? - 12
students know before engaging them
in any new intormatLon. GEOSCIENCE ON THE *BIG ISLAND* OF HAWAII
June 2 5 - . l u h 1 J u h 2 3 - 29

References Geology and Ecology

Angus, j . W. (1981). Children's concep-
Seminars in Hawaii
tions of the living world. Australian KM
Week-long accredited professional
Science Teachers fournal. 27(3), 65-68.
Daily presetitations development training
Barman, C, Stein, M., Barman, N. & Le!)son plan exercises sessions for science
McNair, S. (2002). Assessing stu- Hands-on exploratory field trips
dents' ideas about plants. Science & 3 hours of graduate credit available educators
Children. ]0{l), 25-29. Limited enrollment tor optimum learning
Bell, B. F. (1981). What is a plant: Some H AW A E i
children's ideas. New Zealand Science for
Teacher, 31, 10-14.

Canal, P. (1999). Photosynthesis and www.teok.com 2006

"inverse respiration"' in plants: an e-mail - teok(a)aioha.net toll free - 888-233-8365

PLANTS & PLANT GROWTH 79