Exploring Science Teacher’s Perspectives on the Disciplinary Core Idea Map of Genetic Variation

Abstract

Understanding genetic variation is important in science education and in today’s world, for example, to respond to the changing environment and face species extinction. However, students often need help to grasp its importance and complexities due to fragmented knowledge and a need for more awareness of how different concepts are interconnected. Genetic variation is a foundational disciplinary core idea (DCI) in biology, impacting phenotypic diversity, evolutionary processes, human anatomy, and health. Effective teaching of genetic variation is important, especially in human genetics, given its tangible implications for human well-being. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of genetic variation and its development across different grade levels (from grades 1 to 12), creating a map to demonstrate the interconnectedness of related concepts. Additionally, the study seeks to evaluate feedback from science teachers on the created map. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating such maps into science curricula and teaching processes to support students’ sense-making. The interviewed teachers noted that the created DCI map could support students’ sense-making, is recognized as valuable study material, and promotes connections between twenty-first-century skills, knowledge, and career awareness. For the recommendations, the teachers outlined that the created DCI map should use more interdisciplinarity (to show more connections with other subjects’ content) and a digital approach.