The effectiveness of developing schoolchildren's science literacy in biology classes with a focus on the study of Genetics within a flexible blended learning model

Abstract

Introduction. The article is devoted to the problem of schoolchildren’s functional literacy formation within the framework of blended learning. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the effectiveness of the use of an electronic educational resource to achieve a stable increase in indicators of science literacy at the stage of compulsory education. Materials and Methods. The research methodology is based on the ideas of humanization, innovativeness in the formation of schoolchildren’s functional literacy, learner-centered and systematic approach to the organization of learning biology and genetics, and the educational process as a whole. Experimental work was conducted in 7 types of educational organizations of the Republic of Bashkortostan: schools with in-depth study of a number of subjects, individual education schools, private schools, comprehensive secondary schools, basic general education schools, lyceums and gymnasiums. 191 schoolchildren, 9 teachers, 112 parents participated in the study. The following methods were used: theoretical analysis, meta-analysis, methods of analogy, comparison, modification, questionnaires, interviews; tests, and statistical data processing. Results. In the process of the research, the necessity of developing educational technologies and tools for implementing an integrated approach to the formation and development of science literacy at the stage of general education are substantiated. The role of studying Genetics in the formation of schoolchildren’s science literacy is clarified; trends and needs of school practice in teaching Genetics are revealed. The authors identify and describe the following prospects of using the technology of mixed learning and the electronic educational course for schoolchildren and parents called ‘Genetics for everyone: about the difficult’: updating knowledge about the influence of studying genetics on the formation and development of interest in biological sciences, increasing motivation to master knowledge about complex processes occurring in the microcosm, as well as expanding the prospects for the development of a new educational paradigm of personalization of students when using electronic educational materials in mixed learning courses. Conclusions. The results obtained prove the effectiveness of schoolchildren’s science literacy formation within the implementation of a flexible model; the proposed electronic educational resource ‘Genetics for everyone: about the difficult’ for schoolchildren and parents contributes to the development of the subjective position of schoolchildren, provides a steady trend towards improving the quality of knowledge, and interest in Genetics as a science.