Genetics Education

Professor Anat Yarden is Head of the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science, and Head of the Biology Group at this Department. She holds an undergraduate degree in Agricultural Sciences (from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem), a master’s degree and a PhD in molecular biology (from the Weizmann Institute of Science), and has carried out postdoctoral training in Genetics (at Stanford University). The primary theme in all of her academic activities has been adapting practices employed by scientists to the processes by which students and teachers accumulate and advance their knowledge within the discipline of biology. Dr. Michal Haskel-Ittah is a senior scientist at the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. She holds an undergraduate degree in Life Sciences (from Ben-Gurion University), a master’s degree and a PhD in molecular biology (from the Weizmann Institute of Science), and has carried out postdoctoral training in Science Teaching (the Weizmann-Abroad combined program – Rutgers University and the Weizmann Institute of Science). Her research group studies the learning and teaching of biological mechanisms and the development of mechanistic reasoning.

• Part I: Reflecting upon the content of genetic curriculum.- Chapter 1. Should we give peas a chance? An argument for a Mendel-free biology curriculum (Kampourakis).- Chapter 2. How can epigenetics be used to integrate nature and nurture in genetics education? (Gericke).- Chapter 3. How can we teach genetics for social justice? (Reiss).- Part II. Reflecting upon processes for constructing students’ understanding in genetics.- Chapter 4. How can learning progressions support the development of genetic literacy? (Duncan).- Chapter 5. How can we help students reason about the mechanisms by which genes affect traits? (Haskel-Ittah).- Chapter 6. How might authentic scientific experiences promote an understanding of genetics in high school? (Yarden).- Part III: Reflecting upon the relationship between genetics learning and related conceptions and beliefs.- Chapter 7. Is Belief in Genetic Determinism Similar Across Countries and Traits? (Gericke).- Chapter 8. Why does multiple and interactive causation render comprehension of genetics phenomena difficult and what could genetics educators do about it? (Hammann).- Chapter 9. How are high-school students' teleological and essentialist conceptions expressed in the context of genetics and what can teachers do to address them? (Stern).- Chapter 10. How can we make genetics education more humane? (Donovan).