Using Student Epistemologies of Modeling in Biology to Inform In-Class Teaching Practices
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2017
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Swarthmore College. Dept. of Educational Studies
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Thesis (B.A.)
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en
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Full copyright to this work is retained by the student author. It may only be used for non-commercial, research, and educational purposes. All other uses are restricted.
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Abstract
An examination of student's epistemologies revealed a central theme around explanation and
communication that was at the center of how students conceptualized models and their roles in
biology. This theme emerged as students shared thoughts about models that existed within a
larger discussion around, and centered on the notion of a model's purpose. Central to their
epistemological beliefs was the ability of a model to accurately represent and explain the real
world. It is under this unifying notion of purpose that I have characterized students'
epistemologies to state that models should represent a complex reality with a level of detail that
is explanatory without being distracting or occluding the general idea being communicated