High school intervention for influenza biology and epidemics/pandemics: impact on conceptual understanding among adolescents.

ABSTRACT: Understanding real-life issues such as influenza epidemiology may be of particular interest to the development of scientific knowledge and initiation of conceptual changes about viruses and their life cycles for high school students. The goal of this research project was to foster the development of adolescents' conceptual understanding of viruses and influenza biology. Thus, the project included two components: 1) pre- and posttests to determine students' conceptions about influenza biology, epidemics/pandemics, and vaccination; and 2) design an intervention that supports conceptual change to promote improvements in influenza knowledge based on these primary conceptions. Thirty-five female students from a high school biology class participated in a series of instructional activities and p

SUBMITTER: Dumais N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2649650 | biostudies-literature | 2009

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature