Multimodal-Representation Approach: Effects on Students Conceptual Understanding, Science Process Skills, and Attitude in Genetics

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of the multimodal-representation approach in teaching college biology on students’ conceptual understanding, science process skills, and science attitude.

An instructional material based on a standard tertiary level General Biology course employing multimodal- representation (descriptive, mathematical, analogical, and experimental of scientific concepts and processes was designed and compared against the traditional approach to teaching. The topic content focused on genetics, which comprised a unit in a three-unit General Biology (Natural Science 2). The instruments developed and used were the Genetics Conceptual Understanding Test, Science Process Skills Rubrics, Science Literacy Test, Science Attitude Scale and Focus Group Discussion Guide.

This research employed a quasi-experimental design where data was gathered from two intact classes of college non-science freshman from a local university in the province of Laguna. The researcher handled the experimental and control groups for the duration of one semester with actual intervention of five weeks equivalent to 25 hours.