Beyond the Lab Manual: Student-Led Experimental Design to Boost Content and Career Readiness in High School Biology

Abstract

This action research sought to understand how incorporating student-led experimental design through a constructivist framework would impact learning in a high school biology classroom. Specifically, the impacts on content retention and career readiness skills of teamwork and problem solving were analyzed. Throughout the treatment period, students engaged with genetics content in a constructivist manner as suggested by Kolb’s 1984 theory and the Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012). As a part of this learning process, students designed an experiment surrounding the genetic traits of corn seedlings. Pre- and post-content tests, surveys, interviews, and an observation rubric were used as data collection instruments. Data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively to understand the impact of the treatment on content retention and career readiness skills. Results suggested little impact on content retention and problem-solving skills but a positive impact on students’ teamwork skills. These results led the researcher to conclude that while there was no noticeable change in students’ problem-solving skills, the treatment period was valuable for student learning and the practice of leadership skills.