ABSTRACT
Arguably the most significant changes in biology over the past century have been in molecular biology. The discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953 opened the door to the deciphering of the genetic code. Advances in molecular biology continued at a rapid pace throughout the remainder of the twentieth century, and the twenty-first century brought with it the completion of the Human Genome Project and the start of the Human Proteome Project. These amazing advances raise the bar for scientific literacy about the inner workings of cells at the molecular level. Schools and higher education institutions are thus tasked with finding ways to help students develop deep and meaningful understandings of the myriad of molecular mechanisms that drive life. Such knowledge must include mechanistic and generative understandings that can form the basis for students’ future learning beyond schooling and throughout their life. Research has shown the importance of understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive biological phenomena, and specifically the structure and function of proteins in biological systems. In this chapter, we discuss why and what is important to learn in this domain. We then explore some of the cognitive challenges students face when reasoning in this domain, and in particular about molecular mechanisms. We discuss a progression for deepening students’ ideas about molecular biology over the course of schooling, examine the role of technology, instruction and curriculum in fostering student learning and suggest some effective strategies to promote conceptual change.
