Teaching genetics at secondary school: A strategy for teaching about the location of inheritance information

Traditional strategies for teaching genetics rely on teacher explanation, textbooks, and problem-solving activities (in which problems are solved by application of an already known algorithm). This study examines: (a) the knowledge that secondary school students have concerning some basic aspects related to the location of inheritance information before they are taught about genetics; (b) the effects of traditional instruction (in Spain) on students' learning about these subjects; (c) the characteristics of the teaching programs that are implemented in Spain; (d) the characteristics of a teaching program on the location of inheritance information based on constructivism; and (e) the learning achieved as a consequence of the implementation of this program (compared with what is learned by pupils who study genetics in a more traditional way). The results demonstrate that many students involved in this program restructure their initial misunderstanding of the location of inheritance information and acquire a knowledge that is more in keeping with scientifically accepted principles. We conclude by pointing to some implications for the teaching of genetics at the secondary school level.