The Process of Modernisation in the Teaching of Biology

Current Circumstances and Tasks for Development

By István Franyó

In Retrospect

Regarding content and the development of materials, a large majority of the effective techniques used in the teaching of biology in Hungary today originated during the 1960s and 70s. The current success and popularity of the subject – also evident in recent attitude surveys – is due primarily to the fact that classroom activities and the structure of training materials were adapted to suit the psychological and mental development of students. Further opportunities for modernisation were made possible by new features introduced in curricula for primary schools in 1978 and secondary schools in 1979. One stipulated that the 20% of the lessons available in the yearly lesson framework should be devoted to the processing of so-called supplementary materials, which allowed for the adaptation of biology teaching to meet local needs more efficiently. The second was the introduction of central facultative training programs aimed at involving students in biological research at an appropriate level.

From the National Core Curriculum to Framework Curricula

Additional changes in biology teaching were established by the Public Education Act via the National Core Curriculum (NAT). The most significant among these was that general studies in biology were made compulsory for all pupils in the 14–16 age group, which also had an important influence on the overall approach taken in the teaching of natural science subjects. This may not have fostered an increased utilisation of connections between various types of content, or the further integration of materials in related sub-topics. The general development requirements for subjects in the field did, however, provide a strong foundation for the co-ordination of methodologies as well as the consistent development of students’ ability to recognise problems and find appropriate solutions. Several of the local curricula developed within the NAT framework became part of the national curricular database. A comparison of these school curricula – embracing all subjects throughout a ten-year period of study – indicates no significant difference in terms of general goals, subject distribution or lesson plans.

As required by the Public Education Act, teaching in the 1^st and 7^th grades based on local curricula within the NAT framework was to begin in September of 1998, but due to the new conceptual changes initiated by education authorities, the majority of schools did not comply with the law. The Ministry of Education therefore came to the rightful conclusion that the prevalent system had been greatly disordered by so many different curricula. Consequently, modifications in the Public Education Act and the introduction of framework curricula were meant to alleviate the confusion resulting from this period of temporary chaos.

Framework Curricula

On the whole, committees responsible for designing framework curricula consisted of practising educators with a greater degree of experience in curriculum development. Their main task was to expand the teaching materials planned up to the end of the 10^th grade to include study materials for 11^th and 12^th year students. Framework curricula for primary, secondary, vocational and technical schools were developed on this basis, resulting in a further decrease in the number of lessons devoted to biology, although the quantity of study materials was increased to a certain degree.

A survey conducted in 2002 among primary school teachers in connection with changes established by framework curricula aimed to determine which topics they would expand, reduce or eliminate. Taxonomy took first place among the subjects chosen for expansion. The overwhelming dominance of this principle of arrangement in primary schools had ceased to exist in practice more than 40 years ago, a large portion of its dry subject matter having been replaced by practical activities focusing on the recognition of similarities and differences, systematisation, and determination skills. Scholastic competitions, tests and assessments taken since then have consistently proven that this is the most appropriate and effective approach. And yet a demand for increased knowledge in taxonomy still arises occasionally, even though there is hardly enough time to deal with subject matter that is far more important in light of our everyday life. Environmental protection and health care appear in equal proportion on the list. More than 80% of biology teachers made no proposals for reduction, and approximately 82% made no motion to eliminate entire areas of study.

Only half of those surveyed answered the question concerning their opinion about framework curriculum requirements. One third among them indicated that the requirements were satisfactory, one fourth felt that the corresponding number of lessons were not enough, a small percentage claimed that the requirements were completely unrealistic, but an equal number also stated that they were a good supplement for the development of local programs.

In reality, framework curricula for all three types of secondary school mentioned above contain the same expanded teaching materials – in comparison to those found in the NAT structure – but in different grades and in a different number of lessons.

Challenges in Biology Teaching

Content

It is worth examining the content of teaching materials in terms of the following: its academic validity, how well it meets the expectations of society, the requirements of higher education, the characteristic needs of specific age groups, whether it provides opportunities for successful teaching/learning, and how it corresponds to the popular concept of natural science teaching. Practically all aspects of study in the science of biology – albeit in reduced form – are part of the subject itself. New and proven scientific results appear quickly in biology curricula, and come to be a part of daily work through textbooks.

At present, the expectations of society influence the content of biology teaching in two major areas. One is health-illness i.e. harmony with the internal environment, while the other entails the connection with sustainable development, in other words, harmony between humans and their external environment. Questions in relation to these problems already appeared here and there in biology materials a long time ago, but almost all sections of individual curricula and textbook units today are developed in the spirit of environmental training and education for a healthy life. This can/should be encouraged even further, but would require an arrangement of teaching materials different from the one currently in use.

A common problem in the teaching of natural science subjects is the general lack of motivation among students, more and more of whom are less willing/able to engage in abstract thinking or in-depth problem solving. The situation is further compounded by an increase in the number of students in a given class as well as rising fluctuation among teachers. Furthermore, the tasks and goals of biology teaching in framework curricula do not emphasise the same elements as final exam requirements, and both of these diverge from the requirements of the daily life and the work environment.

These contradictions reflect the basic challenges of biology teaching. To what extent must training in biology act as a vehicle for “mini-scientific” investigation, and does it have to serve the practical needs of everyday life? According to the majority of biology teachers, for example, teaching materials for biology should include the daily knowledge necessary for a healthy life, along with the appropriate amount of time and supplementary materials. In addition, the opinion of parents concerning the subject of biology will most certainly improve if they see that their children can make better practical use of the knowledge and skills they acquire in the course of their lessons.

Methodology

Biology teaching owes its relative success and the distinguished status it enjoys among students not only to interesting content, but also to the way in which teaching materials are processed. Natural science education in Hungary is characterised by its scientific orientation, hence the introduction of activities designed to work through primarily abstract information via independent observation, description, measurement, classification, systematisation, and regular pragmatic experimentation have contributed greatly to the popularity of the subject. Moreover, the relatively high degree of success with which students acquire knowledge in the field, even today, can also be attributed to the application of other methodologies at the appropriate time and place.

The survey among primary school teachers also examined different kinds of study arrangements and the use of teaching aids as well as that of opportunities provided by the field of information technology. One section of the questionnaire required a given set of study arrangements to be rated on a scale of 1–5 corresponding to the frequency of their use. The resulting answers are compiled below:

  Figure 1
The connection between study arrangements and teaching practice

Among the methodologies used, independent study focusing on individual units of material or a specific problem generally appears more frequently than the total average for all study arrangements listed. This method provides students with additional sources of information i.e. library resources and the numerous opportunities offered by computer technology, going beyond the tools of observation normally available to them in the classroom. Library use appears at 3.2 on the scale within the category of independent work (which tops off at 3.8), hence steps could be taken to encourage the use of printed information not found in textbooks. According to the completed questionnaires, regular computer use during biology lessons takes place in only one quarter of the schools participating in the survey. Since the majority of educators in primary schools practically never use computers or the Internet, we may conclude that they either do not have the opportunity to do so or lack the necessary skills. Unfortunately, basic or specialised training can only be of help in the second case, and the need for help is – and will be – extremely urgent. The fact that computerised teaching aids are ranked only 5^th or 6^th on the list of materials in need of development also suggests that educators are unfamiliar with information technology and lack experience in related methods – nor is this area a high priority in terms of a demand for additional training.

Nowadays, experimentation by students has also taken a back seat among various study arrangements, even though biology lessons were once on the leading edge in utilising this method. Funding necessary to ensure a truly effective work division and a sufficient supply of tools and expendable materials has been radically decreased, severely limiting the chance to place student experimentation at the forefront of biology teaching. In many places, specialised classrooms equipped at tremendous expense are not being used to conduct experiments. Despite the fact that framework curricula suggest a scientific, investigative approach, reality indicates that this goal has yet to be fully realised in practice.

In theory, there has been a growing emphasis on fieldwork in biology training, but once again practice dictates otherwise: we can be happy if 2-3 hours are devoted to a specific topic instead of the bare minimum of 1-2 days required for more in-depth study. What can actually be achieved during such a short space of time remains a mystery. It is no wonder, therefore, that field trips rank last among the study arrangements listed. Even so, extended “study tours” should be mentioned as a new form of training since legal regulation does provide several opportunities to introduce such learning/teaching methods in different curricula.

Requirements and Assessment

The work of students and teachers can only be assessed if we compare the results to specific requirements. Thus far, none of the biology curricula in question have clearly defined the knowledge and skills that are to be acquired. For the most part, sections under the title “requirements” simply repeat the content of study materials. Earlier, when only one textbook was used nation-wide, the material it contained was the accepted standard. Today, many different textbooks are available on the market, which means the materials they offer can not provide a sound basis for the assessment of students’ knowledge in biology on a national level. International as well as domestic monitoring surveys conducted over the last decade independently from textbooks and biology curricula have registered a decrease in the effectiveness of biology teaching in Hungary.

Our own survey of primary school teachers proposed 8 items in reference to skills acquired by students completing their primary school studies. Teachers filling out the questionnaire were required to qualify these on a scale of 1-5 from 2 aspects: order of importance and in light of the extent to which these skills were characteristic of their students. The results are as follows:

  Figure 2
The opinion of biology teachers regarding the skills of their students

Knowledge in biology among a certain portion of students in secondary schools nation-wide can be assessed on the basis of 2 uniform standards: the National Scholastic Competition for Secondary Schools (OKTV), and the results of written final exams – which also act as entrance exams for institutions of higher education. Both serve to qualify only the knowledge of students who are specifically interested in the subject of biology or who wish to continue their studies in the field at the university level.

Educators

Teachers of biology at the primary school level are well qualified; those with no training do not teach the subject and only in rare cases is it taught by educators specialising in other areas of study. In recent years, many teachers have completed post-graduate training courses in the hope of developing environmental studies in local curricula within the NAT framework.

The same standard of professional experience can be found in traditional secondary schools with a good reputation, although the average age of teachers here is definitely rising. A steady supply of newcomers to the profession is lacking, as is the number of male teachers in the field. The situation in vocational schools is different. Since biology is a relatively new subject at these institutions, teachers tend to be younger individuals who hold college degrees and are taking part in post-graduate training.

Increasingly prominent among the training courses designed to assist natural science teachers are those dealing with environmental education and health care. Both specialised areas of study have taken on a significant role in light of cross-curricular applications, the development of related methodology and knowledge, opportunities for prevention, and in connection with what society expects biology teaching to achieve.

According to the results of our survey, demonstration classes, lectures and accredited courses are all considered beneficial forms of training among primary school teachers. On the other hand, only one quarter of those questioned would choose consultation as an opportunity for training in comparison to visiting lessons. In connection with the content of training, teachers chose training in the use of methodology as their top priority. Only one third indicate a demand for more computer knowledge and even less express a need for training in connection with monitoring and assessment.

Teaching Aids

Printed study materials

A variety of textbooks appear on the official list of teaching materials in correlation with the work currently taking place in schools based on different biology curricula, and the market offers an even wider range of sources. Orientation is made somewhat easier by the fact that county pedagogical institutions are obliged to maintain “textbook” libraries. These contain copies of material from all publishing firms, which continuously provide replacement editions free of charge in accordance with a directive by the Ministry of Education. In this way, all educators may examine the available textbooks prior to ordering them, although many do not take advantage of this opportunity and simply choose textbook series to comply with their needs in the given school year. Workbooks accompany almost all of the textbooks designed for use in primary schools, but most of these are not suitable as teaching aids – the formal exercises they contain ignore the original aim and function of workbooks as such.

Two questions on our survey of primary schools dealt with different aspects in connection with the selection of textbooks. The first concentrated on the criteria by which teachers chose printed study materials while the second focused on determining which of the criteria listed were met by textbooks to a lesser extent. The most important aspect in choosing textbooks was their degree of “comprehensibility”, meaning students should be able to clearly understand the material. This suggests that the majority of children do not acquire knowledge in their work environment – at school – and are only passive participants during biology lessons, after which they take the textbook home to learn the required material i.e. the text itself. Teachers ranked sufficient illustration in textbooks only 6^th in order of importance, while compatibility with the students’ level of psychological and mental development was placed only at number 10! It is also worth noting that the order of importance among criteria influencing the choice of textbooks does not correlate with the criteria reflected in the textbooks available on the market.

There are also many publications – mainly for biology teachers in secondary schools – that strive to facilitate effective teaching independent of the prevalent curricula. Various exercise books and teacher’s handbooks focusing on determiners and connections, offering logic-oriented diagrams and outlines for study are in fact useful, but there are also vast amounts of poor material. The overwhelming abundance of such resources often poses a serious challenge for teachers.

Tools of demonstration and experimentation

An appropriate infrastructure is necessary to facilitate the up-to-date processing of study materials in addition to the development of skills and a suitable approach. Unfortunately, even though education law makes the acquisition of specific teaching aids compulsory, and despite the fact that school sponsors have developed a schedule for such acquisition, municipalities are unable to fully satisfy legal regulations due to their poor financial circumstances.

Nearly half of all primary school biology teachers surveyed found the supply of textbooks and teaching aids to be satisfactory, while one third among them claimed the supply was abundant – some stated that the available range of materials was confusing, and still others found the supply to be lacking. A significant number claimed they lacked sufficient information. Two items in the survey focused only on tools of demonstration: one aimed to assess the quantity and quality of tools available on the market (on a scale of 1–5) and the other concerned the quantity and quality of instruments already existing in schools. Answers indicate that the supply of tools both in schools and on the market were more than enough – and the quality was also deemed suitable. This would lead us to assume that for the most part an ample supply of good quality tools is available to assist teachers in activating their students during lessons. In direct contrast, however, not one of the units in the framework curricula suggest that schools have enough equipment to help students in their classroom activities, and the quality of existing tools is closer to average rather than good.

The majority of teachers listed visual displays, wall charts and transparencies as tools in need of development, along with video materials. Only a very small percentage mentioned computers and CD-ROMs. It can be concluded, therefore, that demonstrations conducted by the teacher and a traditional frontal approach continue to be more prevalent in the classroom than other teaching/learning techniques that have often been proven far more effective.

The infrastructure for biology lessons in secondary schools is generally good. On the other hand – as we have already mentioned – schools are often forced to use specially equipped classrooms for purposes other than laboratory work e.g. lessons in other subjects. In some cases, the conditions for experimentation are improved by the fact that laboratory assistants help subject teachers in their work.

Access to tools of observation and laboratory equipment has significantly improved since the 1990s. Companies that once monopolised the market, frequently limiting the supply of available equipment, have today been replaced by numerous firms offering a rich variety of teaching aids. These can also be obtained via catalogue ordering services; hence it is now possible for educators to procure almost anything they need within an acceptable period of time. A list of distributors in Hungary appears in a separate directory, which can also be accessed on the Internet.

Among the latest types of equipment, it is primarily audio-visual materials that have undergone a radical change over the last few years. Advances in the field of information technology and general access to the Internet have provided teachers with a storehouse of new possibilities – traditional video, which a decade ago was still considered to be the most modern tool of observation, has experienced a process of devolution. In addition to computer-based test exercises, a large number of CDs focusing on plant and animal species as well as environmentally protected territories have also been produced in recent years, and can be used for observation in variety of themes related to biology. The connection between existing CDs and subject requirements is rather marginal – on the whole, these materials are better suited for independent study or to prepare students for testing.

Subject Harmony

Related subject matter

Although the NAT framework is divided according to subject areas, sub-topics and individual training units, its general teaching requirements and those related to development in specific areas provided a sufficient basis for the integration of subjects in the preparation of local curricula. Based on these requirements, educators dealing with subjects in the category of “Humans and the Environment” were able to co-ordinate teaching materials and their own activities in accordance with specified stages of investigation organised to reveal the laws governing matter, time, space and various natural phenomena. Framework curricula were intended to provide even tighter regulation, but the natural science material they contain and the methods used to process it do not achieve the level of integration ensured by the NAT framework. Naturally, local curricula can compensate somewhat for this disharmony between subjects.

Subject integration requirements could also appear in textbooks, workbooks and test exercises. Regrettably, unforeseen changes in market demand and textbook certification procedures make it almost impossible to integrate textbook content produced by individual authors simultaneously working to meet tight deadlines, even within only one publishing firm.

In the final analysis, active co-ordination of subjects depends on the teachers themselves. Curricula may contain many things and vast amounts of supplementary material can be created in the field of biology teaching, but these will not be functional unless a flexible work team exists to integrate them. Co-ordination of teaching materials and methodologies does not necessarily save time, but it can significantly raise the effectiveness of training and may contribute to a more successful development of students’ view of the world in connection with natural sciences.

Taking the above into consideration, it would seem that much remains to be done in the area of connecting knowledge from different subjects and integrated skills development.

Cross-curricular links

Common prerequisites for all fields of teaching within the structure outlined by the National Core Curriculum designate 7 different sets of requirements that can not be closely linked to any single subject. These are tasks that comprise the work of schools and their faculties as a whole. Worthwhile assessment regarding the effectiveness of cross-curricular activities can only be conducted a few years after their introduction and on the basis of data from appropriate surveys. Some primary and secondary schools have been operating for a long time with efficient programs focused on environmental education and promoting a healthy lifestyle, but unfortunately these are still unique exceptions to the rule.

The situation is not so hopeful with regard to communication and learning. It is common knowledge that our students rate low on the international scale in the area of reading comprehension. Consequently, this also has an impact on natural science subjects and the teaching of biology since a portion of the knowledge pupils must acquire comes from printed source material. Moreover, visual information is just as important as written text – and numerous studies have shown that verbal knowledge is only a part of the whole.

Biology teaching in Hungary has yet to make use of the infinite possibilities offered by information technology, and educators in primary schools have significantly less experience in the use of new communication and learning techniques than their colleagues in secondary schools. Teachers face a tremendous challenge in the fact that their students are often far more skilled in the use of computers than they are.

Efforts toward integration

Concerning the history of natural science training at a basic and intermediate level in Hungary, we have from time to time experienced a demand for the development of an integrated subject framework in place of traditional physics, chemistry, biology and geography lessons. In reality, there are no working models of integration in Hungary that can be examined from an objective standpoint, and so it is difficult for us to reach a strong consensus on whether the Hungarian public education system is in need of integrated teaching structures. Even if a well-tested and functionally integrated program comes to exist, questions still remain. What are the chances of introducing such a program on a widespread basis within a relatively short space of time, and does the present system of regulation allow separate and integrated subjects to exist alongside one another? Certainly, the answer to these questions will be revealed only if we are able to compare students’ acquisition of natural science knowledge in the present structure with the effectiveness of one integrated subject.

International Comparison

European trends in biology teaching

Education in West-European democracies reflects decades of continuous organic development resulting in an efficiently constructed network of school subjects and teaching materials that can serve as a functional model for Hungary. English, French and German curricula do not consider the scientific division of natural science disciplines to be compulsory, and so are freed from the condition of having to present everything in detail. Various different aspects determine subject groupings in each country, but they all have in common the fact that health and the environment play a central role in the course of classroom training. It is noteworthy that within the basic school curriculum in England all three fields of natural science exhibit a highly consistent application of cross-curricular methodologies.

In contrast

Compared to the material found in West European curricula, biology plays a much stronger role in Hungarian public education. There is considerably more teaching material in connection with specific flora and fauna, symbiosis and the evolution of the living world; and different units dealing with plant, animal and human life require large amounts of in-depth knowledge. It can also be observed that study material shown by achievement surveys to be more difficult for Hungarian students to process – due to its distance from students in terms of space (order of magnitude) and time (chronologically) – appears at a much later stage in Hungarian curricula than in England, France and Germany. We feel that our order of subjects is better suited to our students’ level of mental development.

Despite a significant decrease in the number of hours devoted to biology over the last few years, the unusually low number of biology lessons in Hungary is still significantly more than in the aforementioned West European countries. It may be for this reason that the detail and complexity of teaching materials in Hungary – and therefore our students’ lexical knowledge – can surpass the requirements expected in these countries.

Development Needs

Frequent and varied changes in the direction of education taking place in Hungary nowadays have created uncertainty among biology teachers and all educators who conduct their lessons according to the requirements stipulated by smaller and lager pedagogical institutions. The most important element for biology teaching in the near future would be consistent administration as well as a decisive and stable set of requirements capable of surviving at least one learning cycle. Time is necessary to work through the given material, to ensure appropriate intellectual and financial conditions, and to objectively assess the results of our work. Taken from a wider perspective, peaceful working conditions serve to inspire more efficient procedures and facilitate the process of modernisation, bringing the development of study materials closer to the expectations of society and creating a demand for further education.