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Published by Robert Bruce at August 29th, 2023 , Revised On September 5, 2023

Biology Research Topics

Are you in need of captivating and achievable research topics within the field of biology? Your quest for the best biology topics ends right here as this article furnishes you with 100 distinctive and original concepts for biology research, laying the groundwork for your research endeavor.

Table of Contents

Our proficient researchers have thoughtfully curated these biology research themes, considering the substantial body of literature accessible and the prevailing gaps in research.

Should none of these topics elicit enthusiasm, our specialists are equally capable of proposing tailor-made research ideas in biology, finely tuned to cater to your requirements.

Thus, without further delay, we present our compilation of biology research topics crafted to accommodate students and researchers.

Research Topics in Marine Biology

Impact of climate change on coral reef ecosystems.
Biodiversity and adaptation of deep-sea organisms.
Effects of pollution on marine life and ecosystems.
Role of marine protected areas in conserving biodiversity.
Microplastics in marine environments: sources, impacts, and mitigation.

Biological Anthropology Research Topics

Evolutionary implications of early human migration patterns.
Genetic and environmental factors influencing human height variation.
Cultural evolution and its impact on human societies.
Paleoanthropological insights into human dietary adaptations.
Genetic diversity and population history of indigenous communities.

Biological Psychology Research Topics

Neurobiological basis of addiction and its treatment.
Impact of stress on brain structure and function.
Genetic and environmental influences on mental health disorders.
Neural mechanisms underlying emotions and emotional regulation.
Role of the gut-brain axis in psychological well-being.

Cancer Biology Research Topics

Targeted therapies in precision cancer medicine.
Tumor microenvironment and its influence on cancer progression.
Epigenetic modifications in cancer development and therapy.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors and their role in cancer immunotherapy.
Early detection and diagnosis strategies for various types of cancer.

Cell Biology Research Topics

Mechanisms of autophagy and its implications in health and disease.
Intracellular transport and organelle dynamics in cell function.
Role of cell signaling pathways in cellular response to external stimuli.
Cell cycle regulation and its relevance to cancer development.
Cellular mechanisms of apoptosis and programmed cell death.

Developmental Biology Research Topics

Genetic and molecular basis of limb development in vertebrates.
Evolution of embryonic development and its impact on morphological diversity.
Stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine approaches.
Mechanisms of organogenesis and tissue regeneration in animals.
Role of non-coding RNAs in developmental processes.

Human Biology Research Topics

Genetic factors influencing susceptibility to infectious diseases.
Human microbiome and its impact on health and disease.
Genetic basis of rare and common human diseases.
Genetic and environmental factors contributing to aging.
Impact of lifestyle and diet on human health and longevity.

Molecular Biology Research Topics

CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology and its applications.
Non-coding RNAs as regulators of gene expression.
Role of epigenetics in gene regulation and disease.
Mechanisms of DNA repair and genome stability.
Molecular basis of cellular metabolism and energy production.

Research Topics in Biology for Undergraduates

41. Investigating the effects of pollutants on local plant species.
Microbial diversity and ecosystem functioning in a specific habitat.
Understanding the genetics of antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
Impact of urbanization on bird populations and biodiversity.
Investigating the role of pheromones in insect communication.

Synthetic Biology Research Topics

Design and construction of synthetic biological circuits.
Synthetic biology applications in biofuel production.
Ethical considerations in synthetic biology research and applications.
Synthetic biology approaches to engineering novel enzymes.
Creating synthetic organisms with modified functions and capabilities.

Animal Biology Research Topics

Evolution of mating behaviors in animal species.
Genetic basis of color variation in butterfly wings.
Impact of habitat fragmentation on amphibian populations.
Behavior and communication in social insect colonies.
Adaptations of marine mammals to aquatic environments.

Best Biology Research Topics

Unraveling the mysteries of circadian rhythms in organisms.
Investigating the ecological significance of cryptic coloration.
Evolution of venomous animals and their prey.
The role of endosymbiosis in the evolution of eukaryotic cells.
Exploring the potential of extremophiles in biotechnology.

Biological Psychology Research Paper Topics

Neurobiological mechanisms underlying memory formation.
Impact of sleep disorders on cognitive function and mental health.
Biological basis of personality traits and behavior.
Neural correlates of emotions and emotional disorders.
Role of neuroplasticity in brain recovery after injury.

Biological Science Research Topics:

Role of gut microbiota in immune system development.
Molecular mechanisms of gene regulation during development.
Impact of climate change on insect population dynamics.
Genetic basis of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Evolutionary relationships among vertebrate species based on DNA analysis.

Biology Education Research Topics

Effectiveness of inquiry-based learning in biology classrooms.
Assessing the impact of virtual labs on student understanding of biology concepts.
Gender disparities in science education and strategies for closing the gap.
Role of outdoor education in enhancing students’ ecological awareness.
Integrating technology in biology education: challenges and opportunities.

Biology-Related Research Topics

The intersection of ecology and economics in conservation planning.
Molecular basis of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria.
Implications of genetic modification of crops for food security.
Evolutionary perspectives on cooperation and altruism in animal behavior.
Environmental impacts of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Biology Research Proposal Topics

Investigating the role of microRNAs in cancer progression.
Exploring the effects of pollution on aquatic biodiversity.
Developing a gene therapy approach for a genetic disorder.
Assessing the potential of natural compounds as anti-inflammatory agents.
Studying the molecular basis of cellular senescence and aging.

Biology Research Topic Ideas

Role of pheromones in insect mate selection and behavior.
Investigating the molecular basis of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Impact of climate change on plant-pollinator interactions.
Genetic diversity and conservation of endangered species.
Evolutionary patterns in mimicry and camouflage in organisms.

Biology Research Topics for Undergraduates

Effects of different fertilizers on plant growth and soil health.
Investigating the biodiversity of a local freshwater ecosystem.
Evolutionary origins of a specific animal adaptation.
Genetic diversity and disease susceptibility in human populations.
Role of specific genes in regulating the immune response.

Cell and Molecular Biology Research Topics

Molecular mechanisms of DNA replication and repair.
Role of microRNAs in post-transcriptional gene regulation.
Investigating the cell cycle and its control mechanisms.
Molecular basis of mitochondrial diseases and therapies.
Cellular responses to oxidative stress and their implications in ageing.

These topics cover a broad range of subjects within biology, offering plenty of options for research projects. Remember that you can further refine these topics based on your specific interests and research goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some good research topics in biology?

A good research topic in biology will address a specific problem in any of the several areas of biology, such as marine biology, molecular biology, cellular biology, animal biology, or cancer biology.

A topic that enables you to investigate a problem in any area of biology will help you make a meaningful contribution.

How to choose a research topic in biology?

Choosing a research topic in biology is simple.

Follow the steps:

Generate potential topics.
Consider your areas of knowledge and personal passions.
Conduct a thorough review of existing literature.
Evaluate the practicality and viability.
Narrow down and refine your research query.
Remain receptive to new ideas and suggestions.

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Biology Dissertation Topics – Based on Trends in Biological Studies

Published by Owen Ingram at January 2nd, 2023 , Revised On August 18, 2023

It might be difficult to come up with an interesting study topic. B iology dissertation topic ideas should be attractive, captivating, and intellectually relevant. They must cope with controversial issues and fresh discoveries. A strong subject is the foundation of an argument in science that contains an important insight. It should also spark more conversation and inspire more research.

Our experts gave special consideration to students seeking degrees in pathology, microbiology, botany, genetics, biotechnology, and bioengineering while compiling a list of biology dissertation ideas. Helping students do research, write correctly structured materials with eloquence, and proofread their work by providing top-notch proofread service is our main goal so they can manage time, energy, and resources wisely.

Best Biology Dissertation Topics

How can science be used to prevent the extinction of the most seriously threatened plant and animal species?
The use of comparative genomics between mice and humans.
Is it possible that Ebola may one day be utilized as a biological weapon after the Covid case in China?
Is there a connection between the escalating environmental problems and cancer cases? DNA limitations and peculiarities of contemporary nucleic acid analysis.
The best strategies for dealing with various infections.
The impact of environmental change on the diversity of species.
How can we strengthen our defences while being safe?
The processes of evolution are forced vs Natural as natural selection occurs.
How can we raise human awareness of the value of the earth’s biodiversity?
The processes of evolutionary biology are seen from the perspective of invertebrates.
What roles do ecology and evolution play in the prevalence of infectious diseases?
Human learning processes and evolution prediction using ai-based models.
Development of alternative dolphin feeds and tracking systems
What are the benefits and drawbacks of the current American coastal zone management system?

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Good Biology Dissertation Topics

How can human errors affect the birds’ ability to pollinate plants?
What are the most prevalent viruses and diseases that birds may transmit to humans?
What are the potentially lethal infections that resulted from failed scientific experiments?
How seriously may the demise of a single species endanger the entire bio-chain?
What significant obstacles is the present expansion of the rainforest overcoming?
Is it feasible to halt the present, risky developments brought on by the current global warming era?
Why do scientists divide species into subgroups, and what criteria are used for classification?
What effects do genes and hormones have on the progression of human development?
What are the most common immune disorders that affect our bodies directly?
What do patients think about the system for charging prescriptions? Discuss the potential enhancements to the nation’s healthcare system.
What causes the increase in TB cases in less developed nations?
What percentage of cardiovascular disorders are genetically caused?
What studies have been conducted on diagnosing metapneumovirus in children in northwest England?
What are the main immunopathogenic causes of asthma, and what are the clinical ramifications? The United Kingdom has one of the highest asthma rates in the world.
How did pediatric renal illness spread across demographics? Conduct research using information from the UK renal registry.

Hot Biology Dissertation Topics

How many veterinary medications be prioritized according to their toxicity and human exposure levels?
Are human-infectious, antibiotic-resistant microorganisms utilized in producing veterinary medicine’s antimicrobial agents?
How much concern does methicillin resistance pose to veterinarians and practitioners caring for companion animals?
How does proper data gathering aid in the early discovery of foot-and-mouth disease and stop it from spreading like wildfire?
Study foot-and-mouth disease using utility models by doing a case study in Australia.
How to avoid infection in pet cats and the health risks involved? Make a case analysis using research from Australia, the UK, and South Africa.
Is a biopsy required for fibroadenoma diagnosis?
Finding out how often the equine polysaccharide storage myopathy is
Describe the experience your reputable pediatric surgery centre has amassed over ten years.
What technical details about the breast cancer prognostic indicators are included in the UK’s National External Quality Assessment Scheme statistics?
What frequent causes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are there?
What are the most recent developments in the study of the cervix?
What do you mean by biological database—from the computers to the biological data?
The problems of quantitative ecology are seen through the modelling perspective.
How can the behaviour of marine animals be adapted to a specific genetic pool?

Easy Biology Topics Ideas

The biology of infectious diseases in evolution.
Biology uses contemporary technology and scientific tools.
What effects does archaeology have on animal biology?
Aspects that are affecting animal growth.
The overweight house pets.
Modern home pets and conventional dog diet.
Discovering the relationship between gut bacteria and anxiety in primate language and cognitive function.
Can gut bacteria cause depression?
Problem-solving genes and proteins essential for neuron function: cognitive neuroscience.
Animal behaviour: effects of ecological and evolutionary factors.
Examine the connection between living things and their surroundings.
Human behaviour’s impact on animal forms in the United Kingdom.
How do plants and animals react to climate change?
The application of hormone action therapy in collegiate sports.
The most frequent cell infections as well as immune system difficulties.

Common Biology Topics

How does microarray technology aid in illness screening?
What purposes do sequence analysis and functional genomics serve?
What do you mean when you say that phylogenetic studies are important?
How did the human genome project end up being so successful?
What roles does bioinformatics play in advancing biomedical science?
What roles does apoptosis play in cancer and lymphoma cells?
What are the complement regulatory proteins and the pathways responsible for the illnesses’ complement activation?
What percentage of large b-cell lymphomas survive after being treated with molecular profiling?
Is it accurate to say that immune deficiency disorders benefit from t-cell subset activation? Discuss.
The field of biomedical research will benefit from the use of nanofibers, discuss.
How does the nutrition of the mother affect the children’s general health?
What are the contributing causes of the increase in young adult female hypothyroidism?
The connection between polycystic ovarian syndrome and the reasons for infertility
Is it accurate to say that applying nanoparticles to some tumours aids their healing? Discuss
What factors influence the immune system’s deterioration with age?

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Biology education research: building integrative frameworks for teaching and learning about living systems

Ross H. Nehm ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5029-740X 1

Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research volume 1 , Article number: 15 ( 2019 ) Cite this article

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This critical review examines the challenges and opportunities facing the field of Biology Education Research (BER). Ongoing disciplinary fragmentation is identified as a force working in opposition to the development of unifying conceptual frameworks for living systems and for understanding student thinking about living systems. A review of Concept Inventory (CI) research is used to illustrate how the absence of conceptual frameworks can complicate attempts to uncover student thinking about living systems and efforts to guide biology instruction. The review identifies possible starting points for the development of integrative cognitive and disciplinary frameworks for BER. First, relevant insights from developmental and cognitive psychology are reviewed and their connections are drawn to biology education. Second, prior theoretical work by biologists is highlighted as a starting point for re-integrating biology using discipline-focused frameworks. Specifically, three interdependent disciplinary themes are proposed as central to making sense of disciplinary core ideas: unity and diversity; randomness, probability, and contingency; and scale, hierarchy, and emergence. Overall, the review emphasizes that cognitive and conceptual grounding will help to foster much needed epistemic stability and guide the development of integrative empirical research agendas for BER.

Introduction

Many policy documents emphasize that student understanding of living systems requires the integration of concepts that span levels of biological organization, encompass the tree of life, and cross different fields of study (AAAS, 2011 ; NRC, 2009 ; NSF, 2019 ). Yet the institutional, disciplinary, and curricular structuring of the life sciences often works in opposition to these pursuits. More so than in physics and chemistry, “biology” encompasses an expansive array of disciplines, each of which is often housed in a different academic department (e.g., microbiology, botany, genetics). These disciplines often organize into different academic societies, communicate through different journals, embrace different methodological frameworks, and gather at separate scientific conferences. Such fragmentation is evident at many universities, which lack “biology” departments altogether, and may instead be organized by taxonomy (e.g., botany, zoology, microbiology departments), concept (e.g., genetics, ecology, evolution departments), unit or scale (e.g., cell biology, biochemistry). There is no organizational blueprint characteristic of biology departments in the United States, for example. Given that most universities have not identified a singular solution for structuring the life sciences, it is unsurprising that diverse structures also characterize biology education research. Disciplinary (and corresponding educational) fragmentation works against attempts at fostering an integrative understanding of living systems for students, which is arguably a foundational goal of biology education.

In this critical review I examine some of the conceptual challenges facing the field of Biology Education Research (BER). These challenges reflect the substantial disciplinary fragmentation of BER, but they also highlight opportunities for advancing student understanding of living systems. I focus on the conceptual foundations of the discipline because they are a unique feature of biology education and have received substantially less attention than education practices (e.g., active learning, course-based research experiences, inclusive pedagogies). I begin by documenting the disciplinary fragmentation of the biological sciences and the corresponding heterogeneity and conceptual fragmentation of BER efforts. A consequence of such compartmentalization has been the lack of attention to the development and testing of unifying conceptual frameworks for (i) living systems and (ii) student thinking about living systems (in contrast to individual concepts, such as mutation, heredity, or genetic drift). This finding aligns with prior reviews that have also noted limited empirical-theoretical coordination within BER. The lack of attention to unifying frameworks for both biology and BER has consequences for biology education. A review of Concept Inventory (CI) research is used to illustrate how the absence of robust conceptual frameworks can complicate attempts to uncover student thinking about living systems and to guide biology instruction. The reviews of BER scholarship and CIs are used to motivate discussion of possible blueprints for BER-specific frameworks. First, findings from developmental and cognitive psychology are proposed as central to the development of cognitive frameworks. Second, possible disciplinary frameworks for BER are proposed after summarizing attempts by biologists to establish unifying themes for living systems that transcend individual subdisciplines. These themes include unity and diversity; randomness, probability, and contingency; and scale, hierarchy, and emergence. The review ends by emphasizing that the most significant opportunity for strengthening and unifying BER lies in the formulation of conceptual frameworks that account for how learners make sense of living systems as they progress through ontogeny and formal education. Such frameworks are much-needed tools for organizing and executing field-specific disciplinary research agendas.

The disciplinary structures of biology and biology education research

Many journals focus on BER and have grown out of the disciplinary structures and educational needs of academic departments; this history helps to make sense of the fragmented structure currently characterizing BER. Many biological disciplines have produced associated educational journals that serve as examples: Microbiology ( Journal of Biology and Microbiology Education ), Evolution (e.g., Evolution: Education and Outreach ), and Neuroscience (e.g., Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education ) (see Table 1 ). In many respects, this situation mirrors the explosion of discipline-specific journals in the life sciences.

Many of the research questions addressed within BER subdisciplines are an outgrowth of the educational contexts in which biological specialists have worked. The pressure to update curricula to reflect discipline-specific advances, for example, is a challenge inherent to all of the biological sciences (perhaps to a greater degree than in introductory physics and chemistry, where the content has remained relatively stable for the past century). Indeed, entirely new research areas (e.g., microbiomes, ancient DNA [deoxyribonucleic acid]) and methods (e.g., bioinformatics, CRISPR [clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats]) emerge with increasing tempo each decade. Keeping students up-to-date with discipline-specific understanding is an ongoing challenge that has spurred educational reform, innovation, and ongoing professional development within biological subdisciplines (e.g., physiology) and their associated journals.

A second feature of the fragmented nature of biology education is the seemingly unique learning challenges that have been identified within each disciplinary context (e.g., microbiology, evolution, genetics). The challenge of addressing the student misconception that bacteria are primarily pathogenic, for example, is of particular concern within microbiology; developing approaches to tackle goal-driven reasoning about evolutionary change is central to evolution education; and helping students recognize the genetic similarity of eye cells and liver cells is foundational to genetics and genomics. Many educational efforts in biology education have arisen from attempts to tackle domain-specific learning challenges, including the development of tools for diagnosing topic-specific misunderstandings (see Student Thinking about Living Systems, below). Perhaps as a consequence of disciplinary isolation, markedly less work in BER has sought to identify common threads in the fabric of student confusion and to weave them into unified models of biological reasoning that are capable of explaining seemingly disparate educational challenges (although see Coley & Tanner, 2012 ; Opfer et al., 2012 , for cognition-based examples of such efforts).

The fragmentation of BER efforts and journals could be viewed as an historically contingent outcome of the disciplinary structure of the biological sciences and the unique challenges that characterize them. But a less myopic view might reveal cross-cutting commonalities across disciplines (see below). Indeed, recent efforts in the United States and elsewhere have attempted to reform the biology curriculum and highlight cross-cutting concepts that undergird many different subdisciplines (e.g., Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education , AAAS, 2011 ). Efforts have also been made to bring different biology education communities together under new organizational arrangements (e.g., SABER: Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research; ERIDOB: European Researchers In the Didactics Of Biology). Following these biology-specific unification efforts, the National Research Council ( 2012 ) has also attempted to define and unite the efforts of chemistry, physics, and biology education researchers under the umbrella of “Discipline-Based Educational Research” (DBER). It is clear that the disciplinary structure of biology education, like that of other educational research disciplines, is in flux. Attempts to integrate pockets of disciplinary research activity is ongoing, and it is too soon to characterize the outcomes of these efforts. But disciplinary unification is often fostered by conceptual frameworks that encompass the needs and goals of stakeholders (Miller, 1978 ). Such work will be invaluable for guiding educational integration.

In summary, the range and diversity of BER journals and research efforts (Table 1 ) continue to mirror the tangled disciplinary and academic roots from which they grew. Unifying the paradigms and perspectives being generated from multiple BER journals and scientific societies is challenging, yet a worthy goal if true conceptual unification into a “BER community” (or an even larger “DBER community”) is to be achieved. In the following sections, some cross-cutting themes from this expansive body of work are identified, reviewed, and critiqued. Much like BER itself, there are many alternative frameworks that could effectively characterize this evolving area of scholarship. But a persistent question that emerges from a review of this fractured body of work is whether there are sufficient conceptual and theoretical frameworks capable of supporting the challenge of disciplinary unification (and corresponding educational unification).

Conceptual and theoretical frameworks for biology education research

Theory building linked to causal explanation is a central goal of scientific and social-science research, although the two fields often differ in the number of theories used to explain particular phenomena. In both realms “… research emanates from the researcher’s implicit or explicit theory of the phenomenon under investigation” (Rocco & Plakhotnik, 2009 , p. 121). Therefore, clear specification of theoretical framing and grounding is essential to the research enterprise (Imenda, 2014 ). A question in need of attention is what conceptual or theoretical frameworks help to frame, ground, and unite BER as a standalone field of educational inquiry (cf. Nehm, 2014 )? Two of the more recent reviews of BER history and scholarship are notable in that they did not identify (or propose) discipline-specific educational frameworks (Dirks, 2011 ; deHaan, 2011 ). In her characterization of BER studies from 1990 to 2010, for example, Dirks ( 2011 ) identified three categories of scholarship: (1) student learning or performance, (2) student attitudes and beliefs, and (3) concept inventories and validated instruments. Within each category, Dirks examined the theoretical frameworks that were used to guide the empirical work that she reviewed. Few studies in these three categories linked empirical investigations to explicit theoretical frameworks. Instead, BER scholars framed their investigations in terms of ‘problem description.’ In cases where theoretical frameworks were hinted at, they were quite general (e.g., Bloom’s Taxonomy, Ausubel’s emphasis on prior knowledge and learning). The vast majority of studies in Dirks’s ( 2011 ) review lacked discipline-based educational framing and conceptual grounding, and no BER-specific theoretical frameworks were identified.

deHaan’s ( 2011 ) review of the history of BER also touched upon the theoretical frameworks that have been used to guide BER. Three frameworks--constructivism, conceptual change, and “others” (i.e., social interdependence and theories of intelligence)--were identified. It is notable that these frameworks did not originate within BER (they are frameworks developed in education and psychology) and they are not discipline-specific (i.e., educational frameworks unique to BER). Although not inherently problematic, one might expect (or indeed require) a discipline-focused educational enterprise to pursue and establish discipline-focused frameworks. If such frameworks are lacking, then the question arises as to what unifies and organizes the pursuits of affiliated scholars. A superficial, a-theoretical, and unsatisfying answer to this question could be that “BER focuses on biology education.” Overall, these reviews and a corresponding examination of studies from a variety of journals (Table 1 ) suggest that BER typically lacks discipline-specific conceptual or theoretical frameworks.

Although many BER studies lack explicit anchoring in conceptual or theoretical frameworks unique to living systems, some work has attempted to build such frameworks. Conceptual frameworks for the disciplinary core ideas of (i) information flow in living systems and (ii) evolutionary change illustrate how different concepts and empirical findings may be related to one another and integrated into a framework that explains, predicts, and guides research in biology education (Fig. 1 ). Shea et al. ( 2015 ), for example, elaborated on Stewart et al.’s ( 2005 ) genetics literacy model and presented a tripartite framework showing the interrelationships among content knowledge use, argumentation quality, and the role of item surface features in genetic reasoning (Fig. 1 a). This conceptual framework is biology-specific (i.e., addresses student reasoning about the disciplinary core idea of information flow at various scales) and applicable to most living systems (i.e., attends to phylogenetic diversity). The addition of argumentation to this model is valuable but not necessarily unique to this topic (argumentation is a practice central to all of science). This framework is a useful example because it (i) synthesizes prior empirical work, (ii) explains why student reasoning about information flow may fail to reach performance expectations, (iii) guides future research agendas and associated studies, (iv) applies broadly to living systems, and (v) motivates the development of particular curricular and pedagogical strategies.

Examples of conceptual frameworks developed for biology education research. a A three-part conceptual framework for genetics literacy encompassing situational features, content knowledge use, and argumentation quality (modified from Shea et al. 2015 ). b A conceptual framework for evolutionary reasoning encompassing long-term memory, problem-solving processes, and item features (similar to the situational features of Shea et al. 2015 ). Modified from Nehm ( 2018 )

The second conceptual framework focuses on student reasoning about evolutionary change (Fig. 1 b). Nehm ( 2018 ) presents a conceptual framework that integrates aspects of Information Processing Theory, empirical findings on novice-expert evolutionary reasoning, and student challenges with evolutionary mechanisms (Fig. 1 b; see also Ha & Nehm 2014 ; Nehm & Ha, 2011 , Nehm and Ridgway 2011 ). When encountering tasks (or situations) that prompt for explanations of evolutionary change, sensitivity to item features (e.g., familiar plant species that have or lack thorns) impacts internal problem representation, which in turn affects the recruitment of individual concepts and schemas from long-term memory into working memory. The utilization of different assemblages of cognitive resources is driven by the features of the living systems. Like Shea et al.’s ( 2015 ) conceptual framework, Nehm’s ( 2018 ) conceptual framework (i) integrates existing theory (i.e., information processing theory) with prior empirical work, (ii) accounts for why student reasoning about evolutionary change may fail to reach performance expectations, (iii) guides future research agendas, and (iv) motivates the development of curricular and pedagogical strategies to address particular cognitive bottlenecks noted in the framework. Both of these frameworks attend to fundamental features of living systems (i.e., information flow, evolution) that transcend individual cases and exemplars (i.e., they consider diversity as a core feature of biological reasoning). Although both examples are simple, they organize a range of concepts central to understanding disciplinary thinking.

In summary, many factors work to maintain division among life science subfields (e.g., separate departments, conferences, journals, language; Table 1 ), and few counteracting factors promote unification (e.g., curricular cohesion, conceptual frameworks). Fragmentation of BER is an inevitable result. Interestingly, life scientists have long been concerned with a parallel challenge: the lack of attention to theoretical grounding and conceptual unification. The next section briefly reviews prior attempts to promote the development of conceptual frameworks for the life sciences. Although these frameworks do not address educational research specifically, they identify unifying concepts and principles that are essential starting points for building more robust conceptual foundations and frameworks for BER.

Conceptual frameworks for biology and biology education research

The past 60 years included several formal attempts to generate a conceptual framework for living systems and articulate a corresponding vision for the life sciences (e.g., Gerard and Stephens 1958 ; Miller, 1978 ; AAAS, 2011 ; NSF, 2019 ). The importance of theoretical foundations for biology was raised by Weiss ( 1958 , p. 93): “… the question [is] whether present-day biology is paying too little attention to its conceptual foundations, and if so, why.” In the 1950’s, the Biology Council of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences invited eminent biologists (e.g., Rollin Hotchkiss, Ernst Mayr, Sewell Wright) to explore the conceptual foundations of the life sciences given apparent disciplinary fragmentation. The report that emerged from their discussions and deliberations (NRC, 1958 ) attempted to re-envision biology through a more theoretical lens and generate a conceptual and hierarchical reconceptualization of the study of life. Conceptually, it included the broad categories of “Methods,” “Disciplines,” and “Concepts.” Methods organized life science research by the approaches used to generate understanding (e.g., immune tests, breeding, staining, factor analysis). Disciplines (structure [architecture, spatial relations, negative entropy]), and “Concepts” (history [origin]). Each of these categories—Methods, Disciplines, and Concepts--were then uniquely characterized at different biological scales (i.e., molecule, organelle, cell, organ, individual, small group, species, community/ecosystem, and total biota).

Three salient features of this early work include: (1) acknowledging the importance of conceptual grounding for the life sciences in light of disciplinary fragmentation; (2) situating academic topics and disciplines (e.g., anatomy, microbiology, ecology) within a conceptual superstructure (i.e., Structure, Equilibrium, History) and (3) highlighting the centrality of scale when considering life science Concepts, Methods, and Disciplines.

The U.S. National Research Council report Concepts of Biology ( 1958 ), while concerned with conceptual and disciplinary unification, did not lose sight of inherent connections to educational pursuits and outcomes: “Any success in improving the intellectual ordering of our subject would contribute to improved public relations, to the recruitment of more superior students, and to a better internal structure which would favor better teaching and research and in turn attract more students and support” (Weiss, 1958 , p. 95). These and many other significant efforts (e.g., Miller, 1978 ) confirm that the struggle for conceptual and educational unification of the life sciences has been ongoing, and repeated calls for unity suggest that the successes of these early efforts have been limited.

Although the history of BER illuminates the deeper roots of disciplinary challenges (deHaan 2011 ), attention to recent progress should also be noted. The efforts to develop and deploy unified conceptual and curricular frameworks for biology education that mirror expert conceptualizations are ongoing (e.g., AAAS, 2011 ; NSF, 2019 ). In the United States, for example, the past two decades have witnessed substantial progress on how to structure and reform undergraduate and K-12 biology education. Emerging from interactions among many different stakeholders and scholars (see Brownell, Freeman, Wenderoth, & Crowe, 2014 , their Table 1 ) and mirroring curricular innovations by working groups of biologists (e.g., Klymkowsky, Rentsch, Begovic, & Cooper, 2016 ) arose Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education (AAAS, 2011 ) and, later, the Next Generation Science Standards (NRC, 2013 ). Both initiatives have attempted to winnow down the expansive range of biological topics that students experience and reorganize them into a more cohesive conceptual and curricular framework (much like NRC 1958 and Miller 1978 ). This framework is notable in that it continues to move the life sciences away from historically-based disciplinary structures focused on taxon (e.g., microbiology, botany, zoology) and towards more theoretical, principle-based schemes (e.g., structure and function) that transcend individual biological scales.

For example, Vision and Change reorganized biological knowledge according to five core concepts (AAAS, 2011 , pp. 12–14): (1) Evolution (The diversity of life evolved over time by processes of mutation, selection, and genetic change); (2) Structure and Function (Basic units of structure define the function of all living things); (3) Information Flow, Exchange, and Storage (The growth and behavior of organisms are activated through the expression of genetic information in context); (4) Pathways and Transformations of Energy and Matter (Biological systems grow and change by processes based upon chemical transformation pathways and are governed by the laws of thermodynamics); and (5) Systems (Living systems are interconnected and interacting). Many of these ideas are in alignment with previous conceptual work by Gerard and Stephens ( 1958 ) and Miller ( 1978 ). Vision and Change , however, provides a very limited characterization of these core concepts and does not explicitly discuss their interrelationships across biological scales (e.g., gene, organism, species, ecosystem).

The BioCore Guide (Brownell et al., 2014 ) was developed to provide more fine-grained and longer-term guidance for conceptualizing and implementing the goals of Vision and Change . Specifically, principles and statements were derived for each of the five Vision and Change core concepts in order to structure undergraduate degree learning pathways (Brownell et al., 2014 ). Efforts have also been made to stimulate change within institutions. Partnership for Undergraduate Life Science Education (PULSE Community, 2019 ), for example, has been developed to encourage adoption of these curricular innovations and self-reflection by life science departments.

Collectively, these conceptually-grounded curriculum frameworks (e.g., Vision and Change , BioCore) and associated reform efforts (PULSE) are important, new unifying forces counteracting the fragmented structure of the biological sciences. They also form necessary (but insufficient) substrates for constructing conceptual frameworks for BER. They are insufficient because, from an educational vantage point, identifying the concepts, schemas, and frameworks of a discipline is only one aspect of the challenge; these ideas must articulate in some way with how students think, reason, and learn about biological concepts and living systems. The next section reviews progress and limitations of biology educators’ attempts to understand student thinking about living systems in light of these disciplinary frameworks (e.g., NRC, 1958 ; Miller, 1978 ; AAAS, 2011 ).

Student thinking about living systems

Educational efforts to foster cognitive and practice-based competencies that align with disciplinary frameworks (such as Vision and Change ) must consider what is known about student thinking about living systems. It is therefore essential to consider how the BER community has approached this challenge, what they have learned, and what remains to be understood about living systems (e.g., NRC, 1958 ; Miller, 1978 ; AAAS, 2011 ).

The absence of robust conceptual and theoretical frameworks for the life sciences has not prevented teachers and educational researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds (e.g., microbiology, ecology) from identifying domain-specific learning challenges and misunderstandings (Driver et al. 1994 ; Pfundt & Duit, 1998 ; NRC, 2001 ). Hundreds of individual concepts (e.g., osmosis, recombination, genetic drift, trophic levels, global warming) are typically presented to students in textbooks and taught in classrooms (NRC, 1958 ). Biology teachers have correspondingly noticed, and biology researchers have empirically documented, an array of misunderstandings about these individual concepts and topics (for reviews, see Pfundt & Duit, 1998 ; Reiss and Kampourakis 2018 ). When attempting to solve biological problems, for example, many university students: convert matter into energy in biological systems; adopt use-and-disuse inheritance to explain changes in life over time; and account for differences between eye and liver cells as a result of DNA differences. Many of the same misunderstandings have been documented in young children (Driver, Squires, Rushworth, & Wood-Robinson, 1994 ; Pfundt & Duit, 1998 ).

The ubiquity and abundance of these non-normative conceptions and reasoning patterns has led biology educators in different subfields (see Table 1 ) to develop concept-specific assessment tools or instruments (so-called “Concept Inventories”) in order to document the ideas (both normative and non-normative) that students bring with them to biology classrooms (Table 2 ). For particular topics or concepts, researchers have consolidated studies of student misunderstandings by category (e.g., Driver et al., 1994 ; Pfundt & Duit, 1998 ), confirmed and refined descriptions of these misunderstandings using clinical interviews, and developed associated suites of assessment items relevant to a particular idea (i.e., concept, principle).

CIs typically contain items offering one normative scientific answer option along with a variety of commonly held misconception foils. These instruments are designed for instructors to uncover which non-normative ideas are most appealing to students and measure general levels of normative understanding. CIs have been developed for many topics in the biological subfields of cell biology, genetics, physiology, evolution, and ecology. The number of biology CIs continues to grow each year, providing valuable tools for uncovering student thinking about specific biological ideas (Table 2 ).

Biology CIs have advanced prior work on student misconceptions (Pfundt & Duit, 1998 ) by: (1) focusing attention on the core ideas of greatest importance to concept or topic learning (e.g., osmosis and diffusion), (2) attending to a broad range of common misunderstandings (previously identified in a variety of separate studies), (3) quantitatively documenting student understanding using large participant samples (in contrast to smaller-scale, qualitative studies); and (4) establishing more generalizable claims concerning students’ mastery of biology concepts (facilitated by easy administration and multiple-choice format). As noted by Dirks ( 2011 ), concept inventory development was an important advance for the BER community by helping biologists recognize the ubiquity of biology misunderstandings and learning difficulties throughout the educational hierarchy.

Given the importance of CI development to BER (Dirks, 2011 ; see above), a critical review of this work is in order. I identify six limitations in order to illustrate some of the remaining challenges to understanding student thinking about living systems. The first major limitation of BER CI development is that it continues to be largely descriptive, a-theoretical, and lacking in explicit grounding in cognitive or conceptual frameworks (BER-specific or otherwise) (e.g., NRC, 2001 ). I will illustrate the practical significance of frameworks for living systems and theoretical frameworks for measurement using the National Research Council’s ( 2001 ) “assessment triangle”. In brief, the assessment triangle encompasses the three most central and necessary features for embarking upon studies of student understanding (and CI development): cognition, observation, and interpretation (as well as interconnections thereof; see Fig. 1 ). Cognition refers to the relevant features and processes of the cognitive system that are used to frame and ground the development of assessment tasks. Observation refers to the tangible artifacts (e.g., verbal utterances, written text, diagrams) that are generated as a result of engaging with such tasks. Interpretation refers to the inferences drawn from analyses of the observations produced by the tasks.

All three corners of the assessment triangle are inextricably interrelated (Fig. 1 ). For example, interpretation relies on appropriate analyses of the observations , and the observations only have meaning when viewed in light of the cognitive models used to construct the assessment tasks. Misinterpretations and faulty inferences about student understanding may arise from implicit and unexamined (or false) assumptions at any corner of the triangle (e.g. inappropriate tasks, inappropriate analyses of observations, inappropriate theoretical grounding). The NRC assessment triangle identifies the central features involved in making inferences about student reasoning (e.g., reasoning about biological systems). Remarkably few biology CIs have attended to all of these central features.

The cognition corner of the NRC’s ( 2001 ) assessment triangle demands focused attention on what is known about how students conceptualize and process information in general and biological systems in particular. That is, theories of cognition and theories of biological reasoning should undergird and support claims about what CI tasks are seeking to capture. The majority of CIs examined lack grounding in well-established theories of cognition (e.g., information processing theory, situated cognition theory) or theories of biological thinking and reasoning (e.g., categorization of living vs. non-living; see below). As a result, the necessary features of assessment design (Fig. 2 ) are lacking; this generates an unstable base for task design, data interpretation, and claims about biological thinking (Opfer et al., 2012 ).

The NRC Assessment Triangle. Measurement and assessment of student understanding requires the integration of cognitive models, observations, and interpretations of observations in light of cognitive models. Models of thinking about living systems—the cognition corner—are therefore crucial to the development, application, and evaluation of assessments

A practical example may help to elucidate how the interplay among assessment triangle vertices impact claims drawn from CIs. Consider the role that the diversity of life might play in biological reasoning, for example. If the cognitive model (e.g., information processing theory) undergirding CI task design assumes that students will activate different ideas depending upon the taxon used in the assessment task (e.g., plant, non-human animal, human animal, fungus, bacteria), then multiple taxonomic contexts will be necessary in order to gather relevant observations and to draw robust inferences about how students think. If, on the other hand, the cognitive model assumes that students process information using abstractions of concepts, then attention to taxonomy in task design is unnecessary and most biological exemplars will suffice. The items that are developed and the corresponding scores that emerge from these two different cognitive perspectives are likely to be different. Cognition, observation, and interpretation (Fig. 2 ) emerge as necessary considerations in biology CI development, implementation, and score interpretations. Most CIs (Table 2 ) lack explicit alignment with the NRC’s ( 2001 ) assessment triangle, contain implicit or unexamined cognitive assumptions, and as a result may generate ambiguous or debatable claims about student thinking about living systems (and, ultimately, cloud the field’s attempt to make sense of how students think about living systems) (Tornabene, Lavington, & Nehm, 2018 ).

In addition to the lack of attention to theoretical grounding (i.e., NRC, 2001 ), a second limitation of CIs relates to their practical utility for biology education (Table 3 ). Given that hundreds of topics are typically included in textbooks and taught in biology classes (NRC, 1958 ), and dozens of CIs have now been developed (e.g., Table 2 ), the question arises as to what to do with them; what, in other words, is the broader aim of building this expansive test battery? Assessing all of the major domains for which CIs have been developed would require substantial amounts of time and effort. Devoting class time to all of the biological preconceptions and alternative conceptions uncovered by all of these instruments would require eliminating many other learning objectives or reorganizing biology instruction. The field has not developed practical strategies for aligning the numerous isolated insights generated from CIs with the practical realities of instruction, or the broader goals for BER.

One practical solution for making use of the broad array of CIs would be to develop and deploy Computer Adaptive Tests (CATs) capable of automatically diagnosing levels of conceptual understanding (as opposed to administering all assessment items from all of the CIs) and delivering personalized instructional resources aligned with documented learning difficulties. These digital tools could be provided as pre-class assignments or as supplemental resources. Another solution more closely tied with the focus of this critical review would be to identify learning challenges apparent across CIs (e.g., difficulties in reasoning about living systems) and to develop corresponding instructional materials to address these broader misunderstandings or promote cognitive coherence. This approach circles attention back to the question of how conceptual frameworks for biology and biology education could be leveraged to unify understanding of diverse misconceptions across subdisciplines (see Conceptual and Theoretical Frameworks for Biology Education Research, above).

A third limitation of biology CIs relates to the design of assessment tasks and the inferences that are drawn from their scores. When employing open-ended assessment tasks and clinical interviews, some BER research has shown that a majority of students utilize mixtures of normative and non-normative ideas together in their biological explanations (Nehm & Schonfeld, 2008 , 2010 ). Most CI instrument items nevertheless continue to employ multiple-choice (MC) formats and only permit students to choose between a normative or a non-normative answer option. This format may, in turn, introduce noise into the measurement process and weaken validity inferences. Multiple-True-False (MTF) items are one solution to this problem. Using MTF formats, students are permitted to indicate whether they consider each answer option to be correct or incorrect, thereby breaking the task design constraint evident in either-or item options. This limitation is another example of how consideration of both cognition (i.e., mixed cognitive models exist) and task design (MC vs. MTF) work together to impact the quality and meaning of inferences about biological thinking drawn from CI scores (i.e., observations).

A fourth limitation of BER CIs concerns the authenticity of the assessment tasks themselves. Most CIs assess pieces of knowledge using MC items. It is not clear if students who are able to achieve high scores (i.e., select the constellation of normative answer options across multiple items) understand the concept as a whole (Nehm & Haertig, 2012 ). For example, just because students select the normative ideas of mutation , heritability , environmental change , and differential survival from a pool of normative and non-normative item options does not necessarily mean that they would assemble these ideas in a scientifically correct manner. A student could, for example, use the aforementioned ideas to build an explanation in which environmental change in a particular habitat causes heritable mutations which in turn help these organisms differentially survive . Thus, non-normative models may be assembled from normative “pieces.” This is another example of how inferences about students’ biological understandings are tied to assessment and cognitive frameworks.

One solution to this challenge is to utilize Ordered Multiple Choice (OMC) items. These items prompt students to choose from among explanatory responses integrating many normative and non-normative combinations (as opposed to asking students to select individual ideas or conceptual fragments). These explanatory models could be designed to mirror hypothesized levels of conceptual understanding or biological expertise (e.g., learning progressions). OMC items have the potential to capture more holistic and valid characterizations of student reasoning (see Todd et al., 2017 for an example from genetics).

A fifth limitation of biology CIs centers on the “interpretation” corner of the assessment triangle (Fig. 2 ); robust validation methods aligned with contemporary psychometric frameworks are often lacking in biology CI studies (Boone, Staver, & Yale, 2014 ; Neumann, Neumann, & Nehm, 2011 ; Sbeglia & Nehm, 2018 , 2019 ). Rasch Analysis and Item Response Theory (IRT) are slowly supplanting traditional Classical Test Theory (CTT) methods for biology CI validation. In addition to psychometric limitations, validation studies of many biology instruments remain restricted to singular educational settings or demographically-restrictive samples (Mead et al. 2019 ; Campbell & Nehm, 2013 ). These methodological choices introduce uncertainty about the generalizability of CI score inferences across demographic groups, educational institutions, and international boundaries. Particular care must be made when drawing inferences from CI scores to inform instructional decisions or evaluate learning efficacy given these limitations (Table 3 ).

The sixth and final limitation of extant biology CIs returns to the topic of discipline-based conceptual frameworks. Few if any of the biology CIs and assessment instruments have been designed to target foundational disciplinary themes identified over the past 60 years (e.g., reasoning across biological scales) or the disciplinary formulations advanced in Vision and Change (AAAS, 2011 ). BER assessment tools remain aligned to concepts or topics characteristic of a particular subdiscipline, biological scale, or taxon (e.g., human animals). Despite significant progress in documenting concept understanding (and misunderstanding), biology educators have directed much less attention to assessing the foundational features of living systems that are most closely tied to disciplinary frameworks (i.e., NRC, 1958 ; Miller, 1978 ; AAAS, 2011 ). That is, analogous to many biology curricula, BER CI work has assembled a valuable but disarticulated jumble of information (in this case, lists of student learning difficulties) lacking deep structure or coherence.

In summary, a critical review of BER efforts to understand student thinking about living systems has revealed significant progress and significant limitations. Significant progress has been made in: identifying a range of important topics and concepts relevant to disciplinary core ideas; developing instruments that measure many of the learning difficulties uncovered in prior work (Table 2 ); and documenting widespread patterns of limited content mastery and numerous misunderstandings. Significant limitations have also been identified (Table 3 ). Many of the biology assessment tools lack: explicit grounding in psychometric and cognitive theory; task authenticity mirroring biological practice and reasoning; robust validation methods aligned with contemporary psychometric frameworks; robust inferences drawn from cognitively-aligned tasks; and implementation guidelines aligned with the practical realities of concept coverage in textbooks and classrooms. Collectively, much is now known about a scattered array of topics and concepts within biological subdisciplines; few if any tools are available for studying foundational and cross-disciplinary features of living systems identified by biologists over the past 60 years (e.g., identifying emergent properties across biological scales; considering stochasticity and determinism in biological causation; predicting biological outcomes using systems thinking; NRC, 1958 ; Miller, 1978 ; AAAS, 2011 ). BER requires discipline-specific frameworks that illuminate biological reasoning. Cognitive perspectives will be foundational to developing these frameworks.

What cognitive frameworks could guide BER?

A productive trend in BER involves efforts to link cognitive perspectives developed in other fields (e.g., education, psychology) with discipline-specific challenges characteristic of teaching and learning about living systems (Inagaki and Hatano, 1991 ; Kelemen and Rosset 2009 ). The fields of cognitive and developmental psychology serve as essential resources for understanding the roots of student reasoning about living systems. Developmental psychologists have generated many crucial insights into the foundations of human reasoning about living systems, including animacy, life, death, illness, growth, inheritance, and biological change (e.g., Opfer and Gelman 2010 ; Table 4 ). In particular, studies of human thinking have explored (1) whether ontogenetic development is characterized by reformulations of mental frameworks about living systems or by more continuous and less structured change, and (2) whether these early frameworks impact adult reasoning about living systems.

One of the more illuminating and well-studied examples of the linkages between cognitive and disciplinary frameworks concerns human thinking about plants (Opfer and Gelman 2010 ). Some psychologists consider the origins of biological thought to first emerge as young children ponder the question of what is alive and what is not (Goldberg & Thompson-Schill, 2009 ). For example, it is well established that young children initially conceptualize and classify plants as non-living entities. As cognitive development proceeds, plants are reclassified into an expanded category of “living” (e.g., plants + animals). An important question is whether early reasoning about biological categories and phenomena plays a significant role in later learning difficulties--including those documented in university undergraduates.

Plants provide a useful example for drawing possible connections among cognitive development, biological reasoning, and discipline-based conceptual frameworks. Plants comprise a central branch on the tree of life and are essential for human existence (i.e., sources of matter and energy). Yet, plants have posed significant challenges for life science educators (Wandersee & Schussler, 1999 ). These challenges range from students’ lack of perception of plants altogether (coined “plant blindness”) to fundamental misconceptions about how plants reproduce, transform matter and energy, and impact the chemical composition of the atmosphere (Wandersee & Schussler, 1999 ). The early reformulations of biological categories in young children--such as the reorganization of plants into the category of “living things”--appear to persist into adulthood.

A study by Goldberg and Thompson-Schill ( 2009 , p. 6) compared reasoning about plants relative to other living (e.g., animal) and non-living (e.g., rock) entities in undergraduates and biology professors. Under time pressure, it took biology professors significantly longer to recognize plants as living things (compared to animals and non-living entities). Goldberg and Thompson-Schill noted that “[t] he same items and features that cause confusions in young children also appear to cause underlying classification difficulties in university biology professors.” This case is not unique. Children’s reasoning about other biological phenomena, such as teleo-functional biases, also display continuities with adult thinking about evolutionary change (e.g., Kelemen and DiYanni, 2005 ). Work in cognitive and developmental psychology indicate that young children’s early formulations about living systems might not be “re-written”, but instead persist into adulthood, require active suppression, and impact later learning. Ongoing research in cognitive and developmental psychology has great potential for enriching our understanding of thinking in young adults, and for providing deeper insights into the causes of entrenched biology misunderstandings that often appear resistant to concerted educational efforts.

Studies at the other extreme--expert biologists--also have great potential for informing the development of unifying cognitive frameworks for BER. Comparative studies of experts and novices in different subject areas have been central to understanding domain-general and domain-specific features of problem representation and problem-solving performance for nearly a century (reviewed in Novick and Bassok, 2012 ). Novice-expert comparisons have seen comparatively little use in BER, although some notable exceptions include studies in genetics (Smith, 1983 ), evolution (Nehm & Ridgway, 2011 ), and genetically-modified organisms (Potter et al. 2017 ). These studies offer a range of insights into how novices and experts conceptualize problems, plan solutions, and utilize concepts and frameworks in problem-solving tasks. These insights could be leveraged to help elucidate expert frameworks of biological systems, as well as to identify conceptual, procedural, and epistemic barriers in novice reasoning. In a study of evolution, for example, novices performed poorly on problem-solving tasks not because of a lack of domain-specific knowledge, but because of the ways in which they used superficial task features (different organisms) to cognitively represent the problems at hand (i.e., in fundamentally different ways than the experts). Here the tension in student thinking about the unity and diversity of living systems is revealed—which is also a disciplinary idea unique to BER (Dobzhansky, 1973 ). Helping students perceive unity across the diversity of life emerges as a crucial (but often neglected) instructional goal. Comparing expert and novice problem-solving approaches could reveal unknown barriers to biology learning and illuminate potential features of a theoretical conceptualization of BER. These frameworks become central to the “cognition” corner of the assessment triangle (NRC, 2001 ) and efforts to design CIs and measure educational impact.

In addition to tracing the origination, persistence, and modification of cognitive structures about living systems through ontogeny and expertise, it is useful to ask whether the disciplinary organization of the biological sciences and associated degree programs, curricula, and textbook organizations (cf. Nehm et al., 2009 ) contribute to students’ fragmented models of living systems (e.g., Botany courses and textbooks focus on plants; Microbiology courses and textbooks focus on bacteria; Zoology courses and textbooks focus on animals). Few biologists would doubt that taxon-specific learning outcomes are essential for understanding the unique aspects of particular living systems. But an unanswered question is whether an effective balance between diversity and unity been achieved, or whether the scales have been tipped towards a focus on diversity-grounded learning (and corresponding cognitive fragmentation in biology students). It is notable that most biology textbook chapters, courses, and degree programs maintain organizational structures at odds with most conceptual reformulations of the life sciences (e.g., NRC, 1958 ; Miller, 1978 ; AAAS, 2011 ). Resolving these contradictions may help to conceptualize a more unified and principled framework for BER.

In summary, one of the most underdeveloped areas of BER concerns the formulation of conceptual and theoretical frameworks that account for how learners make sense of the similarities and differences within and across living systems as they progress through ontogeny and educational experiences. Cognitive and developmental psychology provide rich but largely untapped resources for enriching cognitively-grounded frameworks. In addition to studies of biological reasoning in young children, studies of expert thinking also offer considerable promise for uncovering barriers to expert-like conceptualizations of living systems. Collaborations with cognitive and developmental psychologists, and greater application of expert-novice comparisons, will be essential to advancing the cognitive frameworks for assessment design, curriculum development, and BER research.

What disciplinary frameworks could guide BER?

Although frameworks and models from psychology will be invaluable for crafting cognitive frameworks for BER, there are unique features of living systems that must also be explicitly considered in light of more broadly applicable cognitive models. To foster disciplinary unification and more integrative models of BER, these features should (1) span different biological subdisciplines and (2) undergird broad learning challenges about core ideas about living systems. Three areas--unity and diversity; randomness, probability, and contingency; and scale, hierarchy, and emergence—are likely to be valuable ideas for the development of discipline-grounded conceptual frameworks for BER. Each is discussed in turn below (Fig. 3 ).

Integrating conceptual frameworks into BER: student reasoning about unity and diversity; scale, hierarchy, and emergence; and randomness, probability, and historical contingency. Note that all three ideas interact to generate understanding about living systems, including processes within them (e.g., information flow)

Unity and Diversity in biological reasoning

A foundational (yet undertheorized) disciplinary challenge inherent to BER concerns the development of conceptual models of student sensemaking about the similarities and differences within and across living systems (NRC 1958 ; Klymkowsky et al., 2016 ; Nehm, 2018 ; Nehm et al., 2012 ; Shea, Duncan, & Stephenson, 2015 ). A key argument often missed in Dobzhansky’s ( 1973 ) seminal paper expounding the importance of evolution to all of biology was “[t] he unity of life is no less remarkable than its diversity” (p. 127). Indeed, a core goal of all biological disciplines is to develop and deploy causal models that transcend particular scales, lineages, and phenomenologies. Biology educators have, for the most part, documented myriad student learning difficulties within disciplinary contexts (e.g., microbiology, heredity, evolution, ecology) that are likewise bound to particular scales, concepts, and taxonomic contexts. Much less work has explored reasoning across these areas and the extent to which conceptual unity is achieved as students progress through biology education (Garvin-Doxas & Klymkowsky, 2008 ).

A core need for BER is the development of explicit models of how student understanding of living systems changes in response to formal and informal educational experiences (e.g., exposure to household pets, gardens, books, zoos, digital media, formal schooling). Throughout ontogeny, learners experience a wide range of life forms and their associated phenomenologies (e.g., growth, function, behavior, death). As learners engage with the diversity of the living world, a foundational question for BER is whether students construct increasingly abstract models of living systems (i.e. conceptual unity) or whether their sense-making remains rooted in taxonomic contexts, experiential instances, and case examples (i.e. conceptual diversity; Fig. 4 ).

One example of unity and diversity in biological reasoning. Note that examples using a broader set of scales (e.g., ecosystem) could be utilized. a Within a biological scale (in this case, the scale of organism), reasoning about living systems lacks unification and is organized by taxonomic contexts, experiential instances, and case examples. b Within a biological scale (in this case, the scale of organism) reasoning about living systems is characterized by abstract models transcending organismal type or lineage (i.e. conceptual unity). c Among biological scales (in this case, molecule, cell, organism), reasoning about living systems lacks unification and is organized by macroscopic (organismal), microscopic (cellular), and molecular (biochemical) levels of biological organization. d Among biological scales (in this case, molecule, cell, organism), reasoning about living systems at is characterized by abstract models linking biological scales (i.e. conceptual unity)

The limited body of work exploring student reasoning about the unity and diversity of living systems has uncovered different findings. In some cases, research suggests that in older children and young adults, reasoning about living systems may remain highly fragmented and taxon-specific at particular scales (Fig. 4 a; e.g., Freidenreich et al. 2011 ; Kargbo et al., 1980 ; Nehm & Ha, 2011 ). In other cases, research has shown that student reasoning may develop into unified problem-solving heuristics within a biological scale (Fig. 4 b; e.g., Schmiemann et al., 2017 ). Much less work has explored student reasoning about biological phenomena across biological scales (Fig. 4 c, d). Work in genetics education suggests that crossing these ontological levels or scales is inherently challenging for students (Freidenreich et al. 2011 ; Kargbo et al., 1980 ; Nehm & Ha, 2011 ; Nehm, 2018 ). For example, students may develop conceptual understanding within a biological level (Fig. 4 c) but be unable to conceptually link processes as they unfold over multiple scales (e.g., molecular, cellular, organismal; Fig. 4 d). Given that unity and diversity are foundational features of living systems, the development of conceptual and theoretical frameworks guiding empirical studies about student thinking about living systems is long overdue. Such frameworks could be used to synthesize past work, connect researchers from different life science sub-disciplines, and establish a unifying research agenda for BER.

Randomness, probability, and contingency

Many students and teachers have a tacit awareness that biology is different from the physical sciences. Yet, explicit frameworks illuminating these conceptual similarities and differences are often lacking in biology education (Klymkowsky et al., 2016 ). The behavior of biological systems is complex for many reasons, although the simultaneous operation of numerous causes each of which produces weak effects is an important one (Lewontin, 2000 ). Biological systems are also impacted by multiple probabilistic interactions with and among scales (e.g., molecular, cell, organismal, ecological) (Garvin-Doxas & Klymkowsky, 2008 ). For these reasons, biological patterns and processes are characterized by “...a plurality of causal factors, combined with probabilism in the chain of events …” across scales (Mayr, 1997 , p. 68). This messy situation often stands in sharp relief to student learning experiences in physics and chemistry, where fewer causes with stronger effects and more deterministic outcomes are encountered (Lewontin, 2000 ). Given the special properties of biological systems (at least in terms of the topics explored by students), a BER research program exploring how students make sense of randomness, probability, and determinism across lineages and biological scales emerges as an essential consideration (Garvin-Doxas & Klymkowsky, 2008 ).

Student learning difficulties with randomness and probability in biology are well established (Garvin-Doxas & Klymkowsky, 2008 ). Large numbers of university undergraduates previously exposed to natural selection falsely consider it to be a “random” process (Beggrow and Nehm, 2012 ); genetic drift misconceptions--many of which are closely tied to ideas of chance--are abundant (Price et al. 2014 ); and reasoning about osmosis and diffusion, which require thinking about probability at molecular scales, remains challenging for students at advanced levels of biology education (Garvin-Doxas & Klymkowsky, 2008 ). Many fundamental but very basic biological phenomena (i.e. in terms of the number of interacting causes within and among levels of organization) pose substantial challenges. But much like the discipline-specific documentation of other learning challenges, difficulties with randomness and probability are often discussed in the context of specific biological concepts (e.g., Punnett squares, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium) rather than as unifying features of biological systems. What is currently lacking in BER is an organizing framework that cuts across instances (e.g., diffusion, meiosis, selection, drift) and guides systematic review and synthesis of different biology learning challenges relating to randomness and probability.

Student learning difficulties may be traced to many causes, which raises the question of whether there is empirical evidence that probabilistic reasoning is responsible for the aforementioned learning difficulties. Recent work by Fiedler et al. ( 2019 ) has quantified the contribution of probabilistic reasoning to biology understanding. In a large sample of university biology students, Fiedler et al. ( 2019 ) demonstrated that statistical reasoning (in the contexts of mathematics and evolution) displayed significant and strong associations with knowledge of evolution. Although this result is perhaps unsurprising given previous work (Garvin-Doxas & Klymkowsky, 2008 ), it is notable that statistical reasoning was also found to have significant and strong associations with the acceptance of evolution. Fiedler et al. ( 2019 ) affirm the significant role of probabilistic thinking in biological reasoning, and open the door to empirical explorations of many other topics in the life sciences. Although Fiedler et al. ( 2019 ) do not propose a framework for conceptualizing randomness and probability in the life sciences, they do argue that statistical reasoning is a core feature of reasoning about living systems (as opposed to an ancillary tool for studying living systems). This perspective reformulates the role of statistics in biological competence. Clearly, the development of a conceptual framework focusing on randomness, probability, and contingency could offer great potential for uniting research efforts across biological subdisciplines (e.g., molecular biology, genetics, evolution).

Scale, hierarchy, and emergence

The hierarchical structure of life, and its corresponding biological scales (e.g., cell, tissue, organ, organism, population, species, ecosystem) are repeatedly acknowledged as important considerations about biological systems in nearly every textbook and classroom. Although most (if not all) biology education programs draw student attention to the concepts of scale and hierarchy, they rarely explore how scale and hierarchy elucidate and problematize the functioning of biological systems. For example, an understanding of the interdependence of patterns and processes across scales (e.g., upward and downward causation) as well as the emergence of novel properties at higher levels (e.g., the whole is more than the sum of its parts), is necessary for making sense of nearly all of the core ideas unifying the life sciences (e.g., information flow, matter and energy transformation, evolution). Yet, a review of the literature reveals that an explicit curriculum for helping students engage in the meaning of this hierarchical arrangement appears lacking.

Extending discussions of the unity and diversity of life (see Fig. 4 , above), reasoning about living systems may also display unity or diversity across hierarchical levels. For example, reasoning about living systems may lack unification, and knowledge structures or mental models may be organized by macroscopic (organismal), microscopic (cellular), and molecular (biochemical) levels of biological organization (Fig. 4 c). In such cases, knowledge structures and reasoning are bound to particular scales or levels , and conceptual linkages among these scales (e.g., upward and downward causation, emergent properties) may be lacking. Alternatively, reasoning about living systems may be characterized by abstract models unifying biological scales (i.e. conceptual unity) (Fig. 4 d). In such cases, knowledge structures and mental models transcend scale and utilize level-specific understanding. The main point is that hierarchical scale is an important aspect of biological reasoning that may facilitate or constrain student understanding. The principles of scale, hierarchy, and emergence are central to biological reasoning, yet BER lacks a robust conceptualization of these concepts and their role in student understanding of living systems. Theoretical and conceptual frameworks for scale, hierarchy, and emergence could help to guide systematic review and synthesis of different biology learning challenges and guide research efforts in BER.

In summary, this critical review, as well as prior reviews of BER, have found few discipline-specific conceptual or theoretical frameworks for the field (Dirks, 2011 ; deHaan, 2011 ). The fragmented disciplinary history and structure of the life sciences (see above) has been a concern noted by eminent biologists and professional organizations for at least 60 years (e.g., NRC, 1958 ). Despite progress in conceptual unification in the biological sciences, the BER community to a significant degree remains compartmentalized along historical, institutional, and disciplinary boundaries (e.g., microbiology, biochemistry, evolution). Efforts by BER researchers to understand and measure student understanding of living systems have likewise progressed along disciplinary themes, concepts, and topics.

Many core features of living systems offer opportunities for crafting discipline-specific educational frameworks for BER. Given the fragmentation of the life sciences and BER, it is presumptuous and unrealistic for any single scholar or subfield to impose such a framework. Three interconnected themes--unity and diversity; randomness, probability, and contingency; and scale, hierarchy, and emergence—have been identified in prior synthesis efforts and offered as potential starting points for a cross-disciplinary discussion of possible field-specific frameworks. Such frameworks are critical to the epistemic foundations of BER. They have immense potential for enriching a wide array of research efforts spanning different subfields, organizing the growing list of student learning difficulties, and building casual frameworks capable of grounding empirical research agendas.

Limitations

This critical review has identified significant opportunities and challenges for BER. The most pressing opportunity noted throughout this review is the development of discipline-specific conceptual and theoretical frameworks. The absence of explicit disciplinary frameworks raises questions about disciplinary identity (e.g., “What is BER?”) and encourages superficial and dissatisfying answers (e.g., “BER studies biology education”). The perspective advanced in this review is that the absence of cognitive and disciplinary frameworks generates epistemic instability (e.g., a-theoretical empiricism) and clouds our ability to rigorously understand student thinking about living systems. There are, however, alternative perspectives on the significance of discipline-specific frameworks for BER; two are discussed below.

First, if BER-affiliated scholars were to ignore or abandon the National Research Council’s ( 2013 ) conceptualization and definition of BER (and the broader topic of DBER), then biology-related educational research efforts could easily be subsumed within the field of Science Education (cf. Nehm, 2014 ). In this case, discipline-focused theoretical frameworks become less of a concern because frameworks from science education could guide epistemic aims and corresponding research agendas. Attention to the unique aspects of biological concepts (e.g., inheritance, photosynthesis, phylogenetics) would fade (but not disappear) and educational frameworks (e.g., socio-cognitive theory, constructivism) would come into sharper focus. This alternative conceptualization foregrounds educational frameworks and backgrounds disciplinary frameworks. The rationale for BER as a standalone field consequently weakens, along with arguments concerning the critical nature of discipline-focused conceptual frameworks.

A second perspective concerns the necessity of conceptual and theoretical frameworks for BER (and perhaps other scholarly efforts) altogether. Theory building linked to causal explanation is widely-recognized as a central goal of scientific and social-science research (cf. Brigandt, 2016 ; Rocco & Plakhotnik, 2009 ). Some BER scholars, however, do not appear to consider such frameworks as central epistemic features of their work (as indicated by much of the work reviewed here). Indeed, there are numerous examples of implicit or a-theoretical hypothesis testing in the BER journals listed in Table 1 . This stance minimizes the importance of conceptual or theoretical frameworks in scholarly work, and in so doing eliminates the central concern advanced in this review.

One final and significant limitation of this critical review is that it has adopted a Western, and largely American, perspective. Many of the conclusions drawn are unlikely to generalize to other nations or cultures. It is well known that the structure of biology education research differs around the world (e.g., Indonesia, China, Korea, Germany). Studies of biology learning may be situated within university education departments or biology departments (or combinations thereof). Teacher training in biology may be housed in colleges exclusively devoted to biology education, or departments focusing on general biology education (e.g., medicine, conservation).

International comparison studies (e.g., Ha, Wei, Wang, Hou, & Nehm, 2019 ; Rachmatullah, Nehm, Ha, & Roshayanti, 2018 ) are likely to offer rich insights into the relationships between biology education research agendas, institutional contexts, and the conceptual and theoretical frameworks used to make sense of student thinking about living systems. Indeed, what are the affordances and constraints of different institutional and epistemic arrangements to knowledge discovery in biology education? Collectively, how could these alternative arrangements enhance our ability to foster deeper understanding of the living world? Further reviews from a broader array of stakeholders will enhance our collective understanding of BER around the world.

This critical review examined the challenges and opportunities facing the field of Biology Education Research (BER). Ongoing fragmentation of the biological sciences was identified as a force working in opposition to the development of (i) unifying conceptual frameworks for living systems and (ii) unifying frameworks for understanding student thinking about living systems. Institutional, disciplinary, and conceptual fragmentation of the life sciences aligns with the finding that BER generally lacks unique, unifying, and discipline-focused conceptual or theoretical frameworks. Biology concept inventory research was used to illustrate the central role that conceptual frameworks (both cognitive and disciplinary) play in making sense of student thinking about living systems. Relevant insights from developmental and cognitive psychology were reviewed as potential starting points for building more robust cognitive frameworks, and prior theoretical work by biologists was leveraged to generate possible starting points for discipline-focused frameworks. Three interconnected themes--unity and diversity; randomness, probability, and contingency; and scale, hierarchy, and emergence—were identified as central to thinking about living systems and were linked to ongoing BER research efforts. The review emphasized that the development of conceptual frameworks that account for how learners make sense of similarities and differences within and across living systems as they progress through ontogeny and formal education will help to foster epistemic stability and disciplinary unification for BER.

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Abbreviations

Biology Education Research

Computer Adaptive Test

Concept Inventory

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats

Classical Test Theory

Discipline-Based Education Research

Deoxyribonucleic Acid

European Researchers In the Didaktics of Biology

Item Response Theory

Multiple True False

National Research Council

Ordered Multiple Choice

Partnership for Undergraduate Life Science Education

Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research

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Nehm, R.H. Biology education research: building integrative frameworks for teaching and learning about living systems. Discip Interdscip Sci Educ Res 1 , 15 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43031-019-0017-6

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Conceptual Trends and Issues in Biology Didactics

Kostas Kampourakis, Michael J. Reiss (Eds.). (2018) Teaching Biology in Schools: Global Research, Issues, and Trends. Routledge, City. ISBN: 978-1-138-087989 (Paperback), 292 Pages, Price: 49.95$ (Paperback), 24.98$ (eBook)

Book Review
Published: 02 March 2020
Volume 29 , pages 483–485, ( 2020 )

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71 Best Education Dissertation Topic Ideas

education dissertation topics ideas, explained below

It’s hard to choose and settle on a topic for your education dissertation. When I was choosing my topic, I was confused and uncertain. I wished I had a list like this that would help me out!

The topics below are best for undergraduate (B.A / B.Ed) or masters (M.A / M.Ed) students. Check out these 51 topic ideas, use them, and adapt them to create a topic that suits you.

The Lazy Man’s Top 10

before I dig in…

Here is a quick list of my top 9 favorite education dissertation topic ideas:

What skill development strategies can be observed in children’s play?
What evidence is there for the theory of multiple intelligences?
What are parents’ attitudes toward play-based learning in schools?
Is there a correlation between student stress levels and standardized exams?
What are the differences in teaching strategies between experienced and novice teachers?
What are the greatest challenges faced by teachers in their first 3 years in the profession?
What does the literature say about the differences between phonics and whole language learning?
What are the factors facilitating successful inclusion of students with behavioral disabilities?
What do teachers believe has been the effect of technology on students’ learning?

Read this First: 9 Tips for Choosing a Dissertation Topic

Education Dissertation Topic Ideas (List

1. dissertation ideas for studying early childhood education.

Structured and Unstructured Play: What are the perspectives of parents about the benefits of structured and unstructured play for children?
Transitioning to School: What do educators identify as the key challenges of transitioning from early childhood to compulsory schooling settings?
Children’s Book Representation: How do the 50 most popular children’s books of the 21 st Century promote gender norms? (For this one, consider also using the social graces concept to add a more analytical lens.)
Montessori Settings: What do teachers in Montessori educational settings perceive to be the benefits and limitations of a Montessori-style education?
Parents’ Anxieties: What are parents’ initial anxieties about sending their children to preschool?
Studying Promotional Literature: A semiotic analysis of the representation of the stages of play in early childhood learning center promotional literature.
Representation in News: How is the early childhood education and care (ECEC) profession represented in mainstream news?
Benefits of ECE: What do parent perceive to be the developmental benefits of early childhood education for their children?
Impact of Digital Technologies on Early Learning : Exploring how the use of tablets, educational apps, and digital storytelling influences cognitive and social development in preschool children.
Parental Involvement and Its Effects on Early Childhood Education : Examining the role of parental engagement in the educational outcomes and social development of preschool children.
Comparative Study of Outdoor Versus Indoor Play in Early Childhood Development : Assessing the impact of outdoor play environments versus traditional indoor classrooms on physical, emotional, and cognitive growth in young children.
Nutrition and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood : Investigating the correlation between nutritional intake and cognitive development in preschool-aged children.
Early Intervention Strategies for Children with Special Needs : Exploring effective early intervention techniques for children with developmental delays or disabilities in early childhood education settings.
The Role of Storytelling in Language Development : Analyzing how storytelling and narrative play contribute to language acquisition and literacy skills in early childhood.
Effects of Teacher-Child Ratio on Learning Outcomes : Evaluating the impact of teacher-to-child ratios in preschool settings on individual attention, learning outcomes, and overall classroom dynamics.
Exploring Play-Based Learning Versus Structured Curriculum in Early Education : Comparing the outcomes of play-based learning approaches to more structured, curriculum-based methods in early childhood education.
Social-Emotional Learning in Early Childhood Education : Investigating the integration and effectiveness of social-emotional learning programs in fostering emotional intelligence, empathy, and interpersonal skills in young children.
Cultural Diversity in Early Childhood Classrooms : Investigating how educators can integrate various cultural backgrounds and practices into their teaching to create an inclusive environment for children.

2. Dissertation Ideas for Studying Elementary Teaching

Piaget’s Stages: Are Piaget’s stages of development an accurate reflection of the abilities of children in the concrete stage of development?
Behavior Management Styles: What are teachers’ perspectives of authoritarian behavior management strategies ?
Behavior Management Strategies: What do teachers perceive as the most effective behavior management strategy for children aged 5 – 7?
Pros and Cons of Homework : What do parents perceive to be the benefits of no homework for children?
Autism in Classrooms: What are parents’ perceptions and concerns about integration of children with autism into mainstream classrooms?
Seating Arrangements: How do changes in seating arrangements from rows to table groups impact learning in a Grade 5 classroom?
Benefits of Play Breaks: According to educators, what are the benefits and limitations of regular play breaks for learning?
Phonics vs Whole Language Learning: What do teachers perceive to be the benefits and limitations of the phonics versus whole language learning approaches to literacy?
Development through Play: What skill development strategies can be observed in children’s play during recess breaks in schools?
Compulsory School Uniforms: What do educators in a school that has compulsory school uniforms see as the educational benefits or drawbacks of compulsory uniforms?
Sense of Belonging: What are the barriers and opportunities for promoting a ‘sense of belonging’ in primary school classrooms?
Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms : Investigating the impact of integrating technology such as interactive whiteboards and educational software on student engagement and learning outcomes.
Differentiated Instruction Strategies : Evaluating the effectiveness of differentiated instruction in meeting the diverse learning needs of students in elementary school settings.
Parent-Teacher Communication : Analyzing the role of parent-teacher communication in student academic performance and behavioral development in elementary schools.
Impact of Bilingual Education : Exploring the cognitive, linguistic, and academic outcomes of bilingual education programs in elementary schools.
Teacher Perceptions of Standardized Testing : Investigating elementary school teachers’ views on the impact of standardized testing on teaching practices and student learning.
Social Skills Development Through Cooperative Learning : Examining the effectiveness of cooperative learning strategies in promoting social skills and teamwork among elementary school students.
Environmental Education in Elementary Curriculum : Analyzing the impact of incorporating environmental education into the elementary curriculum on students’ awareness and attitudes towards environmental issues.

Related: How to Write a Dissertation from Beginning to End

3. Dissertation Ideas for Studying Middle & High School Contexts

Homework vs Extracurricular Activities: What are students’ perceptions of the impact of homework on their after school extracurricular activities?
Nationalism in Curriculum Documents: How are nationalist ideologies reinforced and challenged in the current curriculum documents of [your jurisdiction]?
Preparation for Life: What are students’ perceptions of how well school prepares them for university / trades / real life?
Standardized Tests: What are students’ / teachers’/ parents’ perceptions of standardized tests in high school?
Mentorship: What do high school teachers in leadership positions perceive to be the best approaches to mentoring early career teachers?
Childhood Citizenship: Which models of childhood citizenship are evident in [your jurisdiction’s] curriculum?
Traits of Quality Teachers: What do parents perceive to be the traits of quality teachers in primary school vs. high school?
Students’ Perceptions of Teachers: What do adolescents see as the qualities of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ teachers?
Moral Values in Education: What do educators see as their role versus parents’ roles in promoting the moral values of children?
Migrant Challenges in the School System: What do parents of immigrant children see as the challenges their children face in schools in their new nation?

4. Educational Technology Dissertation Ideas

Use of Electronic Whiteboards: How prepared do pre-service teachers feel about teaching using Electronic White Boards?
Mobile Phones in the Classroom: What are parents’ perceptions of classroom mobile phone apps that are designed to increase parent-student interactions?
Impact of Technology on Learning: What are teachers’ perspectives of the impact of technology on student learning?
Gaming for Creative Writing: Can gaming help promote creative writing skills among boys aged 10-12?
Best Age for Introducing Technology: What age do parents perceive to be the best age for introducing children to technology?
Boys vs Girls Technology Usage: What are the differences between boys’ and girls’ technology usage habits during free time at school?
Online Learning Benefits and Challenges: What social, pedagogical and cognitive benefits and limitations do students face when learning online ?
Use of AI Large Language Models: How can Large Language Models like ChatGPT be beneficial for learning?

5. General Education and Teaching Dissertation Ideas

The Value of University: What do experienced educators perceive is the value of their university education?
Poverty and Education: What are teachers’ perceptions of the barriers and opportunities to learning for children in poverty?
Challenges faced by [Gender] Teachers: What challenges do male educators face in their first 5 years of teaching?
Anti-Bullying Policies: What are the main ways school leaders approach whole-school anti-bullying policy development?
Behavior Management for Developmental Delays: How do teachers differentiate their behavior management strategies for children with developmental delays?
Netiquette: What do teachers believe to be effective netiquette rules for online learning ?
Motivations for Taking a Promotion: What are the factors that impact teachers’ motivations for promotion into leadership positions in schools?
Reflective Practice: What do teachers perceive to be the role of reflection in their practice, and what are the most common reflective practice strategies among practitioners?
Theory Testing: What evidence is there for the theory of multiple intelligences?
Extroverts vs Introverts: How do Introverted and Extroverted Students Learn Differently?
Purpose of Schooling: What do parents perceive to be the purpose of schooling?
Experienced vs Novice Teachers: What differences are there in behavior management strategies for experienced versus novice teachers?
Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation: What do teachers believe are the benefits and challenges of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation strategies ?

6. Ideas that Involve Interviewing your Classmates!

A lot of my students like to use this idea because they can use a snowball sampling method rather than having to seek out teachers or schools to interview and study:

Concerns in Entering the Teaching Profession: What do pre-service teachers see as their biggest worries about entering the teaching profession?
Feeling Unprepared: What do pre-service teachers perceive to be the major factors that their degree does not prepare them for, before entering the workforce?
Benefits of a Dissertation Project: What do a cohort of teacher education students see as the benefits of conducting a final dissertation project prior to entering the profession? (see also: cohort effect )
Differences in Perspectives (Freshman vs Senior): What are the differences between freshman (first year) and senior (final year) students’ perspectives of the role of the classroom teacher in the 21 st Century?

Read Also: 25 Sociology Dissertation Ideas

What to do once you Choose your Topic for an Education Dissertation

Hopefully by now you have highlighted or written down 3 topics that caught your eye.

I recommend for your next step that you organize a meeting with your dissertation supervisor. Your supervisor will talk with you about your three ideas and give you advice on which to choose and why.

Each university has different requirements, so you’ll need to get input from your supervisor. Your supervisor is the person who can help you to navigate the special requirements of your particular program of study.

You’ll find that you and your supervisor will be able to tailor your chosen topic to you and your needs.

Good luck, and please do leave a comment below if you found this post useful!

I’m also always looking for more ideas to add to this list so if you came up with another idea, share it below.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Animism Examples
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 10 Magical Thinking Examples
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Social-Emotional Learning (Definition, Examples, Pros & Cons)
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is Educational Psychology?

1 thought on “71 Best Education Dissertation Topic Ideas”

Thank you for this! These open-ended examples helped me to broaden my topic some!

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Biology Education Dissertation Topics to Ace Your Dissertation

Date published July 17 2020 by Barbara Neil

Biology Education is such an interesting subject and the students are required to come up with interesting Biology Education dissertation topics. Some students succeed in it but a lot of students fail to capture the reader’s attention with some very common and simple topics.

If you are looking for some great Biology Education dissertation topics then you are at the right place. Our qualified industry experts have done an extensive research to help you make your dissertation as interesting as possible.

How “Dissertation Proposal” Can Help You!

Our top dissertation writing experts are waiting 24/7 to assist you with your university project, from critical literature reviews to a complete masters dissertation.

Biology Education Dissertation Ideas from Ph.D. Qualified UK Native Experts

Before giving you the list of best topics for biology dissertations. We are going to give you some amazing Biology Education dissertation ideas that will help you craft custom dissertation topics! You can take these ideas into consideration if you aim to do an extensive research on a wide possibility of topics.

Here are the Biology Education dissertation ideas for you to ace your dissertation:

Early-Age Biology Education: This idea for a good Biology Education dissertation topic revolves around researching at what a child could understand about different aspects of biology at a certain age. You can evaluate your research topic to compare the impacts of providing biology education to middle school students with high-school students.
Teaching Perspective: Writing from a teacher’s perspective can help your dissertation get noticed easily. You can conduct research around the problems biology education teachers face and how they can be solved. These problems could be related to anything from lack of equipment to mismanagement from higher authorities.

Get Free Customize Topics Now

Academic Level Undergraduate Masters PhD Others

Biology Education Dissertation Topics for the Best Grades!

Now we can move on to the list of the best Biology Education dissertation topics for you! But before you select a topic and start drafting on it. We want to give you some tips that could help you choose the best dissertation for yourself.

List down all the best Biology Education dissertation topics you find below and then make drafts for each. Then observe by yourself about which of the drafts seems like a top-scoring dissertation to you. You can also make changes to the topics according to your guidelines and instructions provided to you by your supervisor, department head, and/or professor(s).

Aims and Objectives

The major aim of this study is to investigate the effects of two teaching methods used in secondary school to evaluate the performance of the student in biology education at UK based schools. The study will examine whether the teachers have sufficient skills in using two method teaching (Jeronen, et al., 2017). If there is any other important difference in student’s performance by using the two teaching methods in biology, to identify the facilities which are available for specific two teaching methods.

The objectives of this research are listed below:

To evaluate that two teaching methods used I biology at UK secondary school are used to achieve the sustainable development goal in teaching.
To identify the features which are useful in two teaching methods in biology education at secondary schools.
To identify any difference amongst students performance by using two teaching methods in biology.

This study aimed to assess the impact of academic performance of students reported with mild intellectual disability in biology class by taking the reference from a case study based in schools of the United Kingdom. Furthermore, this study focused on identifying previous studies which examined the effects of educational performance of students present with a mild intellectual disability or compare it with students present without any intellectual disability (Barton-Hulsey, et al., 2017). This study will help in addressing the issues due to which student with a mild disability faces difficulty in coping up with other students while considering the case study held in the United Kingdom.

The aim of this study are listed below:

To evaluate the academic performance of pupil reported with mild intellectual disability in the UK.
To identify the factor that may hinder the pupil presented with mild intellectual disability to excel their educational performance in biology class.

To compare the academic performance of students with disability with pupil reported without any intellectual disability.

The main purpose of this study is to identify the impact of field experiences on knowledge process and learning achievement on biology students (Tsybulsky, 2019). This study aimed to identify the impact of students’ field trip on the learning skills and ability to absorb the subject in details and for a longer time. This will also help the teacher to plan their lesson in a way which can easily deliver to students as visual activities enable them to retain the subject in a good manner way.

To identify the impact of the field trip for secondary students in biology subject.
To evaluate the factors associated with the field trip in enhancing the learning process of secondary students.
To identify the learning experiences of biology students provided by an education field trip.
To examine the impact of a biology field trip on the academic performance of secondary students.

This study aimed to analyse the relationship between student learning time and their academic performance in education of biology for the students in the United Kingdom (Rodríguez-Hernández, et al., 2020). This is an imperative study to figure out how the college-going students manage their learning time in achieving success in their educational goals of biology in the UK.

The study discovered the following objectives:

To evaluate the difference in academic performance of college students giving maximum learning time to their biology lesson.
To identify the relationship between learning time and academic performance in the UK specifically in biology subject.

This research aimed to identify the challenges identified in biology education for teachers of a university in the UK. The recent issues usually identified from previous literature and in this research, the author identify a possible solution to eliminate such problem and enhance the educational process for biology which ultimately increase the performance of students (Tidemand & Nielsen, 2017). This research is helpful for teachers as it evaluates the recent issues so the teacher can plan their biology lesson by considering such issues and identify possible solutions for that.

The objectives of this study are listed below:

To identify the factors that cause a problem for university teachers to plan the biology lesson.
To identify the possible solution to eliminate the problem that hinders the educational process of biology in university.
To explore the contribution of university teachers in the United Kingdom in teaching biology to their students and to evaluate the academic performance of their students.

This study aims to review the recent literature for assessing the impacts of using the infrastructure materials in the UK University to evaluate the performance of biology in schools (Erbas & Demirer, 2019). The study also focused on how the school infrastructure affects the children learning outcomes and to find major parameters that may use to implement the process for the future educational infrastructure of learning biology. At the same time, this study also aims to evaluate the areas which focused on less strong areas which have the potential for future learning advancement.

To evaluate the impact of using infrastructure materials in university students for enhancing the performance in biology.
To identify factors that enhance the skills of students to learn biology and retain the lesson by utilizing the infrastructure activities.
To explore the infrastructure activities which is helpful for teachers for preparing the lesson plan for promoting the learning of biology.
To explore the use of infrastructure activities designs in schools to evolve the sustainably over a longer time.

This study aimed to find the teaching problem faced by teachers of United Kingdom university teaching biology. The purpose of this study is to conquer the challenges faced by teachers and to resolve it for enhancing the learning outcomes of biology students. The teachers play an important role in exploring the aids required to promote education in a university. This study also aimed to identify the quality and worth of teachers for delivering the lesson plan to students and enhanced their academic performances (Sumirattana, et al., 2017). Teachers consider being the builders of nations that why it is most significant to identify the issues faced by teachers in delivering their lesson of biology to the university students.

The research objectives are enumerated below:

To identify the teaching issues in university for explaining the biology subject in the United Kingdom
To seek the possible solutions for teachers of UK university to resolve the issues for a delivery biology lesson.

To contribute to the factors that help in identifying the cause of hinders for teachers in teaching biology subject.

The study aims to explore the factors that will impact on academic performance of senior students in secondary schools in the USA. The main purpose of this study is to determine the effect of practical activities included in teaching on learning skills and advancement of senior students. This particular study helps the system of including physical activities in teaching plan so that it will motivate teachers to build their lesson plans of biology more creatively and to generate a more powerful impact on students learning achievement (Bal-Taştan, et al., 2018). The practical activities enhance the knowledge and help the students to retain it for a longer time.

To identify the impact of using practical aids in explaining biology lesson to senior students of secondary school in the United States of America
To compare the academic performance of secondary student after using physical activities for teaching biology.
To explore the innovative physical activities that will be used by teachers to plan their biology lesson for secondary students.
To evaluate the time for which the biology lesson will be retained with students after using physical activities in the secondary school of the United States of America

This research has been based on the case study, the aim of which is to identify the factors that will develop their impact on implementing the universal basic biology education system in the United Kingdom. The study intended to assess the extent to which the Universal basic education system has been adopted by the educational system in the United Kingdom (Nozoe & Isozaki, 2020). This study elaborates the finding obtain from the case in to which the impact of using universal basic biology education has been implemented in the schools of the UK.

To examine the factors which generally will obtain after the implementation of Universal Basic Biology education system in the UK.
To identify the relationship between utilizing universal basic biology education system in secondary school and promoting the lesson plan of biology.
To evaluate the role of universal basic biology system in the teaching process at the schools of the United Kingdom.

This study aims to identify the effects of social problems on the educational performance of secondary students specifically in biology lesson in schools of the UK. This study also explores the opinions of teachers about the influence of social behaviours and academic performance. The main purpose is to examine the effects of social behaviours on the academic performance and to compare the academic results of the students of secondary schools, reports with issues of social behaviours (Pascoe, et al., 2020). Thus, the study enables us to find the importance of social behaviours on the overall academic performance of senior students in secondary schools and the education system of the UK.

To evaluate the relationship between social issues and academic performance on the senior secondary students in the UK.
To evaluate the ways by which social behavioural issues of student influence academic performance in secondary schools.

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200+ Unique And Interesting Biology Research Topics For Students In 2023

Are you curious about the fascinating world of biology and its many research possibilities? Well, you are in the right place! In this blog, we will explore biology research topics, exploring what biology is, what constitutes a good research topic, and how to go about selecting the perfect one for your academic journey.

So, what exactly is biology? Biology is the study of living organisms and their interactions with the environment. It includes everything from the tiniest cells to the largest ecosystems, making it a diverse and exciting field of study.

Stay tuned to learn more about biology research topics as we present over 200 intriguing research ideas for students, emphasizing the importance of selecting the right one. In addition, we will also share resources to make your quest for the perfect topic a breeze. Let’s embark on this scientific journey together!

If you are having trouble with any kind of assignment or task, do not worry—we can give you the best microbiology assignment help at a value price. Additionally, you may look at nursing project ideas .

What Is Biology?

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Biology is the study of living things, like animals, plants, and even tiny organisms too small to see. It helps us understand how these living things work and how they interact with each other and their environment. Biologists, or scientists who study biology, explore topics like how animals breathe, how plants grow, and how our bodies function. By learning about biology, we can better care for the Earth and all its living creatures.

What Is A Good Biology Research Topic?

A good biology research topic is a question or problem in the field of biology that scientists want to investigate and learn more about. It should be interesting and important, like studying how a new medicine can treat a disease or how animals adapt to changing environments. The topic should also be specific and clear, so researchers can focus on finding answers. Additionally, it’s helpful if the topic hasn’t been studied extensively before, so the research can contribute new knowledge to the field of biology and help us better understand the natural world.

Tips For Choosing A Biology Research Topics

Here are some tips for choosing a biology research topics:

1. Choose What Interests You

When picking a biology research topic, go for something that you personally find fascinating and enjoyable. When you’re genuinely curious about it, you’ll be more motivated to study and learn.

2. Select a Significant Topic

Look for a subject in biology that has real-world importance. Think about whether your research can address practical issues, like finding cures for diseases or understanding environmental problems. Research that can make a positive impact is usually a good choice.

3. Check If It’s Doable

Consider if you have the necessary tools and time to carry out your research. It’s essential to pick a topic that you can actually study with the resources available to you.

4. Add Your Unique Perspective

Try to find a fresh or different angle for your research. While you can build upon existing knowledge, bringing something new or unique to the table can make your research more exciting and valuable.

5. Seek Guidance

Don’t hesitate to ask for advice from your teachers or experienced researchers. They can provide you with valuable insights and help you make a smart decision when choosing your research topic in biology.

Biology Research Topics For College Students

1. Investigating the role of genetic mutations in cancer development.

2. Analyzing the impact of climate changes on wildlife populations.

3. Studying the ecology of invasive species in urban environments.

4. Investigating the microbiome of the human gut and its relationship to health.

5. Analyzing the genetic diversity of endangered species for conservation.

6. Studying the evolution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

7. Investigating the ecological consequences of deforestation.

8. Analyzing the behavior and communication of social insects like ants and bees.

9. Studying the physiology of extreme environments, such as deep-sea hydrothermal vents.

10. Investigating the molecular mechanisms of cell division and mitosis.

Plant Biology Research Topics For College Students

11. Studying the impact of different fertilizers on crop yields and soil health.

12. Analyzing the genetics of plant resistance to pests and diseases.

13. Investigating the role of plant hormones in growth and development.

14. Studying the adaptation of plants to drought conditions.

15. Analyzing the ecological interactions between plants and pollinators.

16. Investigating the use of biotechnology to enhance crop traits.

17. Studying the genetics of plant breeding for improved varieties.

18. Analyzing the physiology of photosynthesis and carbon fixation in plants.

19. Investigating the effects of soil microbiota on plant health.

20. Studying the evolution of plant species in response to changing environments.

Biotechnology Research Topics For College Students

21. Investigating the use of CRISPR-Cas9 technology for genome editing.

22. Analyzing the production of biofuels from microorganisms.

23. Studying the application of biotechnology in medicine, such as gene therapy.

24. Investigating the use of bioplastics as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics.

25. Analyzing the role of biotechnology in food production, including GMOs.

26. Studying the development of biopharmaceuticals and monoclonal antibodies.

27. Investigating the use of bioremediation to clean up polluted environments.

28. Studying the potential of synthetic biology for creating novel organisms.

29. Analyzing the ethical and social implications of biotechnological advancements.

30. Investigating the use of biotechnology in forensic science, such as DNA analysis.

Molecular Biology Research Topics For Undergraduates

31. Studying the structure and function of DNA and RNA molecules.

32. Analyzing the regulation of gene expression in eukaryotic cells.

33. Investigating the mechanisms of DNA replication and repair.

34. Studying the role of non-coding RNAs in gene regulation.

35. Analyzing the molecular basis of genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis.

36. Investigating the epigenetic modifications that control gene activity.

37. Studying the molecular mechanisms of protein folding and misfolding.

38. Analyzing the molecular pathways involved in cancer progression.

39. Investigating the molecular basis of neurodegenerative diseases.

40. Studying the use of molecular markers in genetic diversity analysis.

Life Science Research Topics For High School Students

41. Investigating the effects of different diets on human health.

42. Analyzing the impact of exercise on cardiovascular fitness.

43. Studying the genetics of inherited traits and diseases.

44. Investigating the ecological interactions in a local ecosystem.

45. Analyzing the diversity of microorganisms in soil or water samples.

46. Studying the anatomy and physiology of a specific organ or system.

47. Investigating the life cycle of a local plant or animal species.

48. Studying the effects of environmental pollutants on aquatic organisms.

49. Analyzing the behavior of a specific animal species in its habitat.

50. Investigating the process of photosynthesis in plants.

Biology Research Topics For Grade 12

51. Investigating the genetic basis of a specific inherited disorder.

52. Analyzing the impact of climate change on a local ecosystem.

53.Studying the biodiversity of a particular rainforest region.

54. Investigating the physiological adaptations of animals to extreme temperatures.

55. Analyzing the effects of pollution on aquatic ecosystems.

56. Studying the life history and conservation status of an endangered species.

57. Investigating the molecular mechanisms of a specific disease.

58. Studying the ecological interactions within a coral reef ecosystem.

59. Analyzing the genetics of plant hybridization and speciation.

60. Investigating the behavior and communication of a particular bird species.

Marine Biology Research Topics

61. Studying the impact of ocean acidification on coral reefs.

62. Analyzing the migration patterns of marine mammals.

63. Investigating the physiology of deep-sea creatures under high pressure.

64. Studying the ecology of phytoplankton and their role in the marine food web.

65. Analyzing the behavior of different species of sharks.

66. Investigating the conservation of sea turtle populations.

67. Studying the biodiversity of deep-sea hydrothermal vent communities.

68. Analyzing the effects of overfishing on marine ecosystems.

69. Investigating the adaptation of marine organisms to extreme cold in polar regions.

70. Studying the bioluminescence and communication in marine organisms.

AP Biology Research Topics

71. Investigating the role of specific enzymes in cellular metabolism.

72. Analyzing the genetic variation within a population.

73. Studying the mechanisms of hormonal regulation in animals.

74. Investigating the principles of Mendelian genetics through trait analysis.

75. Analyzing the ecological succession in a local ecosystem.

76. Studying the physiology of the human circulatory system.

77. Investigating the molecular biology of a specific virus.

78. Studying the principles of natural selection through evolutionary simulations.

79. Analyzing the genetic diversity of a plant species in different habitats.

80. Investigating the effects of different environmental factors on plant growth.

Cell Biology Research Topics

81. Investigating the role of mitochondria in cellular energy production.

82. Analyzing the mechanisms of cell division and mitosis.

83. Studying the function of cell membrane proteins in signal transduction.

84. Investigating the cellular processes involved in apoptosis (cell death).

85. Analyzing the role of endoplasmic reticulum in protein synthesis and folding.

86. Studying the dynamics of the cytoskeleton and cell motility.

87. Investigating the regulation of cell cycle checkpoints.

88. Analyzing the structure and function of cellular organelles.

89. Studying the molecular mechanisms of DNA replication and repair.

90. Investigating the impact of cellular stress on cell health and function.

Human Biology Research Topics

91. Analyzing the genetic basis of inherited diseases in humans.

92. Investigating the physiological responses to exercise and physical activity.

93. Studying the hormonal regulation of the human reproductive system.

94. Analyzing the impact of nutrition on human health and metabolism.

95. Investigating the role of the immune system in disease prevention.

96. Studying the genetics of human evolution and migration.

97. Analyzing the neural mechanisms underlying human cognition and behavior.

98. Investigating the molecular basis of aging and age-related diseases.

99. Studying the impact of environmental toxins on human health.

100. Analyzing the genetics of organ transplantation and tissue compatibility.

Molecular Biology Research Topics

101. Investigating the role of microRNAs in gene regulation.

102. Analyzing the molecular basis of genetic disorders like cystic fibrosis.

103. Studying the epigenetic modifications that control gene expression.

104. Investigating the molecular mechanisms of RNA splicing.

105. Analyzing the role of telomeres in cellular aging.

106. Studying the molecular pathways involved in cancer metastasis.

107. Investigating the molecular basis of neurodegenerative diseases.

108. Studying the molecular interactions in protein-protein networks.

109. Analyzing the molecular mechanisms of DNA damage and repair.

110. Investigating the use of CRISPR-Cas9 for genome editing.

Animal Biology Research Topics

111. Studying the behavior and communication of social insects like ants.

112. Analyzing the physiology of hibernation in mammals.

113. Investigating the ecological interactions in a predator-prey relationship.

114. Studying the adaptations of animals to extreme environments.

115. Analyzing the genetics of inherited traits in animal populations.

116. Investigating the impact of climate change on animal migration patterns.

117. Studying the diversity of marine life in coral reef ecosystems.

118. Analyzing the physiology of flight in birds and bats.

119. Investigating the molecular basis of animal coloration and camouflage.

120. Studying the behavior and conservation of endangered species.

Neuroscience Research Topics
Mental Health Research Topics

Plant Biology Research Topics

121. Investigating the role of plant hormones in growth and development.

122. Analyzing the genetics of plant resistance to pests and diseases.

123. Climate change and plant phenology are being examined.

124. Investigating the ecology of mycorrhizal fungi and their symbiosis with plants.

125. Investigating plant photosynthesis and carbon fixing.

126. Molecular analysis of plant stress responses.

127. Investigating the adaptation of plants to drought conditions.

128. Studying the role of plants in phytoremediation of polluted environments.

129. Analyzing the genetics of plant hybridization and speciation.

130. Investigating the molecular basis of plant-microbe interactions.

Environmental Biology Research Topics

131. Analyzing the effects of pollution on aquatic ecosystems.

132. Investigating the biodiversity of a particular ecosystem.

133. Studying the ecological consequences of deforestation.

134. Analyzing the impact of climate change on wildlife populations.

135. Investigating the use of bioremediation to clean up polluted sites.

136. Studying the environmental factors influencing species distribution.

137. Analyzing the effects of habitat fragmentation on wildlife.

138. Investigating the ecology of invasive species in new environments.

139. Studying the conservation of endangered species and habitats.

140. Analyzing the interactions between humans and urban ecosystems.

Chemical Biology Research Topics

141. Investigating the design and synthesis of new drug compounds.

142. Analyzing the molecular mechanisms of enzyme catalysis.

143.Studying the role of small molecules in cellular signaling pathways.

144. Investigating the development of chemical probes for biological research.

145. Studying the chemistry of protein-ligand interactions.

146. Analyzing the use of chemical biology in cancer therapy.

147. Investigating the synthesis of bioactive natural products.

148. Studying the role of chemical compounds in microbial interactions.

149. Analyzing the chemistry of DNA-protein interactions.

150. Investigating the chemical basis of drug resistance in pathogens.

Medical Biology Research Topics

151. Investigating the genetic basis of specific diseases like diabetes.

152. Analyzing the mechanisms of drug resistance in bacteria.

153. Studying the molecular mechanisms of autoimmune diseases.

154. Investigating the development of personalized medicine approaches.

155. Studying the role of inflammation in chronic diseases.

156. Analyzing the genetics of rare diseases and genetic syndromes.

157. Investigating the molecular basis of viral infections and vaccines.

158. Studying the mechanisms of organ transplantation and rejection.

159. Analyzing the molecular diagnostics of cancer.

160. Investigating the biology of stem cells and regenerative medicine.

Evolutionary Biology Research Topics

161. Studying the evolution of human ancestors and early hominids.

162. The genetic variety of species and between species is being looked at.

163. Investigating the role of sexual selection in animal evolution.

164. Studying the co-evolutionary relationships between parasites and hosts.

165. Analyzing the evolutionary adaptations of extremophiles.

166. Investigating the evolution of developmental processes (evo-devo).

167. Studying the biogeography and distribution of species.

168. Analyzing the evolution of mimicry in animals and plants.

169. Investigating the genetics of speciation and hybridization.

170. Studying the evolutionary history of domesticated plants and animals.

Cellular Biology Research Topics

171. Investigating the role of autophagy in cellular homeostasis.

172. Analyzing the mechanisms of cellular transport and trafficking.

173. Studying the regulation of cell adhesion & migration.

174. Investigating the cellular responses to DNA damage.

175. Analyzing the dynamics of cellular membrane structures.

176. Studying the role of cellular organelles in lipid metabolism.

177. Investigating the molecular mechanisms of cell-cell communication.

178. Studying the physiology of cellular respiration and energy production.

179. Analyzing the cellular mechanisms of viral entry and replication.

180. Investigating the role of cellular senescence in aging and disease.

Good Biology Research Topics Related To Brain Injuries

181. Analyzing the molecular mechanisms of traumatic brain injury.

182. Investigating the role of neuroinflammation in brain injury recovery.

183. Studying the impact of concussions on long-term brain health.

184. Analyzing the use of neuroimaging in diagnosing brain injuries.

185. Investigating the development of neuroprotective therapies.

186. Studying the genetics of susceptibility to brain injuries.

187. Analyzing the cognitive and behavioral effects of brain trauma.

188. Investigating the role of rehabilitation in brain injury recovery.

189. Studying the cellular and molecular changes in axonal injury.

190. Looking into how stem cell therapy might be used to help brain injuries.

Biology Quantitative Research Topics

191. Investigating the mathematical modeling of population dynamics.

192. Analyzing the statistical methods for biodiversity assessment.

193. Studying the use of bioinformatics in genomics research.

194. Investigating the quantitative analysis of gene expression data.

195. Studying the mathematical modeling of enzyme kinetics.

196. Analyzing the statistical approaches for epidemiological studies.

197. Investigating the use of computational tools in phylogenetics.

198. Studying the mathematical modeling of ecological systems.

199. Analyzing the quantitative analysis of protein-protein interactions.

200. Investigating the statistical methods for analyzing genetic variation.

Importance Of Choosing The Right Biology Research Topics

Here are some importance of choosing the right biology research topics:

1. Relevance to Your Interests and Goals

Choosing the right biology research topic is important because it should align with your interests and goals. Studying something you’re passionate about keeps you motivated and dedicated to your research.

2. Contribution to Scientific Knowledge

Your research should contribute something valuable to the world of science. Picking the right topic means you have the chance to discover something new or solve a problem, advancing our understanding of the natural world.

3. Availability of Resources

Consider the resources you have or can access. If you pick a topic that demands resources you don’t have, your research may hit a dead end. Choosing wisely means you can work efficiently.

4. Feasibility and Manageability

A good research topic should be manageable within your time frame and capabilities. If it’s too broad or complex, you might get overwhelmed. Picking the right topic ensures your research is doable.

5. Real-World Impact

Think about how your research might benefit the real world. Biology often has implications for health, the environment, or society. Choosing a topic with practical applications can make your work meaningful and potentially change lives.

Resources For Finding Biology Research Topics

There are numerous resources for finding biology research topics:

1. Online Databases

Look on websites like PubMed and Google Scholar. They have lots of biology articles. Type words about what you like to find topics.

2. Academic Journals

Check biology magazines. They talk about new research. You can find ideas and see what’s important.

3. University Websites

Colleges show what their teachers study. Find teachers who like what you like. Ask them about ideas for your own study.

4. Science News and Magazines

Read science news. They tell you about new things in biology. It helps you think of research ideas.

5. Join Biology Forums and Communities

Talk to other people who like biology online. You can ask for ideas and find friends to help you. Use websites like ResearchGate and Reddit for this.

Conclusion

Biology Research Topics offer exciting opportunities for exploration and learning. We’ve explained what biology is and stressed the importance of picking a good research topic. Our tips and extensive list of over 200 biology research topics provide valuable guidance for students.

Selecting the right topic is more than just getting good grades; it’s about making meaningful contributions to our understanding of life. We’ve also shared resources to help you discover even more topics. So, embrace the world of biology research, embark on a journey of discovery, and be part of the ongoing effort to unravel the mysteries of the natural world.

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100 Best Biology Topics For Academic Writing

The importance of choosing interesting biology research topics comes down to the impact your assignments will make on your audience. In most cases, you will be writing with only one reader in mind – the instructor. And as this person likely sees hundreds of biology topics each school year you need to make sure you stand out as much as possible. Here are 100 biology topics for research that are sure to get your work noticed and improve your chances of earning a top grade. You can also check out our bioethics topics .

Biology Topics for High School

If you need some biology dissertation help and are looking for easy biology research topics for high school assignments, these ideas will meet most requirements without causing too much stress:

Can Ebola be used as a biological weapon?
How do biological genes affect depression?
Are genetically modified foods safe for humans?
Is human cloning a moral issue?
How does cloning affect health medicine?

Hot Topics in Biology

This is a list of the current “hot” topics in the field and will certainly capture your audience’s attention:

Why are abortion issues so controversial in the U.S.?
How has gene molecular biology shifted in the last decade?
Can enhanced antibodies help curb COVID-19 cases?
Is immortality a realistic goal for humans?
Why is abortion a bigger issue in the U.S. than in Europe?

Very Interesting Biology Topics

These current topics in developmental biology cover the most interesting ideas in this growing area of science:

Can people rely on their dreams when making recollections?
Does the Covid-19 pandemic affect medical funding?
What is the difference between cellular function and structure?
What is the difference between natural and planned selection?
In what ways did evolution theory chance biology science?

Biology Research Paper Topics

Biology research is an area of study that is constantly changing. New studies come up every year and it’s important to stay up-to-date with the following issues:

What are animals that don’t die of natural causes?
What is the origin of human cloning?
What are the basic principles of cloning in humans?
Is it possible for domestic wild animals?
Does human genetics cause obesity?

Current AP Biology Topics

AP tests have focused a lot on evolutionary biology research paper topics and this set of questions will help you prepare for the advanced placement test:

Medicinal marijuana as a means to aid pain?
How does rapid plan DNA change affect humans?
What is cell tissue engineering?
What are the most promising regenerative medicine treatments?
What is meant by therapeutic cloning?

Molecular Biology Topics

Need topics on molecular biology issues? These five topics represent the latest research on this subject:

Are humans naturally frugivores or omnivores?
What are the ethical issues surrounding cloning?
What are the biological reasons behind food intolerances?
How can hypertrophy be enhanced in the body?
What impact on the cellular level do sunburns have?

Biology IA Topics for 2010

The following good research topics for biology are excellent for students that do not have the time to conduct in-depth research:

Does following a paleo diet help athletes perform?
Does drinking more water prevent serious sunburns?
What are the three evolutionary branches?
How does sleep and wake cycles affect learning?
In what ways is the brain affected by music?

Biology Topics for Presentation

How is metabolism affected by physical exercise?
Describe the study of behavior in birds.
Are bees in veritable danger of becoming extinct?
What impact does deforestation have on the biosphere?
Is it possible for the brain to heal itself?

Biology Debate Topics

These topics in biology are perfect for anyone who wants to leave a lasting impression on the reader:

Do sports help improve humans’ biological makeup?
How is the translation of reprobation affected by cell biology?
Does the human body function when he or she is in a coma?
Define the levels of molecular biology.
How does cell manipulation affect the growth hormone?

Research Topics in Biology for Undergraduates

This group of interesting biology topics for presentation deals with what we use to understand how humans act and react:

Is the DNA from amber a way to clone prehistoric animals?
What is the resistance capacity of the immune system?
How does a malfunction to the immune system increase risk?
How do allergic reactions cause asthma in some people?
What are the benefits of vaccination?

Biology Project Topics

These topic ideas can also make a great impression on your teacher, even though they are not controversial.

How does stress affect the human immune system?
How does cell structure affect resistance to antibodies?
How do human hormones affect depression levels?
What are the limitations of transplantation?
What are the biological insights on abortion?

Marine Biology Topics

These marine biology research topics are ideal for college-level students and up:

What are the biggest sea challenges to marine life?
How does economic stability affect sea life?
What sustainable acts can be attributed to marine science?
Ancient sea life presents a look toward modern life.
What impact does the study of marine development have in the field?

Biology Topics to Write About

These ideas cover a wide range of study areas perfect for a graduate course where students can introduce biology issues:

How is feminist ideology related to abortion and biology?
What are the different types of cloning in existence today?
Describe the history of cloning in the United States?
What do we know about organisms with modified DNA?
How effective is DNA-based cloning in the medical field?

Cell Biology Research Topics

These excellent human biology topics are ideal of long research projects in college or graduate school:

Are microbial factories the answers to a shortage of raw metals?
How does the U.S. affect international abortion opinions?
Describe the advancements of extra-cellular matrix biology study?
How does the study of cell biology aid in fighting Alzheimer’s?
What are the negative effects of using antibiotics?

Biology Paper Topics

These ideas focus on the changing ways that media has changed the way we handle global affairs in biology:

How does the study of antibodies help with the Covid-19 crisis?
In what ways does physical trauma affect cells in the body?
Can we use cell regeneration to build antibodies?
What is bio-diesel and how is it created?
What are the implications of coral reef biology?

Biology Research Topics for College Students

Looking for exciting cell biology topics? This collection is great for college students getting into this field of study:

What changes to medicine are possible with cloning?
Can restructuring DNA help fight the effects of aging?
How does a proper diet for pets affect their health?
How does miscarriage affect women’s health?
What are the best cancer treatments today?

Biology Topics List

This list of topics in biology caters to the college undergraduate community of students:

What are the ethical questions related to human cloning?
What are the implications of the second wave of Covid-19?
What is the best way to fight global pandemics?
What are the most effective ways of slowing the aging process?
How does regular exercise postpone aging in adults?

Controversial Biology Topics

Controversy can turn heads and these cool biology topics will attract your readers’ attention:

What are the biggest threats related to salmonella?
What is the study of laparotomy?
What impact does BMI have on injuries?
What is the link between environmental pollution and cancer rates?
How does cellular health affect mental health?

Biology Essay Topics

These five biology research topics are for graduate-level students, catering specifically to those in top programs around the country:

What evidence is there of a pandemic that can wipe out half of the world’s population?
What is the most effective way of fighting an endemic?
Is it possible to increase brainpower?
How can humans fight disease with altered DNA?
What impact does clean water have in preventing disease?

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Molecular and Cellular Biology Masters Theses Collection

Theses from 2024 2024.

The Impact of a Non-ionic Adjuvant to the Persistence of Pesticides on Produce Surfaces , Daniel Barnes, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Investigating the Role of Got2 in Murine Organogenesis and Placenta Development , Olivia Macrorie, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Chromatin Accessibility Impacts Knockout of Mt-Bell4 Transcription Factor , Thomas Redden, Molecular & Cellular Biology

UNDERSTANDING THE FUNCTIONAL IMPACT OF DISEASE-ASSOCIATED PHOSPHORYLATION SITES ON THE NEURODEGENERATIVE PROTEIN TAU , Navya T. Sebastian, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2023 2023

Elucidating the Priming Mechanism of ClpXP Protease by Single-Domain Response Regulator CpdR in Caulobacter crescentus , Kimberly E. Barker, Molecular & Cellular Biology

The Discovery of a Novel Bacteria from a Large Co-assembly of Metagenomes , Matthew Finkelberg, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Investigating Diterpene Biosynthesis in Medicago Truncatula , Sungwoo Hwang, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Combining Simulation and the MspA Nanopore to Study p53 Dynamics and Interactions , Samantha A. Schultz, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Caulobacter ClpXP Adaptor PopA’s Domain Interactions in the Adaptor Hierarchy of CtrA Degradation , Thomas P. Scudder, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Climate Change, Giant Viruses and Their Putative Hosts , Sarah K. Tucker, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2022 2022

Changes in Gene Expression From Long-Term Warming Revealed Using Metatranscriptome Mapping to FAC-Sorted Bacteria , Christopher A. Colvin, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Determining CaMKII Variant Activities and Their Roles in Human Disease , Matthew J. Dunn, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Developmental Exposures to PFAS Mixtures Impair Elongation of the Exocrine Pancreas in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) , Emily M. Formato, Molecular & Cellular Biology

A Metatranscriptomic Analysis of the Long-Term Effects of Warming on the Harvard Forest Soil Microbiome , Brooke A. Linnehan, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Characterization of the Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Family in the Fusarium oxysporum Species Complex , Daniel Norment, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2021 2021

Exploring Knockdown Phenotypes and Interactions between ATAD3 Proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana , Eli S. Gordon, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Development of a Site-Specific Labeling Assay to Study the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Type III Secretion Translocon in Native Membranes , Kyle A. Mahan, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Liposomal Nanoparticles Target TLR7/8-SHP2 to Repolarize Macrophages to Aid in Cancer Immunotherapy , Vaishali Malik, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Hsp70 Phosphorylation: A Case Study of Serine Residues 385 and 400 , Sashrika Saini, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Activation of Nrf2 at Critical Windows of Development Alters Protein S-Glutathionylation in the Zebrafish Embryo (Danio rerio) , Emily G. Severance, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Utilizing Fluorescence Microscopy to Characterize the Subcellular Distribution of the Novel Protein Acheron , Varun Sheel, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2020 2020

The Association Between Sperm DNA Methylation and Sperm Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number , Emily Houle, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Gene Expression Regulation in the Mouse Liver by Mechanistic Target Of Rapamycin Complexes I and II , Anthony Poluyanoff, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Sperm Mitochondrial DNA Biomarkers as a Measure of Male Fecundity and Overall Sperm Quality , Allyson Rosati, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Exploration of the Association between Muscle Volume and Bone Geometry Reveals Surprising Relationship at the Genetic Level , Prakrit Subba, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2019 2019

Studies on the Interaction and Organization of Bacterial Proteins on Membranes , Mariana Brena, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Investigating The Role Of LBH During Early Embryonic Development In Xenopus Laevis , Emma Weir, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2018 2018

Exploring the Influence of PKC-theta Phosphorylation on Notch1 Activation and T Helper Cell Differentiation , Grace Trombley, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2017 2017

Partial Craniofacial Cartilage Rescue in ace/fgf8 Mutants from Compensatory Signaling From the Ventricle of Danio Rerio , Douglas A. Calenda II, Molecular & Cellular Biology

THE FAR C-TERMINUS OF TPX2 CONTRIBUTES TO SPINDLE MORPHOGENESIS , Brett Estes, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Characterization of Calcium Homeostasis Parameters in TRPV3 and CaV3.2 Double Null Mice , Aujan Mehregan, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Microtransplantation of Rat Brain Neurolemma into Xenopus Laevis Oocytes to Study the Effect of Environmental Toxicants on Endogenous Voltage-Sensitive Ion Channels , Edwin Murenzi, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Regulation of Katanin Activity on Microtubules , Madison A. Tyler, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2016 2016

The Role of MicroRNAs in Regulating the Translatability and Stability of Target Messenger RNAs During the Atrophy and Programmed Cell Death of the Intersegmental Muscles of the Tobacco Hawkmoth Manduca sexta. , Elizabeth Chan, Molecular & Cellular Biology

An in Vivo Study of Cortical Dynein Dynamics and its Contribution to Microtubule Sliding in the Midzone , Heather M. Jordan, Molecular & Cellular Biology

A Genetic Analysis of Cichlid Scale Morphology , Kenta C. Kawasaki, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Modulation of Notch in an Animal Model of Multiple Sclerosis , Manit Nikhil Munshi, Molecular & Cellular Biology

One-Carbon Metabolism Related B-Vitamins Alter The Expression Of MicroRNAS And Target Genes Within The Wnt Signaling Pathway In Mouse Colonic Epithelium , Riccardo Racicot, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Characterizing the Inhibition of Katanin Using Tubulin Carboxy-Terminal Tail Constructs , Corey E. Reed, Molecular & Cellular Biology

The Identification of Notch1 Functional Domains Responsible for its Physical Interaction with PKCθ , Wesley D. Rossiter, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Dynamics of Microtubule Networks with Antiparallel Crosslinkers , Kasimira T. Stanhope, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Modifications of Myofilament Structure and Function During Global Myocardial Ischemia , Mike K. Woodward, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2015 2015

Regulation of Jak1 and Jak2 Synthesis through Non-Classical Progestin Receptors , Hillary Adams, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Antineoplastic Effects of Rhodiola Crenulata on B16-F10 Melanoma , Maxine Dudek, Molecular & Cellular Biology

RNAi Validation of Resistance Genes and Their Interactions in the Highly DDT-Resistant 91-R Strain of Drosophila Melanogaster , Kyle Gellatly, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Characterization of Protein-Protein Interactions for Therapeutic Drug Design Utilizing Mass Spectrometry , Alex J. Johnson, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Promoting Extracellular Matrix Crosslinking in Synthetic Hydrogels , Marcos M. Manganare, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Characterization of the Reconstituted and Native Pseudomonas aeruginosa Type III Secretion System Translocon , Kathryn R. Monopoli, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Thermocycle-regulated WALL REGULATOR INTERACTING bHLH Encodes a Protein That Interacts with Secondary-Cell-Wall-Associated Transcription Factors , Ian P. Whitney, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2014 2014

Engineering Camelina sativa for Biofuel Production via increasing oil yield and tolerance to abiotic stresses , Kenny Ablordeppey, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Designing a Pore-Forming Toxin Cytolysin A (ClyA) Specific to Target Cancer Cells , Alzira Rocheteau Avelino, Molecular & Cellular Biology

The Role of the Novel Lupus Antigen, Acheron, in Moderating Life and Death Decisions , Ankur Sheel, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Expression and Purification of Human Lysosomal β-galactosidase from Pichia Pastoris , Sarah E. Tarullo, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Properties of Potential Substrates of a Cyanobacterial Small Heat Shock Protein , Yichen Zhang, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2013 2013

Characterizing the Heavy Metal Chelator, Tpen, as a Ca2+ Tool in the Mammalian Oocyte , Robert A. Agreda Mccaughin, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Sustainable Biofuels Production Through Understanding Fundamental Bacterial Pathways Involved in Biomass Degradation and Sugar Utilization , James CM Hayes, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Stiffness and Modulus and Independent Controllers of Breast Cancer Metastasis , Dannielle Ryman, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2012 2012

The Pyrethroid Deltamethrin, Which Causes Choreoathetosis with Salivation (CS-Syndrome), Enhances Calcium Ion Influx via Phosphorylated CaV2.2 expresssed in Xenopus laevis oocytes , Anna-maria Alves, Molecular & Cellular Biology

A Test of the Hypothesis That Environmental Chemicals Interfere With Thyroid Hormone Action in Human Placenta , Katherine Geromini, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Analyzing the Role of Reactive Oxygen Species in Male-Female Interactions in Arabidopsis thaliana. , Eric A. Johnson, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Rhythmic Growth And Vascular Development In Brachypodium Distachyon , Dominick A. Matos, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Polymer Prodrug Conjugation to Tumor Homing Mesenchymal Stem Cells , Nick Panzarino, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Investigation of Differential Vector Competence of Bartonella quintana in Human Head and Body Lice , Domenic j. Previte, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Downregulation of Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenase or Caffeic Acid O-Methyltransferase Leads to Improved Biological Conversion Efficiency in Brachypodium distachyon , Gina M. Trabucco, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2011 2011

Evolutionary Relationship of the ampC Resistance Gene In E. cloacae , Shanika S. Collins, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Sex Difference in Calbindin Cell Number in the Mouse Preoptic Area: Effects of Neonatal Estradiol and Bax Gene Deletion , Richard F. Gilmore III, Molecular & Cellular Biology

In Vivo Investigations of Polymer Conjugates as Therapeutics , Elizabeth M. Henchey, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Examination of Sexually Dimorphic Cell Death in the Pubertal Mouse Brain , Amanda Holley, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Human Niemann-Pick Type C2 Disease Protein Expression, Purification and Crystallization , Yurie T. Kim, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Revealing the Localization of the Class I Formin Family in the Moss Physcomitrella patens Using Gene Targeting Strategies , Kelli Pattavina, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Connecting Motors and Membranes: A Quantitative Investigation of Dynein Pathway Components and in vitro Characterization of the Num1 Coiled Coil Domain , Bryan J. St. Germain, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2010 2010

The Protective Effects A Full-term Pregnancy Plays Against Mammary Carcinoma , Matthew p. Carter, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Analysis Of An Actin Binding Guanine Exchange Factor, Gef8, And Actin Depolymerizing Factor In Arabidopsis Thaliana. , Aleksey Chudnovskiy, Molecular & Cellular Biology

The Role of Ykl-40, a Secreted Heparin-Binding Glycoprotein, in Tumor Angiogenesis, Metastasis, and Progression: a Potential Therapeutic Target , Michael Faibish, Molecular & Cellular Biology

In Vivo Visualization of Hedgehog Signaling in Zebrafish , Christopher J. Ferreira, Molecular & Cellular Biology

An In Vivo Study of the Mammalian Mitotic Kinesin Eg5 , Alyssa D. Gable, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Identification of Dynein Binding Sites in Budding Yeast Pac1/LIS1 , Christopher W. Meaden, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Functional Characterization of Arabidopsis Formin Homologues Afh1, Afh5, Afh6, Afh7 and Afh8 , Shahriar Niroomand, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Regulation of Crbp1 In Mammary Epithelial Cells , Stacy L. Pease, Molecular & Cellular Biology

In Vivo Labeling Of A Model β-Clam Protein With A Fluorescent Amino Acid , Mangayarkarasi Periasamy, Molecular & Cellular Biology

In Vivo Characterization of Interactions Among Dynein Complex Components at Microtubule Plus Ends , Karen M. Plevock, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Anti-Diabetic Potentials of Phenolic Enriched Chilean Potato and Select Herbs of Apiaceae and Lamiaceae Families , Fahad Saleem, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Interconversion of the Specificities of Human Lysosomal Enzymes , Ivan B. Tomasic, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Deletions of Fstl3 and/or Fst Isoforms 303 and 315 Results in Hepatic Steatosis , Nathan A. Ungerleider, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2009 2009

A New Laser Pointer Driven Optical Microheater for Precise Local Heat Shock , Mike Placinta, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2008 2008

Cysteine Dioxygenase: The Importance of Key Residues and Insight into the Mechanism of the Metal Center , Jonathan H. Leung, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Invertebrate Phenology and Prey Selection of Three Sympatric Species of Salmonids; Implications for Individual Fish Growth , Jeffrey V. Ojala, Wildlife & Fisheries Conservation

Paralemmin Splice Variants and mRNA and Protein Expression in Breast Cancer , Casey M. Turk, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Stability of the frog motor nerve terminal: roles of perisynaptic Schwann cells and muscle fibers , Ling Xin, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Theses from 2007 2007

Antioxidant Response Mechanism in Apples during Post-Harvest Storage and Implications for Human Health Benefits , Ishan Adyanthaya, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Progress Towards A Model Flavoenzyme System , Kevin M. Bardon, Molecular & Cellular Biology

The effect of Rhodiola crenulata on a highly metastatic murine mammary carcinoma , Jessica L. Doerner, Molecular & Cellular Biology

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Undergraduate Thesis

The School of Biological Sciences offers a senior thesis option that is available for all students. As part of this experience, students will learn about the proper way to conduct research in a classroom setting, conduct an independent research project, and communicate their results. The thesis, a written description of your work, includes the normal parts of a research paper (introduction, methods, results, figures, discussion and literature references). If you are going on to graduate school, a Senior Thesis is strongly recommended. For students applying to professional schools or even applying for a job, completing a Senior Thesis shows hard work and dedication as it's not required for graduation, but an extra effort you put into your education.

Students would generally complete BSC 196 and 197 during their freshman year, and BSC 204 in their sophomore year prior to registering for BSC 290 or 299 (Research in Biological Sciences, at least 3 hours) in their sophomore or junior years. BSC 303 (Senior Thesis) is taken in the senior year.

Completion of the thesis option is indicated on your transcripts.

A checklist of requirements is available.

Need more information? Contact Dr. Andres Vidal-Gadea

Want to see what a Senior Thesis looks like? Copies available for viewing in the School of Biological Sciences Office in 210 Julian Hall.

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Digital Commons @ USF > College of Arts and Sciences > Molecular Biosciences > Theses and Dissertations

Molecular Biosciences Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Exploring strain variation and bacteriophage predation in the gut microbiome of Ciona robusta , Celine Grace F. Atkinson

Distinct Nrf2 Signaling Thresholds Mediate Lung Tumor Initiation and Progression , Janine M. DeBlasi

Thermodynamic frustration of TAD2 and PRR contribute to autoinhibition of p53 , Emily Gregory

Utilization of Detonation Nanodiamonds: Nanocarrier for Gene Therapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer , Allan E. Gutierrez

Role of HLA-DRB1 Fucosylation in Anti-Melanoma Immunity , Daniel K. Lester

Targeting BET Proteins Downregulates miR-33a To Promote Synergy with PIM Inhibitors in CMML , Christopher T. Letson

Regulated Intramembrane Proteolysis by M82 Peptidases: The Role of PrsS in the Staphylococcus aureus Stress Response , Baylie M. Schott

Histone Deacetylase 8 is a Novel Therapeutic Target for Mantle Cell Lymphoma and Preserves Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxic Function , January M. Watters

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Regulation of the Heat Shock Response via Lysine Acetyltransferase CBP-1 and in Neurodegenerative Disease in Caenorhabditis elegans , Lindsey N. Barrett

Determining the Role of Dendritic Cells During Response to Treatment with Paclitaxel/Anti-TIM-3 , Alycia Gardner

Cell-free DNA Methylation Signatures in Cancer Detection and Classification , Jinyong Huang

The Role Of Eicosanoid Metabolism in Mammalian Wound Healing and Inflammation , Kenneth D. Maus

A Holistic Investigation of Acidosis in Breast Cancer , Bryce Ordway

Characterizing the Impact of Postharvest Temperature Stress on Polyphenol Profiles of Red and White-Fruited Strawberry Cultivars , Alyssa N. Smith

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Multifaceted Approach to Understanding Acinetobacter baumannii Biofilm Formation and Drug Resistance , Jessie L. Allen

Cellular And Molecular Alterations Associated with Ovarian and Renal Cancer Pathophysiology , Ravneet Kaur Chhabra

Ecology and diversity of boletes of the southeastern United States , Arian Farid

CircREV1 Expression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer , Meagan P. Horton

Microbial Dark Matter: Culturing the Uncultured in Search of Novel Chemotaxonomy , Sarah J. Kennedy

The Multifaceted Role of CCAR-1 in the Alternative Splicing and Germline Regulation in Caenorhabditis elegans , Doreen Ikhuva Lugano

Unraveling the Role of Novel G5 Peptidase Family Proteins in Virulence and Cell Envelope Biogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus , Stephanie M. Marroquin

Cytoplasmic Polyadenylation Element Binding Protein 2 Alternative Splicing Regulates HIF1α During Chronic Hypoxia , Emily M. Mayo

Transcriptomic and Functional Investigation of Bacterial Biofilm Formation , Brooke R. Nemec

A Functional Characterization of the Omega (ω) subunit of RNA Polymerase in Staphylococcus aureus , Shrushti B. Patil

The Role Of Cpeb2 Alternative Splicing In TNBC Metastasis , Shaun C. Stevens

Screening Next-generation Fluorine-19 Probe and Preparation of Yeast-derived G Proteins for GPCR Conformation and Dynamics Study , Wenjie Zhao

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Understanding the Role of Cereblon in Hematopoiesis Through Structural and Functional Analyses , Afua Adutwumwa Akuffo

To Mid-cell and Beyond: Characterizing the Roles of GpsB and YpsA in Cell Division Regulation in Gram-positive Bacteria , Robert S. Brzozowski

Spatiotemporal Changes of Microbial Community Assemblages and Functions in the Subsurface , Madison C. Davis

New Mechanisms That Regulate DNA Double-Strand Break-Induced Gene Silencing and Genome Integrity , Dante Francis DeAscanis

Regulation of the Heat Shock Response and HSF-1 Nuclear Stress Bodies in C. elegans , Andrew Deonarine

New Mechanisms that Control FACT Histone Chaperone and Transcription-mediated Genome Stability , Angelo Vincenzo de Vivo Diaz

Targeting the ESKAPE Pathogens by Botanical and Microbial Approaches , Emily Dilandro

Succession in native groundwater microbial communities in response to effluent wastewater , Chelsea M. Dinon

Role of ceramide-1 phosphate in regulation of sphingolipid and eicosanoid metabolism in lung epithelial cells , Brittany A. Dudley

Allosteric Control of Proteins: New Methods and Mechanisms , Nalvi Duro

Microbial Community Structures in Three Bahamian Blue Holes , Meghan J. Gordon

A Novel Intramolecular Interaction in P53 , Fan He

The Impact of Myeloid-Mediated Co-Stimulation and Immunosuppression on the Anti-Tumor Efficacy of Adoptive T cell Therapy , Pasquale Patrick Innamarato

Investigating Mechanisms of Immune Suppression Secondary to an Inflammatory Microenvironment , Wendy Michelle Kandell

Posttranslational Modification and Protein Disorder Regulate Protein-Protein Interactions and DNA Binding Specificity of p53 , Robin Levy

Mechanistic and Translational Studies on Skeletal Malignancies , Jeremy McGuire

Novel Long Non-Coding RNA CDLINC Promotes NSCLC Progression , Christina J. Moss

Genome Maintenance Roles of Polycomb Transcriptional Repressors BMI1 and RNF2 , Anthony Richard Sanchez IV

The Ecology and Conservation of an Urban Karst Subterranean Estuary , Robert J. Scharping

Biological and Proteomic Characterization of Cornus officinalis on Human 1.1B4 Pancreatic β Cells: Exploring Use for T1D Interventional Application , Arielle E. Tawfik

Evaluation of Aging and Genetic Mutation Variants on Tauopathy , Amber M. Tetlow

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Investigating the Proteinaceous Regulome of the Acinetobacter baumannii , Leila G. Casella

Functional Characterization of the Ovarian Tumor Domain Deubiquitinating Enzyme 6B , Jasmin M. D'Andrea

Integrated Molecular Characterization of Lung Adenocarcinoma with Implications for Immunotherapy , Nicholas T. Gimbrone

The Role of Secreted Proteases in Regulating Disease Progression in Staphylococcus aureus , Brittney D. Gimza

Advanced Proteomic and Epigenetic Characterization of Ethanol-Induced Microglial Activation , Jennifer Guergues Guergues

Understanding immunometabolic and suppressive factors that impact cancer development , Rebecca Swearingen Hesterberg

Biochemical and Proteomic Approaches to Determine the Impact Level of Each Step of the Supply Chain on Tomato Fruit Quality , Robert T. Madden

Enhancing Immunotherapeutic Interventions for Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia , Kamira K. Maharaj

Characterization of the Autophagic-Iron Axis in the Pathophysiology of Endometriosis and Epithelial Ovarian Cancers , Stephanie Rockfield

Understanding the Influence of the Cancer Microenvironment on Metabolism and Metastasis , Shonagh Russell

Modeling of Interaction of Ions with Ether- and Ester-linked Phospholipids , Matthew W. Saunders

Novel Insights into the Multifaceted Roles of BLM in the Maintenance of Genome Stability , Vivek M. Shastri

Conserved glycine residues control transient helicity and disorder in the cold regulated protein, Cor15a , Oluwakemi Sowemimo

A Novel Cytokine Response Modulatory Function of MEK Inhibitors Mediates Therapeutic Efficacy , Mengyu Xie

Novel Strategies on Characterizing Biologically Specific Protein-protein Interaction Networks , Bi Zhao

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Characterization of the Transcriptional Elongation Factor ELL3 in B cells and Its Role in B-cell Lymphoma Proliferation and Survival , Lou-Ella M.m. Alexander

Identification of Regulatory miRNAs Associated with Ethanol-Induced Microglial Activation Using Integrated Proteomic and Transcriptomic Approaches , Brandi Jo Cook

Molecular Phylogenetics of Floridian Boletes , Arian Farid

MYC Distant Enhancers Underlie Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility at the 8q24.21 Locus , Anxhela Gjyshi Gustafson

Quantitative Proteomics to Support Translational Cancer Research , Melissa Hoffman

A Systems Chemical Biology Approach for Dissecting Differential Molecular Mechanisms of Action of Clinical Kinase Inhibitors in Lung Cancer , Natalia Junqueira Sumi

Investigating the Roles of Fucosylation and Calcium Signaling in Melanoma Invasion , Tyler S. Keeley

Synthesis, Oxidation, and Distribution of Polyphenols in Strawberry Fruit During Cold Storage , Katrina E. Kelly

Investigation of Alcohol-Induced Changes in Hepatic Histone Modifications Using Mass Spectrometry Based Proteomics , Crystina Leah Kriss

Off-Target Based Drug Repurposing Using Systems Pharmacology , Brent M. Kuenzi

Investigation of Anemarrhena asphodeloides and its Constituent Timosaponin-AIII as Novel, Naturally Derived Adjunctive Therapeutics for the Treatment of Advanced Pancreatic Cancer , Catherine B. MarElia

The Role of Phosphohistidine Phosphatase 1 in Ethanol-induced Liver Injury , Daniel Richard Martin

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Changing the Pathobiological Paradigm in Myelodysplastic Syndromes: The NLRP3 Inflammasome Drives the MDS Phenotype , Ashley Basiorka

Modeling of Dynamic Allostery in Proteins Enabled by Machine Learning , Mohsen Botlani-Esfahani

Uncovering Transcriptional Activators and Targets of HSF-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans , Jessica Brunquell

The Role of Sgs1 and Exo1 in the Maintenance of Genome Stability. , Lillian Campos-Doerfler

Mechanisms of IKBKE Activation in Cancer , Sridevi Challa

Discovering Antibacterial and Anti-Resistance Agents Targeting Multi-Drug Resistant ESKAPE Pathogens , Renee Fleeman

Functional Roles of Matrix Metalloproteinases in Bone Metastatic Prostate Cancer , Jeremy S. Frieling

Disorder Levels of c-Myb Transactivation Domain Regulate its Binding Affinity to the KIX Domain of CREB Binding Protein , Anusha Poosapati

Role of Heat Shock Transcription Factor 1 in Ovarian Cancer Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Drug Sensitivity , Chase David Powell

Cell Division Regulation in Staphylococcus aureus , Catherine M. Spanoudis

A Novel Approach to the Discovery of Natural Products From Actinobacteria , Rahmy Tawfik

Non-classical regulators in Staphylococcus aureus , Andy Weiss

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

In Vitro and In Vivo Antioxidant Capacity of Synthetic and Natural Polyphenolic Compounds Identified from Strawberry and Fruit Juices , Marvin Abountiolas

Quantitative Proteomic Investigation of Disease Models of Type 2 Diabetes , Mark Gabriel Athanason

CMG Helicase Assembly and Activation: Regulation by c-Myc through Chromatin Decondensation and Novel Therapeutic Avenues for Cancer Treatment , Victoria Bryant

Computational Modeling of Allosteric Stimulation of Nipah Virus Host Binding Protein , Priyanka Dutta

Cell Cycle Arrest by TGFß1 is Dependent on the Inhibition of CMG Helicase Assembly and Activation , Brook Samuel Nepon-Sixt

Gene Expression Profiling and the Role of HSF1 in Ovarian Cancer in 3D Spheroid Models , Trillitye Paullin

VDR-RIPK1 Interaction and its Implications in Cell Death and Cancer Intervention , Waise Quarni

Regulation of nAChRs and Stemness by Nicotine and E-cigarettes in NSCLC , Courtney Schaal

Targeting Histone Deacetylases in Melanoma and T-cells to Improve Cancer Immunotherapy , Andressa Sodre De Castro Laino

Nonreplicative DNA Helicases Involved in Maintaining Genome Stability , Salahuddin Syed

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Functional Analysis of the Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility Locus at 9p22.2 Reveals a Transcription Regulatory Network Mediated by BNC2 in Ovarian Cells , Melissa Buckley

Exploring the Pathogenic and Drug Resistance Mechanisms of Staphylococcus aureus , Whittney Burda

Regulation and Targeting of the FANCD2 Activation in DNA Repair , Valentina Celeste Caceres

Mass Spectrometry-Based Investigation of APP-Dependent Mechanisms in Neurodegeneration , Dale Chaput

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Biology Education

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The Impact of Education on Curbing the Spread of Corona Virus (Covid-19) Among Secondary School Students in Kaduna North Local Government Area, Kaduna State

ABSTRACT This study identified the Impact of education on curbing the spread of Corona Virus (Covid-19) among secondary school students in Kaduna North Local Government Area, Kaduna State. The Nobel Corona virus caused a lot of havoc all over the world, affecting every sectors and industries especially the education sector as the lockdown measure of government becomes often an unavoidable measure towards curbing eth spread. However, it is discovered that despite the lockdown, the deadly vi...

ASSESSMENT OF THE AVAILABILITY AND ADEQUACY OF AUDIO VISUAL RESOURCES IN TEACHING BIOLOGY EDUCATION IN UNIVERSITY OF ABUJA

ABSTRACT This study assessed the availability and adequacy of audio-visual resources in teaching biology education in University of Abuja. Three research questions were formulated to guide the study. The research design adopted for the study was a descriptive survey design. The sample of the study constituted of 80 respondents. Questionnaire was used to gather data while table, mean, percentage were used to analyse the data. The study revealed that, students find a particular topic interesti...

An Investigation into the Effects of Varying Concentrations of Natural Pesticide on the Growth of Mustard Seeds, Granum Sinapis L

This investigation was made to examine the growth of mustard seeds in a controlled environment for a length of fourteen days. Shortly after starting a biology course an article was read, discussing 'the ways in which some insecticides are counterproductive in agriculture on a mass scale. This idea was intriguing. It was initially believed pesticides could be beneficial for plant growth and agriculture, by repelling plant eating pests and other rodents.

Learning resources and biology performance of learners in selected secondary schools in chua county, kitgum district, uganda.

ABSTRACT The research study was carried out in Chua Sub County in Kitgum district. The research was basically based on a topic: “Learning resources and biology performance of learners in selected secondary schools in Chua Sub County in Kitgum district. The research was guided by a number of objectives which included the following; to find out effective ways of improving students’ biology ability, to establish the impact of learning resources on students’ performance in Chua Sub County ...

Teaching Aids And The Students' Academic Performance In Biology At Alliance Secondary School, Ibanda District, Uganda

ABSTRACT This research report established the influence the teaching aids on students' academic performance in Biology at Alliance Secondary School-Ibanda. It is composed of five chapters, the introduction, literature review, Methodology, Presentation of findings, analysis and interpretations and recommendations. The introduction shows thee background, the statement of the problem, purpose, research questions, significance and others. The major objective of the study was to establish the inf...

The Causes Of Poor Academic Performance Of Biology Subject In Kenyan Secondary Schools: A Case Study Of Kenyenya Division, Kenyenya Pronvice-Kenya

ABSTRACT The study was carried out in Kenyenya Division, Kenyenya Province of Kenya. The ainJ was to ascertain why the performance in Biology subject in Kenyenya division secondary schools was very poor. This was done by collecting data from deferent respondents using different methodologies. Data was collected from 8 head teachers, 8 biology teachers and 24 students from the selected schools in Kenyenya division. Data was analyzed both qualitatively and qualitatively and presented according ...

Projects, thesis, seminars, research papers, termpapers topics in Biology Education. Biology Education projects, thesis, seminars and termpapers topic and materials

Popular Papers/Topics

A study of the impact of instructional materials in teaching and learning biology in senoir secondary schools (a case study of enugu north local government area)., impact of laboratory practical on senior secondary school student academic achievement in ss2 biology, chemistry and mathematics in enugu north local government area of enugu state, the problems of teaching practical biology in senior secondary schools in igbo etiti local government area enugu state (a case study of ss iii students), the effect of biology practical activities on academic achievement of senior secondary school students in enugu east local government area, effect of biology practical on the secondary school students academic performance in biology in enugu state (a case study of enugu north local government area of enugu state), the effect of poor teacher - pupil relationship on academic achievement of biology students in enugu south local government, the effect of socio-economic background on academic performance of secondary school biology students in enugu north local government area of enugu state, the effect of concept mapping on students’ achievement in biology in senior secondary schools in aba educational zone of abia state, teachers' perception of difficult areas in secondary schools biology curriculum, the isolation and identification of nematode affecting tomatoes grown in some selected area of river kaduna in kaduna state, identification of teaching topic in senior secondary school biology and english language a case study of senior secondary two curricular in nigeria, socio economic background on academic performance of biology students (case study enugu north), using instructional materials: effects on students performance in biology subject, the effect of ict on teaching and learning biology in mokwa niger state, age and parental variables influence on academic performance of senior secondary students in biology: a study of umuahia education zone of abia state.

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Science Education Master's Theses

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Assessment of students' mathematical ideas in decoding-representing-processing-implementing problem-solving process , John Lemer G. Bravo

The effects of strategic intervention material with Edpuzzle-hosted Video Lesson (EdSIM) as a remediation tool for Grade 9 students in solving problems involving triangle similarity and right triangles , Kim Gabrielle Marin Del Puerto

Analyzing the cognitive academic mathematical communication in an online distance learning for grade 11 , Mary Joyce N. Italia

Ethnomathematical practices in tahiti farming: Integration for a localized and authentic mathematics curriculum , Wrendell Coralde Juntilla

Promoting classroom dialogue through the use of teacher scheme for educational dialogue analysis (T-SEDA) , Aubrey D. Macaspac

Characterizing stem students’ engagement in model-making through the lens of Epistemologies in Practice (EIP) , Shermaine Baylon Pingol

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Problem-posing as an instructional strategy to improve engagement in a flexible learning environment , Randy Apolinario

Virtual simulation and home-based manipulatives: Improving the practice of physics teaching , Anna Carmela B. Bonifacio

The effects of bar model in the students' performance in solving word problems involving fractions , Jireh Anne G. Cancio

Design and implementation of performance-based assessment with metacognitive prompts in mathematics , Pamela Mae Y. Cerrado

Using metacognitive e-modules on cell cycle: Exploring students' conception and self-efficacy , Joyce Ann R. Dacumos

Historical vignettes: An approach to bring back students interest in science , Kristine Joyce G. dela Cruz

The use of model method in the improvement of students' performance in solving problems involving linear equations , Carlos R. Doria

Enhancing student learning in cell cycle using interactive and reflexive E-modules , Ana Marie A. Dungca

Students’ practical flexibility and potential flexibility in performing operations involving fractions , Joy Camille M. Faustino

Supplementing printed modular distance learning with teacher-made video-based learning materials in algebra , Richelle Ann C. Mangulabnan

Implementation of collaborative learning in an online mathematics class , Romyna Fortuna G. Mapile

Investigating students' proving process in geometry through the commognitive theory , Shawn Dale C. Mendoza

Efficacy of differentiated instruction on photosynthesis and cellular respiration using google classroom , Monique Soriano Molina

Enhancing the teaching of astronomy by integrating online interactive historical video vignettes , Sherwin D. Movilla

Enhancing students' conceptual understanding and engagement in learning genetics through mobile-friendly interactive multimedia learning module , Areeya Amor Dequillo Ongoco

Empowering feedback through communication channels to strengthen conceptual learning during modular distance learning , Nathalie Gaile R. Pantoja

Students' conceptual and procedural understanding of conic sections through online guided discovery learning , Rejean Mosuela Papa

A proposed environmental management model of Chemistry laboratory: From procedure awareness and laboratory practices to extent of conformance to environmental management system , Joysol B. Tamio

Discovering Grade 9 students' metacognition in mathematical problem solving: A case study , Jingye Zhan

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Development and validation of a nature of science-based online course in evolution by natural selection , Kenneth Ian Talosig Batac

Photovoice and photo-elicitation: Engaging participatory assessment on chemical reactions and equations towards multifaceted conception , Rick Jasper A. Carvajal

Enhancing conceptual understanding and environmental literacy using online learning modules on ecological systems , Geminna Wel C. del Rosario

Validation and reliability of Filipino Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) , Mikka Angela A. Elviña

Improving students' concepts and confidence level in learning photosynthesis through 3-minute micro-lectures , Leonardo M. Francisco Jr.

Investigating mathematics teachers' perceived design thinking mindset and related factors , Melinda A. Gagaza

Math teachers' implementation of 5E instructional design in online distance learning: A case study , Abigail H. Gaon

Second generation of didactical Engineering: Development of an ethnogeometric teaching resource based on the Kalinga tribe's material culture , Julius Ceasar Hortelano

Students’ mathematics motivation and learning strategies towards academic performance , Angelyn Taberna Natividad

Assessing students' learning competencies and socio-emotional learning skills during online distance learning , Alicia Jane F.. Peras

Implementation and evaluation of home-based virtual learning program (HVLP) in teaching ecosystems , Jojo L. Potenciano

Design, implementation, and evaluation of an asynchronous learning module on symbolic logic for college deaf students , John Joseph E. Rivera

Using expressive writing tasks in reducing students' learning anxieties in an online chemistry class , Angelo Saja

The use of gamified differentiated homework in teaching General Chemistry 1 , Edelito G. Villamor

Basic arithmetic skills intervention for classes (B.A.S.I.C.): Towards improved arithmetic skills for junior high school mathematics , Kenneth Alex R. Villanueva

An investigation of students' van Hiele levels of geometric thinking based on Chinese Mathematics curriculum , Yu Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Fast feedback methods in G7 physics: Effects on conceptual mastery and intrinsic motivation , Karen R. Alcantara

Representational consistency, normalized gain and scientific reasoning among grade-11 students in physics , John Ray Stephen P. Arcillas

Interactive strategic intervention material (iSIM) in teaching chemistry for senior high school students-at-risk (STAR) , Enrique V. Austria

Grade 8 students’ level of conceptual change through the use of virtual and physical manipulation , Jesserene Prodigalidad Bantolo

Instilling citizenship science skills using project-based learning+1 pedagogy module among grade 9 learners , Stephen C. Capilitan

Technology-enhanced explicit vocabulary instruction in teaching biology: Improving scientific discourse and performance , Abigail A. Eval

Effects of block scheduling on grade 12 STEM students’ academic performance in general physics 1 , Marjorie A. Nariz

Effects of multiple representation in student’s metacognitive awareness and conceptual understanding in physical science: Mechanics , Mark Joseph F. Orillo

Teaching bioenergetics through guided experience approach and mobile devices: Towards meaningful learning , Rodel S. Pendergat

Physics Olympics: An innovative platform of performance tasks to enhance students’ motivation and learning , Fredyrose Ivan L. Pinar

Interactive engagement in rotational motion via flipped classroom and 5E instructional model , Jhoanne E. Rafon

Technology-integrated and brain-friendly teaching of biology: Effects on students' motivation, engagement, retention and understanding , Lourence E. Retone

Addressing learner errors through the S.E.R.O. model wrong answer note system , Ronald Christopher S. Reyes

Addressing the alternative conception of senior high school students in chemical kinetics , Marc Lancer J. Santos

The effectiveness of wait-time and inquiry-based learning in teaching evolution in grade 10 science , Allyza Mae R. Seraspi

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

The effectiveness of using the 7E learning cycle model in grade 10 students' mathematics performance and motivation , Joan Marie T. Alegario

Integration of gamification in teaching grade 10 physics: Its effect on students motivation and performance , Hazel H. Arabeta

The effect of comic-based learning module in mechanics on students' understanding, motivation and attitude towards learning physics , Jeah May O. Badeo

Effects of historical physics vignettes on student's understanding on the nature of science and epistemological beliefs toward learning physics , Marc Vener C. Del Carmen

Improving students' performance, motivation, and learning attitude through influence-embedded physics instruction , Domarth Ace G. Duque

The effects of instructional scaffolding in students conceptual understanding, proving skills, attitudes and perceptions towards direct proofs of integers , Audric Curtis Pe Dy

The efficacy of creative play approach in teaching modern physics , Martin Antonio V. Frias

Using deep learning approach (DLA) in teaching gas laws , May Anne T. Lacse

Exploring senior high school STEM students' critical thinking skills and metacognitive functions in solving non-routine mathematical problems , Meriam J. Lepasana

Use of socio-scientific issues-based module in teaching biodiversity , Camille S. Mandapat

Development and validation of pre-assessment tools in grade 7 physics , Edwin A. Rieza Jr.

Learning molecular genetics in a metacognitive-oriented environment , Richard Deanne C. Sagun

Integration of historical chemistry vignettes on students' understanding of the nature of science , Jan B. Sarmiento

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Investigating the effect of gamifying a physics course to student motivation, engagement and performance , Coleen M. Amado

Scientific reasoning across grades 7-11 in the K-12 curriculum , Isalyn F. Camungol

Describing students' problem-solving in differential calculus through metacognition and attitude in mathematics , Joanne R. Casanova

Teachers implementation of the new grade 7 mathematics curriculum in selected schools: Opportunities for improvement , Anthony C. Castro

Comparative study of students performance in Newtonian physics , Jhoanne Catindig

The impact of the station rotation model in grade 11 STEM students' learning: A blended learning approach to teaching trigonometric functions , Carlo R. Dela Cruz

Use of guided inquiry with interactive simulations to enhance students conceptual understanding and attitude towards learning forces, motion and mechanical energy , Ma. Kristine L. Estipular

Metacognitive awareness and conceptual understanding in flipped physics classroom , Jaypee M. Limueco

The ultimate chemistry experience: A gamified learning system to improve student motivation and learning , Ronadane Narido Liwanag

The impact of a metacognitive intervention using I.M.P.R.O.V.E. model on grade 7 students' metacognitive awareness and mathematics achievement , Napoleon A. Montero III

Use of statistical investigation in assessing student's understanding and performance statistics , Jessica T. Obrial

Assessing the electric circuits conceptions of technical vocational education students , Jasmin Elena Boñon Orolfo

Gamified physics instruction in a reformatory classroom context , Analyn N. Tolentino

The implementation of the mother tongue-based multilingual education policy in mathematics education , Katherine Therese S. Tungul

Effect of vocabulary learning strategies on word and concept retention among different learning styles , Roxanne Diane R. Uy

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Gamification: Enhancing students' motivation and performance in grade 10 physics , Ma. Krisitina B. Dela Cruz

The effectiveness of using the 7E learning cycle model in the learning achievement of the grade 8 learners with different science views , Theresann T. Hernandez

The development and validation of Grade Eight physics test in the K-12 science curriculum , Arnel A. Lorenzana

The laboratory performance, anxiety level, and perceptions of Grade-8 students at Tanza National Trade School toward a guided inquiry physics experiment , Luzette Divina Oraa

Development and implementation of RME-based lessons on sinusoidal functions using geogebra , Maria Celeste R. Rellosa

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Assessing the mathematics performance of grade 8 students as basis for enhancing instruction and aligning with K to 12 competencies , Romee Nicker A. Capate

Mathematics teachers' perceived preparedness in the senior high school modelling program , Von Christopher G. Chua

An assessment of number sense among Grade 7 students of De La Salle University Integrated School , Perlita Torrente Padua

An investigation of the problem posing skills of selected college students in business mathematics , Geoffrey Reuel J. Pasague

Students' conceptions of forces: Similarities and differences among grade six and grade ten students , May R. Ronda

Effects of Geogebra on students' attitudes and achievement in learning quadratic functions, equations and inequalities , John Nico A. Urgena

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Behavior of gases: Describing students understanding pattern and experience variation through phenomenographic approach , Ranie G. Abia

Developing scientific reasoning skills using interactive applications , Genevieve Arizala Pillar

Students' understanding of stoichiometry using BPR holistic approach , Relen-Job M. Tolosa

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

The Development of a Mechanics Science KIT and POGIL-Based laboratory manual for High School Physics , Michael A. Chiao

Students conceptual understanding, metacognitive awareness, and perceived academic self-efficacy in a POGIL-based lesson on organic reactions , Gabriel M. Mozo

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'A small seed of curiosity can grow and mature into a full-fledged thesis project'

Valerie Hu: Biology & Society

A&S Communications

Biology & Society Sunnyvale, Calif.

What is your main extracurricular activity and why is it important to you?

When I came to Cornell, I knew I wanted to get involved in initiatives that aligned with my personal values of justice and mercy and served a community beyond the one on campus. I joined the Parole Preparation Project (now Cornell University Parole Initiative) and began working with an incarcerated person in preparation for a Parole Board hearing that determines whether he can be released on parole. Along with two other student volunteers, I liaised with community partners to establish a plan for re-entry, gathered various legal and medical documents for the parole packet, and met regularly with the parole applicant in a maximum-security correctional facility to practice for his hearing. Three and a half years later, I now consider the incarcerated applicant I work with not only a teammate and coworker, but also a friend. Through working together, we have found common ground in the pursuit of justice, the importance of family and the role of faith and prayer in guiding our lives. This year, I became a teaching assistant for the Cornell Prison Education Program, going to Auburn Correctional Facility once a week to teach incarcerated students within a French club and an anthropology course, which has allowed me to explore my interests in the intersection of education and incarceration. Due to Cornell’s resources and investment in community engagement, I had the unique opportunity to work within facilities that reveal the immense inequalities in America’s criminal legal system and to play a role in working toward a more equitable world.

What Cornell memory do you treasure the most?

The Cornell memories I treasure the most are the evenings I’ve hosted potlucks or dinners with large groups of people at my apartment because they embody the best parts of my time at Cornell: community and bringing people together. I’ve invited close friends and acquaintances from my classes, faith community, work and clubs, many of whom do not know each other and otherwise wouldn’t cross paths, and new friendships have been formed. On these evenings, my kitchen and living room are full of conversations and laughter, and the area sometimes gets so warm because of the number of people that we have to open a window even in the winter, while we share food and discover unlikely common ground.

What are the most valuable skills you gained from your Arts & Sciences education?

I learned how to critically examine the things I see and learn, rather than take them at face value and accept the status quo. I came into college accustomed to the type of learning that consisted of knowing facts and successfully regurgitating them on a test or essay. My eyes were opened to the beauty of academic discourse and debate in one of my first classes at Cornell. For each class topic, we read multiple scientific articles that built upon each other or disagreed with one another. As we discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each scientist’s research findings, I developed critical thinking and analysis skills. I learned not to take at face value every piece of information I am given within the context of a classroom, but gained the courage and confidence to challenge and critique other viewpoints while developing my own.

What have you accomplished as a Cornell student that you are most proud of?

While working as an investigator at the public defender’s office in D.C., I wondered about a paradoxical observation I made: that people who have had negative experiences with the police seem to call the police a lot. At the beginning of my junior year, I had the opportunity to turn that curiosity into a semester-long research paper for Professor Joseph Margulies’ Crime and Punishment class. I began interviewing young people who have had negative encounters with law enforcement about times they have called the police. The class project evolved beyond the semester into an independent study, and eventually into my senior honors thesis. I’m most proud of my research because I learned that a small seed of curiosity can grow and mature into a full-fledged thesis project. Through my thesis, I’ve been able to combine my interests in social justice with academic pursuits, and I learned how to conduct research that has implications for public policy and social change.

Who or what influenced your Cornell education the most?

Cru has undoubtedly influenced my Cornell education more than anything else. I came into college with an abundance of questions about meaning and purpose, both generally and personally. Through the Cru community, I have become close friends with people from so many more backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences than I thought possible. Together, we have wrestled with difficult and existential questions. The diverse set of friends offering input and encouragement has been invaluable to my growth, as I figure out who I am and why I’m here. We have also supported each other through some of the most challenging times of sorrow and loss that tested the strength and genuineness of our beliefs. The Cru community has taught me to be resilient in the face of difficulties and to find hope in something bigger than myself. I learned how to allow my personal values to fuel every pursuit —academic, extracurricular, spiritual and personal — and every moment of my life, from the biggest highlights to the utterly mundane.

Every year, our faculty nominate graduating Arts & Sciences students to be featured as part of our Extraordinary Journeys series. Read more about the Class of 202 4.

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Extraordinary Journeys: The Class of 2024

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Biology Education Project Topics and Materials PDF & DOC Download

These are Biology education project topics and materials PDF and MS Word format Download for final year undergraduates and postgraduates students in 2020 and 2021.

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The role of motivation of the teachers in the teaching of biology (case study of ese-ode local government area, ondo state)
The effect of socio-economic background on academic performance of secondary school biology students in enugu north local government area of enugu state
The effect of biology practical activities on academic achievement of senior secondary school students (case study of enugu east local government area.)
Resources availability and utilization in the teaching of biology in secondary school in ibiono ibom local government area
Impact of problem solving and lecture method on biology students performance in secondary schools in owerri municipal council
Effects of instructional materials on achievement and retention of biology concepts among secondary school students in delta state, nigeria.
Effect of guided discovery and demonstration methods on students’ achievement, interest and conceptual change in practical biology
Comparative analysis of students’ secondary school performance in biology between 2012 and 2016 in oyo town
Causes of examination malpractice in biology in senior secondary school certificate examination: a case study of oshimili south l.g.a of delta state
Assessment of the knowledge of diagnosed sickle cell patients about sickle cell anaemia
Abundance of mosquito species within sokoto metropolis
The problems of teaching practical biology in senior secondary schools in igbo etiti local government area enugu state (a case study of ss iii students)
The effect of poor teacher – pupil relationship on academic achievement of biology students [case study of enugu south local government]
Teachers and students attitudes towards teaching of sex education in secondary schools (a case study of enugu education zone)
Perceived difficulties of some biological concept by senior secondary school students in the study of some biological concept
Ethnobotany of contraceptives among the people of ejigbo, osun state
Drug abuse and guidance services in secondary school in maiduguri metropolis council implication for counselling in bornor state
Challenges besetting the effective teaching and learning of biology in senior secondary schools
Attitude of mothers towards the introduction of sex education in secondary schools in enugu state (a case of enugu urban)
An investigation into the causes of premarital sex on secondary school girls and its impact on their academic achievements
A study of the impact of instructional materials in teaching and learning biology in senior secondary schools (a case study of enugu north local government area)
Impact of teaching, planning on students achievement in biology

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Biology Education Research Topics . Effectiveness of inquiry-based learning in biology classrooms. ... Explore how our services, including research proposal writing, dissertation outline creation, and comprehensive thesis writing, can contribute to your college's success. About Robert Bruce. View all posts by Robert Bruce.
200+ Biology Research Topics for Students
A List of Researchable Topics for Biology. A list of researchable topics for biology students starts with several interesting biological topics concerning sociological perspective and ethical issues. The most debatable subjects are abortion, human cloning, genetic researches and the new ethics that should be created to resolve these issues.
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How to find dissertation topics about biology? For biology dissertation topics: Follow recent advancements. Explore ecological issues. Investigate genetics or evolution. Consider health or medical angles. Review biodiversity concerns. Opt for a topic resonating with your passion and research goals.
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Combines high-quality papers from the ERIDOB 2020 conference. Brings together current and innovative orientations in biology education. Presents papers written by leading international researchers in biology education research. Part of the book series: Contributions from Biology Education Research (CBER) 13 Citations. 4 Altmetric.
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Class of 2016. Molecular and Cellular Approaches Toward Understanding Dynein-Driven Motility - Swathi Ayloo, Ph.D. Cell Biology of Cheating - Mechanisms of Chromosomes Segregation during Female Meiosis - Lukas Chmatal, Ph.D. Detecting Selection on Noncoding Nucleotide Variations: Methods and Applications - Yang Ding, Ph.D.
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Recent Dissertation Titles HDL in humans: a complex system of proteins, each with its own unique size distribution, metabolism, and diet regulation MicroRNAs in Kidney Injury & Repair: Characterizing the Role of miR-132
Conceptual Trends and Issues in Biology Didactics
Thematically, the book contains chapters on two main topics: the content of the curriculum in biology and general issues of education in the field of biology. The first topic is presented in sections such as molecular biology, cell biology, human biology, health and disease, reproduction, development, genetics, plant biology, photosynthesis and ...
71 Best Education Dissertation Topic Ideas
71 Best Education Dissertation Topic Ideas. By Chris Drew (PhD) / November 29, 2023. It's hard to choose and settle on a topic for your education dissertation. When I was choosing my topic, I was confused and uncertain. I wished I had a list like this that would help me out!
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Here are the List Of Biology Education Masters Thesis Topics To Read 1. An Investigation into the Role of Arf6 in MCH-mediated Rearrangements in 3T3-L1 Preadipocytes 2.
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Here are the Biology Education dissertation ideas for you to ace your dissertation: Early-Age Biology Education: This idea for a good Biology Education dissertation topic revolves around researching at what a child could understand about different aspects of biology at a certain age. You can evaluate your research topic to compare the impacts ...
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Biology Research Topics For College Students. 1. Investigating the role of genetic mutations in cancer development. See also Top 5 Amazing C++ Project Ideas for 2023 That You Love. 2. Analyzing the impact of climate changes on wildlife populations. 3. Studying the ecology of invasive species in urban environments. 4.
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Senior Thesis Examples. Graduating seniors in Biological Sciences have the option of submitting a senior thesis for consideration for Honors and Research Prizes . Below are some examples of particularly outstanding theses from recent years (pdf): Sledd Thesis. Yu Thesis.
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Biosynthesis of metallic nanoparticles for use in anti-corrosion and anti-fouling agents . Ahmed, Dina (The University of Edinburgh, 2024-05-06) The growing interest in nanoparticles as potent anti-microbial agents, particularly in industries like the marine sector, holds significant importance. Bio-fouling and corrosion prevention and ...
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The importance of choosing interesting biology research topics comes down to the impact your assignments will make on your audience. In most cases, you will be writing with only one reader in mind - the instructor. And as this person likely sees hundreds of biology topics each school year you need to make sure you stand out as much as possible.
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In Vivo Visualization of Hedgehog Signaling in Zebrafish, Christopher J. Ferreira, Molecular & Cellular Biology. PDF. An In Vivo Study of the Mammalian Mitotic Kinesin Eg5, Alyssa D. Gable, Molecular & Cellular Biology. PDF. Identification of Dynein Binding Sites in Budding Yeast Pac1/LIS1, Christopher W. Meaden, Molecular & Cellular Biology. PDF
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The School of Biological Sciences offers a senior thesis option that is available for all students. As part of this experience, students will learn about the proper way to conduct research in a classroom setting, conduct an independent research project, and communicate their results. The thesis, a written description of your work, includes the ...
Molecular Biosciences Theses and Dissertations
Theses/Dissertations from 2022. PDF. Regulation of the Heat Shock Response via Lysine Acetyltransferase CBP-1 and in Neurodegenerative Disease in Caenorhabditis elegans, Lindsey N. Barrett. PDF. Determining the Role of Dendritic Cells During Response to Treatment with Paclitaxel/Anti-TIM-3, Alycia Gardner. PDF.
Biology Education Books and Book Reviews
Biology Education projects, thesis, seminars and termpapers topic and materials Popular Papers/Topics A STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING BIOLOGY IN SENOIR SECONDARY SCHOOLS (A CASE STUDY OF ENUGU NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA).
Science Education Master's Theses
Theses/Dissertations from 2013. The Development of a Mechanics Science KIT and POGIL-Based laboratory manual for High School Physics, Michael A. Chiao. Students conceptual understanding, metacognitive awareness, and perceived academic self-efficacy in a POGIL-based lesson on organic reactions, Gabriel M. Mozo.
'A small seed of curiosity can grow and mature into a full-fledged
'A small seed of curiosity can grow and mature into a full-fledged thesis project' Valerie Hu: Biology & Society A&S Communications 5/17/2024. Valerie Hu. Biology & Society Sunnyvale, Calif. ... I became a teaching assistant for the Cornell Prison Education Program, going to Auburn Correctional Facility once a week to teach incarcerated ...
Biology Education Project Topics and Materials PDF & DOC Download
Contents of the Free Biology Education Project Topics and Materials PDF. Instant Download on complete Biology Education Project Materials From Chapter 1-5 including the Abstract, Proposal, Introduction, Literature Review, Data Analysis and Presentation, Conclusion, Recommendation, References/Bibliography, Questionnaires Below.

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Biology education research: building integrative frameworks for teaching and learning about living systems

Introduction

The disciplinary structures of biology and biology education research

Conceptual and theoretical frameworks for biology education research

Conceptual frameworks for biology and biology education research

Student thinking about living systems

What cognitive frameworks could guide BER?

What disciplinary frameworks could guide BER?

Unity and Diversity in biological reasoning

Randomness, probability, and contingency

Scale, hierarchy, and emergence

Limitations

Availability of data and materials

Abbreviations

Acknowledgements

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Contributions

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