Download first-year university students` misconceptions about digestive

TIIKM Journal of Education, Vol. 1 No. 1, 2015, pp. 119-123
Copyright © TIIKM
ISSN: 2448 – 9336 online
DOI: 10.17501/je.2448-9336.1.1115
FIRST-YEAR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT DIGESTIVE
TRACT AND ITS FUNCTIONS
Dr Haydar OZTAS
N.Erbakan University, Education Faculty, Biology Education Department, Konya/Turkey
Abstract
The main aim of this research was to research students’ misconceptions of digestive system for biology
beginner students in education Faculty. So far it has been shown that student’ alternative views about
digestion mostly may depend on a variety of educational factors.
Previous studies have been showed that mostly students not awareness of how digestive system works
out in body with contribution Liver and pancreas and other digestive glands. Although students know
about their digestive organs well namely, their knowledge about their functions was not adequate. It is
possible suggest that digestive system digestion mechanism are miserably concept for students.
In this study a questionnaire sum of six questions asked to students for replaying in a reasonable time.
The questions have been prepared according to previous research activities on the base of mechanical,
chemical digestion and functions of digestive organs and glands. The answers of students’
have been assessed according to correctness and scientifically explanations. According to the
test scores, it can be said that the students had misconceptions and limited knowledge about the definition
and function of digestion and digestive tract. During teaching process, the concept of digestion was
generally defined as mechanical and chemical digestion were short of explanations.
It may suggest that teachers need effective teaching activities that determination of the students’
misconceptions before teaching based on these misconceptions are necessary for effective learning. A
planned teaching strategy of on the base of awareness of students’ misconceptions related to the
digestive tract could be beneficial in the classroom level.
Keywords: Digestive tract, misconception, education, biology
Introduction
The main aim of this study was to research students’
misconceptions of digestive system for biology
beginner students. So far it has been shown that
student’ alternative views about digestion mostly may
depend on a variety of educational factors.
student’ alternative views about digestion mostly may
depend on a variety of educational factors. The main
aim of this study was to research students’
misconceptions of digestive system for biology
beginner students.
The main aim of this study was to research students’
misconceptions of digestive system for biology
beginner students. So far it has been shown that
So far it has been shown that student’ alternative views
about digestion mostly may depend on a variety of
educational factors. Previous studies have been showed
Corresponding Author. Email:
[email protected]
H. Oztas / First-Year University Students’ Misconceptions about Digestive Tract and its Functions
that mostly students not awareness of how digestive
system works out.
Although students know about their digestive organs
namely, their knowledge about their functions was not
adequate. It is possible suggest that digestive system
digestion mechanism are miserably concept for
students. In this study a questionnaire sum of 10 asked
to students for replaying in a reasonable time. The
questions have been prepared according to previous
research activities on the base of mechanical, chemical
digestion and functions of digestive organs and glands.
Material & Methods
The questions were developed using actual curriculum
test questions from the unit under study (Table 1).
Table 1. Shows how long digestion take place in our body?Qustions
1.
How long do you think it will take for the food to travel through your body and be digested?
2.
Is the gravity causes of food to move through digestive tract?
3.
How we can extract nutrients from our food ?
4.
Is the small intestine is shorter than the large intestine?
5.
What is different between esophagus & Trachea?
6.
Digestion starts in the stomach?
7.
Does the digestive system has two outlets – one for faeces and one for urine?
8.
Does Digestion is the process which releases usable energy from food?
9.
Does The gullet and windpipe are one and the same tube which splits at the end of the stomach and lungs?
10. The discharge of undigested food through the anus is called excretion.
The attitude inventory consisted of 10 open end
questions. This inventory was used to measure students'
misconceptions about digestion.
Results & Discussion
The qestions and their answers as below. According to
students answers detected misconceptions for digestive
tract and its function Shown in Table 3.
1.How long do you think it will take for the food to
travel through your body and be digested?
The correct answer was it takes food from 12 hours–2
days to go through our body (Table 1). The digestion is
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a longer process. But most of studends replay like
digestion takes a few hours. There was not correct
answer.
TIIKM Journal of Education, Vol. 1 No. 1, 2015, pp. 119-123
Table 1. The Digestion process in Digestive Tract
Section of Digestive tract
Time
Mouth
7 Sec.
Esophagus
3 Sec.
Stomach
10 min.
Small intestine
7 hrs
Large intestine
17 hrs
2. What is the causes of food to move through digestive
Anatomically, they are very close to each other and
tract?
often linked (ex. choking).Anatomical differences
between two? Esophagus: white muscular tube beneath
Students believe that gravity is primarily responsible
trachea. Trachea: has cartilaginous rings that provide
for moving food to the stomach. What about astronots?
strength and structure.
Are they able to swallow and digest food? Although
gravity helps, peristaltic motions of the esophageal
The gullet (oesophagus) and windpipe (trachea) are two
muscles ensure that food reaches the stomach.
different tubes. The gullet connects the mouth to the
stomach while the windpipe leads to the lungs. A flap
3. How we can extract nutrients from our food ?
called the epiglottis closes the windpipe while food is
being swallowed into the gullet. Clear illustrations or
We can extract nutrients from our food because it is
models of the digestive and respiratory systems may be
broken down mechanically by the mouth.
used to help pupils correct the misconception.
There are two types of digestion: mechanical and
chemical, mechanical digestion: mouth (teeth and
tongue), peristalsis, stomach muscles
chemical
digestion: acids and enzymes in saliva, stomach,
intestine, accessory organs (gall bladder, pancreas).
Students mostly not consious of chemical digestion. If
we place a piece of bread in our mouth and chew it
several times and allow it to dissolve in mouth for 3-5
minutes. Starches (a type of carbohydrate) are made up
of smaller sugar molecules. An enzyme found in the
saliva, amylase, breaks down starch into simple sugars
so that the it can be used as energy for the body.
4. Is the small intestine is shorter than the large
intestine?
A human’s small intestine is 7 metres long, whereas the
large intestine is 2 metres long. The large intestine has a
bigger diameter.
5. Is it different esophagus & Trachea?
Students often confuse the esophagus (part of digestive
system) with the trachea (part of respiratory system).
6.Digestion starts in the stomach?
Students have been shown that generally believe
digestion starts in the stomach [1,2]. But in reality
digestion starts in the mouth, where the salivary
amylase (a digestive enzyme) acts on the starch in food.
7.Digestion ends in the stomach or large intestine?
Digestion ends in the small intestine, where
carbohydrates, proteins and fats are digested. Proteins
are digested in the stomach. Water and minerals are
absorbed into the bloodstream in the large intestine.
Some Confusion over the sequence of the processes and
anatomical route of digestion have been detected.
Digestion starts in the mouth before the food goes
through the gullet (oesophagus) where no digestion
takes place. Food then goes to the stomach where
proteins are digested before entering the small intestine.
In the small intestine, fats, carbohydrates and proteins
are digested. Digested food is absorbed through the
wall of the small intestine into the bloodstream.
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H. Oztas / First-Year University Students’ Misconceptions about Digestive Tract and its Functions
Undigested food passes into the large intestine where
water and minerals are absorbed by the body. The rest
of the undigested food is stored in the rectum
temporarily and discharged out of the body through the
anus.
9.Does the digestive system has two outlets – one for
faeces and one for urine?
8.Does Digestion is the process which releases usable
energy from food?
10. Is the discharge of undigested food through the anus
call excretion?
Digestion is the breakdown of large food molecules into
smaller ones. Respiration is the process by which
energy is released from food.
The discharge of undigested food through the anus is
called egestion or defecation. Excretion is the discharge
of metabolic wastes from the body, e.g. urine excreted
by the kidneys, carbon dioxide excreted by the lungs.
The digestive system has one outlet – the anus through
which undigested food is discharged from the body.
Table 3. The misconceptions of student detected for questions about digestive tract and its function
Questions
Misconceptions
How long do you think it will take for the food to travel through
your body and be digested?
It takes usually a few hours.
What is the causes of food to move through digestive tract?
Students believe that gravity is primarily responsible for
moving food to the stomach.
We can extract nutrients from our food ?
We can extract nutrients from our food via broken down
mechanically.
Is the small intestine is shorter than the large intestine?
Student used to believe large bowel longer than small
intestine.
Is different esophagus & Trachea?
Anatomically, they are very close to each other and
often linked (ex. choking)
Digestion starts in the stomach?
Students generally believe digestion starts in the
stomach. But in reality digestion starts in the mouth,
where the salivary amylase (a digestive enzyme) acts on
the starch in food.
Does the digestive system has two outlets – one for faeces and one
for urine?
The digestive system has one outlet – the anus through
which undigested food is discharged from the body.
Does Digestion is the process which releases usable energy from
food?
Digestion is the breakdown of large food molecules into
smaller ones. Respiration is the process by which energy
is released from food.
Where does digestion starts and ends?
Confusion over the sequence of the processes and
anatomical route of digestion.
The discharge of undigested food through the anus is called
excretion.
Excretion is the discharge of metabolic wastes from the
body, e.g. urine excreted by the kidneys, carbon dioxide
excreted by the lungs.
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TIIKM Journal of Education, Vol. 1 No. 1, 2015, pp. 119-123
References
Ho, P.L. et al, i-Science series, SNP Panpac, Singapore
Driver, R. et al, Making sense of secondary science – research
into children’s ideas, Routledge, USA and Canada.
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