A workshop on mitochondria for students to improve understanding of science and hypothesis forming

Abstract

There remains a clear deficiency in recruiting middle school students in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine fields, especially for those students entering physiology from underrepresented backgrounds. A large part of this may be arising from a disconnect between how science is typically practiced at a collegiate and K-12 level. Here, we have envisioned mitochondria and their diverse subcellular structures as an involver for middle school students. We present the framework for a workshop that familiarizes students with mitochondria, employing three-dimensional visual-spatial learning and real-time critical thinking and hypothesis forming. This workshop had the goal of familiarizing middle school students with the unique challenges the field currently faces and better understanding the actuality of being a scientist through critical analysis including hypothesis forming. Findings show that middle school students responded positively to the program and felt as though they had a better understanding of mitochondria. Future implications for hands-on programs to involve underrepresented students in science are discussed, as well as potential considerations to adapt it for high school and undergraduate students.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here we employ a workshop that utilizes blended and tactile learning to teach middle schoolers about mitochondrial structure. By creating an approachable and fun workshop that can be utilized for middle school students, we seek to encourage them to join a career in physiology.

INTRODUCTION

The ever-evolving landscape of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) education calls for the development of new workshops and methods that effectively engage and inspire middle school students to explore complex scientific concepts. Among these concepts, understanding the structure and function of cellular organelles, such as mitochondria, is critical for building a strong foundation in cell biology and fostering scientific inquiry skills (1). Relevant to many future medical advancements, mitochondria are increasingly understood to be important in pathophysiology (2). Mitochondria, known as the “powerhouses of the cell,” produce adenosine triphosphate, the cell’s primary energy source. However, these organelles are also involved in a multitude of other essential processes, such as calcium signaling, apoptosis, and the regulation of the cell cycle (2–4). These are integral to the study of many physiological processes and are at the center of much research investigating disease states, aging, and other relevant and important avenues of research. Given the significance of mitochondria in cellular function, it is vital for middle school students to develop a thorough understanding of these organelles to excel in higher level biology courses and pursue careers in physiology or STEMM fields. Beyond this, given that mitochondria are increasingly being elucidated by cutting-edge techniques including microscopy (5, 6), they serve as a strong topic to expose students to innovative tools currently in the field. In this article, we present the design and outcomes of a workshop aimed at improving middle school students’ knowledge of mitochondria and their various three-dimensional (3-D) structures, including unique forms such as megamitochondria, while simultaneously fostering hypothesis-forming skills.

The importance of early intervention in middle school STEMM education, particularly for underrepresented students, is especially critical in molecular and physiological subjects. These topics form the foundation for understanding complex biological processes and serve as a gateway to advanced courses and research in biochemistry, genetics, and cellular biology. Here, we define underrepresented per National Science Foundation Guidelines, as women, persons with disabilities, Black, Hispanics, and American Indians or Alaska Natives (7) are well reported to consistently have lower recruitment and subsequent retention in STEMM due to a “leaky” pipeline (8). Underrepresented students often face unique challenges in these subjects, such as a lack of exposure to advanced scientific concepts, limited access to laboratory equipment, and inadequate mentorship, which can hinder their academic success and diminish their chances of pursuing careers in molecular and physiological sciences (9). Practical approaches to pedagogy have been shown to be effective in increasing students’ educational outcomes (10). By implementing targeted early-intervention programs, such as the mitochondria workshop described in this study, educators can create a more inclusive learning environment that fosters the engagement and understanding of underrepresented middle school students in molecular and physiological subjects. We targeted middle school students due to serving as a critical junction before high school entry, currently at a midpoint in the K-12 education system, as well as past studies indicating that middle schoolers have a strong preference and learning retention with multisensory instructional techniques as opposed to traditional techniques (11). For this workshop, we expected students to know the basic function of mitochondria but little beyond this. Thus this workshop centered on evaluating their critical thinking skills by connecting different topics in physiology to begin formulating working hypotheses about the nature of cellular organelle structures. By enhancing students’ knowledge, boosting their confidence, and providing them with the essential tools to think critically and form hypotheses, these interventions can nurture their scientific curiosity and ultimately increase the likelihood of underrepresented students pursuing careers as molecular and physiological scientists, researchers, and healthcare professionals in the future (12).

Research has shown that incorporating 3-D learning tools and hypothesis-driven approaches can significantly enhance students’ comprehension of challenging topics and promote a deeper understanding of the subject matter (13, 14). Previous studies have found that hands-on learning experiences for middle schools have both increased interest in STEMM activities as well as proved enjoyable to students (15). Similarly, after-school programs focused on hands-on and practical STEMM activities for middle schoolers result in increased interest in majoring in STEMM careers in college (16). Beyond only increasing enjoyment and interest, hands-on activities have been shown to increase academic achievement in many cases (17). However, many of these workshops took place over several days and were intensive, out-of-school programs. Here, we sought to evaluate the effectiveness of a single-day in-school workshop. The incorporation of 3-D models and visualization tools has been shown to greatly enhance students’ understanding of complex biological structures and their functions (13). Specifically, the use of physical and digital 3-D models can facilitate the comprehension of spatial relationships, promote active learning, and stimulate critical thinking skills (18). While the scientific process goes far beyond hypothesis (see Adaptations for Increased Rigor for High School and Undergraduate Workshops), hypothesis formation as a mechanism of abduction (19) is typically not taught in schools; rather, hypothetico‐deductive processes are more often taught, which neglects the importance of hypotheses in favor of more traditional results-oriented design (20). Furthermore, hypothesis-driven approaches have been demonstrated to support students’ development of problem-solving abilities and facilitate a deeper understanding of the scientific method (14).

Therefore, in this illustration, we designed and implemented a workshop for middle school students that combined hands-on learning with 3-D models of mitochondria and hypothesis-forming activities to explore the structure and function of these vital organelles. Our primary goal was to assess if students enjoyed the workshop and therefore may have an increased interest in STEMM fields. Given that most middle school-level classes only teach about mitochondria abstractly, rarely using the newest technologies, we modeled the workshop around discussing current and relevant topics in the field for a more general audience, even if they had no prior knowledge of what mitochondria are. The workshop centered around group discussion and hands-on activity to encourage students to take many of the same steps they would take in forming a hypothesis in a collegiate laboratory. A secondary objective was looking at the effectiveness of this workshop in enhancing middle school students’ knowledge of mitochondria and their various structures, including megamitochondria, and promoting hypothesis-forming skills. The findings presented in this article shed light on the potential benefits of incorporating 3-D models and hypothesis-driven approaches in middle school STEMM education.

METHODS

We surveyed four classes of 7th and 8th grade students (n = 67) for qualitative data at four middle schools from a major southern city. These schools were chosen on the basis of previous approval in working with a pull-out STEM education program, which is a joint venture between the public school district and a major southern university. As such, this was a supplemental workshop that students took at the pull-out STEM education program. Due to the nature of the workshop, the sample size for each assessment varied, as students were given the option to submit their responses for analysis, but generally included around 20 students. In each workshop, two main scientists delivered the workshop, along with two to three additional scientists to assist students in the project, for a one-to-five instructor-to-student ratio.

The general student demographics who participated in the classes were 51% male, 44% female, 2% nonbinary, and 3% preferred not to disclose. The racial breakdown of students in the classes was 61% White, 22% Black, 10% Hispanic (or Hispanic/White), 3% Asian and/or Pacific Islander, 2% Middle Eastern, and 2% preferred not to disclose.

Workshop Framework

This workshop (Fig. 1) was administered by a group of scientists at Vanderbilt University from a variety of career levels who currently were engaged in mitochondrial research and knowledgeable about molecular dynamics and physiology. These diverse individuals were chosen to emphasize that becoming a scientist is attainable for all career levels no matter one’s cultural identity or background. We have devised the workshop based on our own findings about the 3-D reconstruction of mitochondria (21–24) and the findings of Glancy and colleagues (25) who show that mitochondria can dynamically respond to cellular needs with diverse phenotypes such as megamitochondria, hyperbranched, elongated, compact, nanotunnels, donut, and fragmented mitochondria. We based our teaching on these shapes, which were obtained from previously published articles focused on mitochondrial shape, structural implications, and components of mitochondria (3, 21, 25–27) (Fig. 2A). Given that most middle school-level classes only teach about mitochondria abstractly, it was expected that they knew little about mitochondria beyond their role as the powerhouse of the cell, marked by a spherical structure.

Figure 1.

Flowchart of workshop. Steps 1–9: visual display of workshop as well as estimated length of components in the workshop.

Figure 2.

Key activities in workshop. A: picture showing the mitochondrial structures that students attempted to match to the correct name. Full-size figures originally in Ref. 25. B: to reinforce learning, the workshop utilized a variety of hands-on activities including challenging students to draw and label a mitochondrion at the end of a workshop, here a mitochondria score “5” (see Fig. 3) is shown. C: drawing of diverse mitochondria phenotypes was performed by students. D–F: to better understand the 3-dimensional nature of mitochondria, students used clay to model mitochondria.

This workshop lasted for ∼2.5 h in total and a rough framework may be seen in Fig. 1, although the exact timing differs depending on class size and presenter. The framework for the mitochondria workshop aimed at middle school students begins with a preworkshop assessment of mitochondria shape. They are tasked with drawing a mitochondrion (Fig. 1, step 1) in as much detail as possible, based on their existing knowledge (Fig. 2B), which we later evaluated based on several criteria (Fig. 3). Specifically, just a basic shape that neglects features common to all mitochondria, including outer and inner membranes and cristae, were scored lower, while labeling features and including cristae resulted in a higher score.

Figure 3.

Pictorial scale of mitochondrial drawing by middle schoolers. In the case where a drawing falls between two criteria on the scale provided, the workshop coordinator assigned it to the score criteria it more closely reflects.

Following this activity, the workshop commences with an introduction to mitochondrial structure and function (Fig. 1, step 2). This was delivered through a lecture that emphasized student engagement through frequent questions. Students are briefly informed about the importance of mitochondria in cellular processes and are introduced to the concept of unique mitochondrial shapes and structures. From there, students are presented with pictures of unique shapes such as megamitochondria, hyperbranched, elongated, nanotunnels, donut, and fragmented and given 5 min in a free-speaking environment to guess their various names (Fig. 1, step 3).

Subsequently, a matching activity is conducted in which students receive a set of cards or a single image featuring different mitochondrial structures (Fig. 1, step 4). They were challenged to match each structure with its associated function(s) and shape(s) (Fig. 2C). Afterward, the correct matches were discussed as a group, and any misconceptions were clarified (Fig. 1, step 5). The workshop then transitions into a hypothesis-forming exercise where students are encouraged to guess the roles of various mitochondrial structures in different cellular processes, promoting critical thinking about the potential functions of each structure (Fig. 1, step 6).

To further solidify their understanding, students engage in a hands-on modeling activity using Play-Doh to create 3-D models of the different mitochondrial structures while being able to view the different shapes (Fig. 2, D–F), They were instructed to actively name the structures they are modeling and discuss their associated functions (Fig. 1, step 7). This activity allows students to visualize and manipulate the structures, thereby enhancing their comprehension of the topic.

Finally, the workshop concluded with a wrap-up session summarizing the key learning points and emphasizing the importance of understanding mitochondrial structure and function in the context of molecular and physiological sciences (Fig. 1, step 8). Here, while the focus remains on mitochondria, connections are drawn between the study of mitochondria and broader topics in cell biology, biochemistry, and genetics to demonstrate the relevance and importance of understanding mitochondria in the wider context of healthcare and biological sciences. Students are encouraged to continue exploring STEMM subjects and consider careers in related fields, inspiring a new generation of scientists and researchers. In the final component, students and teachers are also given the chance to give formalized and anonymous feedback (Fig. 1, step 9).

RESULTS

Qualitatively, the research team administering the workshop noticed that many students demonstrated active engagement during the activities. Students both took notes during the lesson and spent time with the Play-Doh, shaping the various mitochondrial structures. Administrators also noted that during the hands-on portions, students were speaking to themselves about the potential purposes of the structures, thinking about if other structures could exist, and pondering the role of mitochondria in potential disease states. Following the lesson, students were able to anonymously write down one thing they disliked and one thing they liked, as well as any additional comments they may have. Students responded that this generally increased their interest in mitochondria, with one student stating “I actually like mitochondria.” In qualitative interviews after the fact, some students remarked about the diversity in mitochondrial shape with one student stating, “Megamitochondria are so big compared to the others.” Another student remarked that “Nanotunnels are fun.”

The majority of students chose the different structures of mitochondria as the current information they had learned from this lesson (Table 1). One student stated they learned “how they can be different sizes but give different amount[s] of energy” suggesting that students were further considering the biological relevance of these different shapes and sizes.

Table 1.

Student feedback on the workshop

Answer	Number of Responses	Percentage (n = 67)
Student Responses to Things Learned
Different shapes/names mitochondria	44	66%
Blank/unclear answer	6	9%
Parts of mitochondria	4	6%
Mitochondrial general function	3	4%
Mitochondria size responds to environment	2	3%
Applications of Play-Doh for learning/fun	2	3%
Locations of mitochondria	2	3%
Mitochondria in pathology	1	1%
Increased confidence in intelligence	1	1%
Unsure	1	1%
Mitochondria are “cool”	1	1%
Student Responses to Thing They Disliked
Nothing	30	45%
Blank/unclear answer	9	13%
Using notecards/writing/showing work	6	9%
Making mitochondria shapes/a specific shape	4	6%
Unable to take Play-Doh/work home	3	4%
Having to learn	2	3%
Not interactive enough	2	3%
Lesson too fast/too long	2	3%
Smell/texture of Play-Doh	2	3%
Having to work with Play-Doh	2	3%
Could not look under microscope	1	1%
Having a short lunch	1	1%
Did not learn anything from lesson	1	1%
Too boring/ complex	1	1%
Having to use a pink marker	1	1%
Quotes from Students
Enjoyed speaker
The speaker really motivates me to learn science
This was a good interactive activity
The person was very nice to us and patient
He provided tips with examples
The speaker was very good and asked very good questions
Enjoyed activity/presentation
The presentation was very relevant and focused
This was a good interactive activity
This was a helpful activity
Really interesting and valuable presentation
Very dynamic talk and activity
I that the activity was very fun and fresh
Main ideas of the presentation were clear
Inspired
Very inspiring activity
I will try to teach others how to understand and develop their thinking around mitochondria
Suggestions
I would like to continue to have activities like this. Next time I would like to do bio three-dimensional printing
It would be good to do this for other organelle concepts
I would like the activity to be longer

In qualitative questionnaires following the lesson, one student stated “Do they exist in triangles?” Thus we can conclude that after completion of the workshop, students had a better understanding of mitochondrial function and a comprehensive overview of the variability of mitochondrial structure (Fig. 2). Students also responded positively to the lesson overall with multiple students stating that following the lesson they learned that “Mitochondria are cool.” Many students also stated that they liked the lesson with one student stating “I want to do this again. It should be like this with all of my activities.” Another student expressed that “I can’t wait to tell my parents about this experience.”

Students were also encouraged to share anything they disliked about the lesson, with their responses summarized below (Table 1). Students noted various reasons they were disappointed with the lesson, ranging from disliking recording answers on notecards, to disappointment they could not take the Play-Doh home with them. While students generally liked the instructors, some students had issues with them with one student stating “I like some of the instructors better than others. The lead instructor really cared about our learning.” Another student stated, “I wouldn’t say I liked this activity, except for the Play-Doh.” While these were the most negative sentiments, a plurality of students, however, said there was nothing they disliked about the lesson.

Overall, in postworkshop discussions with the students, students especially liked the speakers and the cohesive workshop (Table 1). Some students however wished the workshop was longer or had more activities included. When students (n = 19) were asked if the speaker answered questions appropriately, 100% agreed. Seventy-nine percent of students also felt that the knowledge was appropriate, although some individuals felt the workshop was too difficult. The vast majority (79%) of students also felt that this activity inspired them to seek out more information on this topic. Together, these responses indicate overall positive student reception.

DISCUSSION

The findings of this study underscore the importance of early intervention in middle school education, particularly in molecular and physiological subjects, to support increased involvement and retention of students in college-level STEMM courses and careers. The mitochondria workshop, designed for middle school students, may be utilized for an enhanced understanding of mitochondrial structure and function while simultaneously fostering hypothesis-forming skills. By targeting middle school students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, the workshop can bridge gaps in access to quality STEMM education resources and support systems. This firsthand approach, combining 3-D modeling with critical thinking exercises, not only bolstered students’ comprehension of the subject matter but also sparked their curiosity and interest in pursuing advanced STEMM subjects as demonstrated by their responses.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that students who receive effective K-12 STEMM education are more likely to pursue and succeed in college-level STEMM courses (12, 28). By providing middle school students with opportunities to develop their scientific inquiry skills and explore complex scientific concepts through firsthand activities, educators may be able to help increase the number of students who pursue STEMM degrees and careers. The common perception among most U.S. Americans is that STEMM is simply “too hard” to pursue (29). By leveraging early intervention, our workshop aimed to show middle schoolers that scientists are active in their community, topics of scientific study go beyond what is often learned in textbooks, and STEMM can be a viable career option. Here, while the focus was on mitochondria the workshop may easily be adapted to a range of organelles or adapted as a workshop series. However, importantly, while many past studies have utilized potentially resource-intensive multiday “camp” like activities, our results show that a 2.5-h workshop focused on a single topic can increase a sense of interest in students for the topic and the STEMM field, while also increasing their understanding of the concept area. This workshop can be delivered to all middle schoolers, but given its low cost, minimal time commitment, and positive feedback, it can be an important tool to expose underrepresented students to STEMM fields, especially if delivered by scientists who have a different gender or race than those typically displayed in textbooks.

Future Suggestions

In the future, this workshop may be aided by taking steps to increase the appeal to even more students, as our study did notice that while overall feedback was positive, some students were critical of the content. Therefore, additional hands-on components, such as 3-D-printed mitochondria structures could be supplemented. Additionally, while this study incorporated multimedia materials, activities could be supplemented with group activities to better illustrate the collaborative nature of science. In regard to student attention, here we have workshop coordinators give quick under 5-min breaks per student’s needs, but in the future, implementing structured breaks, such as between steps 5 and 6 in Fig. 1, can ensure student attention, especially for younger classes. Yet, even without formalized breaks and the relatively long time of the workshop, given the active nature of activities, we generally saw high student engagement throughout. Thus, while future workshops may add more activities, we believe the 2.5-h length of the workshop is optimal. Finally, many students responded positively to the speakers, who were local mitochondrial researchers at a nearby university. In environments where it is possible, we would recommend local researchers from nearby universities, or even community colleges, host the workshop to better show students that there are active scientists around them. Additionally, having researchers available allowed them to speak more in-depth in regard to their research, questions by the students, and how to get involved in the STEMM field. While it is strongly recommended in our experience to have researchers host the workshop, future workshops may be hosted by nonresearchers, as all information utilized by the workshop is publicly available (3, 21, 25–27).

Adaptations for Increased Rigor for High School and Undergraduate Workshops

While here we present this workshop specifically pertaining to mitochondria, our belief is that this workshop may be relevant to a range of students. This workshop may also be tailored in content and activities to be suitable for different age groups, from elementary school to high school, ensuring that the material is age-appropriate and meets the specific skill levels and interests of each audience. For undergraduates, there may be increased specificity by discussing the tissue-specific mitochondrial structure and how disease states alter mitochondria structure to accelerate pathophysiology. For high school students, there can be a greater focus on the organelles and mitochondria contact sites with reduced time spent on the modeling portion of the activity. Additionally, local university instructors or researchers could adopt a similar Socratic pedagogy and hands-on workshop in their own specific field and may find similar effectiveness in increasing knowledge and interest in pursuing a degree in science. For undergraduate and high school students, this can especially be combined with a wider group of facilitators from different research backgrounds in mitochondria, as they can discuss mitochondria from many different viewpoints beyond only structure, while also allowing for high schoolers and undergraduates to network and potentially get directly involved in joining a laboratory early on in their academic career. Additionally, here we focused on hypothesis forming as we believed it is well-suited to the short format of the workshop, since while inquiry is often easy for anyone, abductive hypothesis formulation is often not taught to middle schoolers (20). However, scientific inquiry also includes many aspects including designing studies to generate hypotheses, literature search of background, selection of adequate methods and study design, interpretation of results, and contextualization in the broader literature. For older students, future studies may investigate the impact of a similar workshop that devotes a longer period of time to independent or group-based research to familiarize students with these other aspects of the scientific process.

Limitations

This study has neglected to track students’ progress over time by conducting follow-up assessments several months after the workshop. This would help determine the long-term impact of the workshop on students’ understanding of mitochondria and their interest in pursuing STEMM subjects. We opted for a short questionnaire as students are more likely to respond (30), but a more in-depth survey that includes questions about students’ race, ethnicity, gender, and age and close-ended questions about mitochondrial function could allow for greater analysis and to determine if stratifications across populations existed in our study.

Beyond this, this workshop was limited to a single session on a single organelle; dynamic in-depth workshops such as the only one outlined here may be beneficial as a series that investigate multiple organelles and begin to highlight the interconnectedness of the various organelles of the body. Finally, we felt the workshop works best as a single 2.5-h session, but this may not fit into some class schedules; thus future studies may investigate the relative retention of a similar workshop split across two to three shorter periods.

Conclusion

In conclusion, here we present a potential framework to aid in educating middle schoolers about physiology in a hands-on way that may increase their enjoyment of science. In our overview of findings, while some students remained confused about certain shapes, many students went in with a very rudimentary understanding of even the standard shape of mitochondria, and the postworkshop feedback indicates a relatively high competency. As our society continues to face complex challenges requiring innovative solutions, it is essential to support and nurture the next generation of scientists and researchers by providing them with the necessary tools and experiences during their formative years to expose them to practical aspects of STEMM fields and increase their interest in joining it.

DATA AVAILABILITY

All data are available in the main text or the supplementary materials. Raw data available upon request.

GRANTS

The authors are supported by The UNCF/Bristol-Myers Squibb E.E. Just Faculty Fund (to A.H.), Career Award at the Scientific Interface (CASI Award) from Burroughs Welcome Fund (BWF) no. 1021868.01 (to. A.H.) and BWF Ad-hoc Award; National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Small Research Pilot Subaward 5R25HL106365-12 from the National Institutes of Health PRIDE Program (to A.H.), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Grant DK020593 and Vanderbilt Diabetes and Research Training Center for DRTC Alzheimer’s Disease Pilot & Feasibility Program DK020593 (to. A.H.); and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) Science Diversity Leadership Grant No. 2022-253529 from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation (to A.H.). The funder had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

DISCLOSURES

No conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, are declared by the authors.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS

A.G.M., K.N., C.V., D.J.M., Z.C., and A.H. and conceived and designed research; A.G.M., K.N., Z.C., and A.H. performed experiments; A.G.M., K.N., Z.C., and A.H. analyzed data; A.G.M., K.N., Z.C., and A.H. interpreted results of experiments; A.G.M., K.N., Z.C., and A.H. prepared figures; A.G.M., Z.C., A.H., and drafted manuscript; A.G.M., K.N., D.S., E.G.-L., Z.V., H.K.B., Y.J.D., D.C., L.F., A.A., E.C.S., E.S., B.O., C.V., D.J.M., Z.C., and A.H. edited and revised manuscript; Z.C. and A.H. approved final version of manuscript.