TABLE 3B.
Results from analysis of student open-ended responses to the second-tier prompt: “Defend your response”
| Major categories of students’ responsesa | No. of students grouped under each category
|
|
|---|---|---|
| General Microbiology | Bacterial Genetics | |
| Excellent response | 21 | 16 |
| Basic response, more required to indicate higher understanding | 9 | 0 |
| Students didn’t understand that selection is based on phenotypes | 28 | 1 |
| Student responses indicated that they did not understand that a change in phenotype is due to a change in genotype | 3 | 6 |
| Alternate conception was with the understanding of the differences between genotype and phenotype | 9 | 1 |
| Either student did not answer question or student response was completely off the mark | 3 | 0 |
a
Students’ open-ended responses were grouped in major categories.