Moroccan Science Student’s Understanding of Meiosis and Its Relation to Gene Transmission- A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Aims: This research aims to characterize the learning difficulties of students in genetics and to identify their misconceptions related to numerous concepts of genetics. It explores how students conceive meiosis and its relationship with gene transmission. Methodology: To analyze students’ understanding of meiosis and its relationship with gene transmission, we opted for a survey by questionnaire that was distributed to a sample of 384 university students were given written questionnaire. We also used the interviews to analyze in detail the learning problems of students in genetics and identify their erroneous conceptions on the subject of study (21 students). Results: The findings would show numerous alternative conceptions about gene localization on chromosomes, meiosis process, the relationship between meiosis and Punnet square. Thus, more than one-third of the students surveyed confuse chiasma with crossing-over; or they state that all chromosomes of maternal origin migrate to one pole and paternal chromosomes to the other (14.4%) or - the two cells formed receive the same genetic information because homologous chromosomes are genetically similar (19.6%). The relationship between meiosis and genetics was not understood by students. We find also that the students' scores are low, which shows that students find difficulties in understanding the basic cytological phenomena essential to understand the transmission of hereditary traits.