BERG: Research evidence review: rethinking how we teach photosynthesis

Food chains, ecosystems and life as we know it depend on the ability of solar powered producers to pluck carbon out of thin air and turn it into food. Yet research and experience suggest photosynthesis in school science is often regarded as dry, challenging and uninteresting by learners and teachers. Here we present findings of a review of 50 years of science education research evidence on teaching and learning about photosynthesis. We discuss the sources of difficulty for learners, common misconceptions, some useful teaching approaches, and propose a new research-informed model akin to Johnstone’s triangle in chemistry to help teachers and learners make better sense of photosynthesis and its importance. At the end of the session, attendees will: •Have a sense of the main themes in the research evidence on teaching and learning about photosynthesis. •Better understand reasons behind the high challenge of, and low engagement with, the topic. •Appreciate the need to develop joined-up thinking about photosynthesis and its importance across multiple levels of abstraction from the biochemical level to the ecological level. •Take away evidence-based ideas to inform practice.