An educational innovative pilot project on Portuguese professional schools:

1
An educational innovative pilot project on
Portuguese professional schools Multimedia
Didactic Material on Plant Genetics and
Biotechnology Lima, M. Alexandra Abreu, M.
Filipa and Silva, Márcio Departamento
Protecção de Plantas/ Estação Agronómica Nacional
INIA, 2784-505 Oeiras, Portugal Instituto
Virtual/ISQ 2781-951 Oeiras, Portugal
(maa_at_sapo.pt) (MFAbreu_at_isq.pt)

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS The Portuguese identified
educational situation of an absence or inadequacy
of pedagogic contents concerning plant genetics
and biotechnology topics, has challenged us and
teachers from schools to engage on this Pilot
Project, included on the specific Aid Programme
for Research Projects on Educative Domain 2001
from the Educational and Grants Section of
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian (Lisbon). The
project aims are, succintly 1)identify and
surpass difficulties that students meet while
attempting to comprehend issues of biotechnology
2) development of new teaching materials on
these issues, covering areas of knowlegde
application on various activities sectors (eg.
agri-food, environment, health, raw-material
industries). Outcomes may be expected to occur at
both instructional and citizenship levels.

METHOD Project team includes five Portuguese
secondary professional schools (mainly
agricultural and rural development ones), located
all over the country and covering a range of
rural, suburban and urban areas (Figure 1). These
are called enrolled schools (ES- green spots ,
figure 1). Other five secondary professional
schools (with similar curricula) that agreed to
collaborate as a control group, whenever
necessary during the pilot project, are
designated as collaborative schools (CS- red
spots, figure 1). Teachers were asked to select a
class within each school, and a total of 189
students (adolescents) are engaged on this pilot
project, being 94 from enrolled schools and 95
from collaborative schools. The Pre-test was
performed (May 2002) in order to study the
students initial conceptions. It was designed
with contributions given by some teachers This
pre-test has 4 groups of questions. (shortened
version -questions 2.2. 2.3., 3.3. Here
omitted) (1) The 20th century has seen great
advancements of Science and Technology, mainly on
Life sciences and technologies, or
biotechnologies, that are in accelerated
development. The advancements were particularly
important on Genetics field. 1.1. What does
genetics studies? 1.2. Which importance has
genetics for agriculture? (2) The awaited
novelty arrived on February 2001 the great book
of life, the human genome, had been completely
decoded, () 2.1. What means genome? (3)
Genetic engineering has been showing to be so
extraordinary, that their applications dont stop
growing. () 3.1. What means Genetic
engineering? 3.2. Explain by your own words
what does transgenics means? (4) Some
events of Science and Technology from 20th
century were spectacular () nowadays we receive
, through diverse communication channels, images
of () and of many other adventures of
Humankind. 4.1. Among the various communication
channels (Internet, Television, Radio, Written
press newspapers, magazines) of your access,
which of them has made you more information
available about genetics and biotechnology
themes? 4.2. Are these themes of your
interest? (underline your option) -Very much
-Reasonably -Few Project activities will be
focused on these educational content sections1.
ABC of genetics 2. ABC of genetic transformation
and plant biotechnology 3. Plant protection 4.
New products and substances 5.
Phytorremediation 6. Quality of plant 7. Law
and regulatory aspects, 8. Intellectual property
rights and patents. Within each section a set of
different activities are being scheduled both
inside and outside school (eg. guided-tours
web-portfolios and a opinion gallery for the
project web page) Web project page (under
construction at http\\www.institutovirtual.pt/ed
u-agri-biotec).

• Figure 1-Location of Portuguese schools of this
  project.
• Green- five enrolled schools
• Red- five collaborative schools

FINDINGS Pre-test results reflected that
students scientific awareness was incomplete,
with some ideas correct, others quite wrong. Our
interest was on main ideas and understanding held
by these students, rather than on frequency of
scientifically full correct answers. From
pre-test total set of 10 questions analysed, a
brief discussion implied that only the following
group of 6 questions were selected (according to
their focus -A to D) to be described A- with
focus on students awareness about scope and
importance of genetics for agriculture were
investigated questions 1.1.What does genetics
studies?, and 1.2. Which importance has
genetics for agriculture? Relevant data
Genetics- from responding students around 60 per
cent indicated genes, and usage of other
correct terms (and implicit ideas) are on Table
I Genetics importance for Agriculture- two
thirds (66,5 per cent) of responding students
stated correctly its role in Plant
Breeding/Improvement, and were aware of other
features involved such as Yield, Disease
Resistance, Stress tolerance (see Table II). B-
with focus on students awareness about
scientific terms, such as genome and
transgenics, were studied questions 2.1.What
means genome?, and 3.2. Explain by your own
words what does transgenics means? Relevant
data Genome- almost six out of ten (59 per cent)
responding students connected correctly genome
with an idea of a total set of genes or of DNA
(see Table III)Transgenics- again, almost six
out of ten (59 per cent) responding students
associated transgenics with genetically
altered/transformed living cells/beings, and
curiously around 8,3 per cent used the
designation Made in laboratory (see Table IV).
C- with focus on students source of information
about genetics and biotechnology, among various
Media channels, was investigated question 4.1.
Relevant data Main sources are Television (TV),
in agreement with results obtained by
Simmoneaux(2000), and Internet (WWW) being Radio
a insignificant source (Graphic 1). D- with focus
on students motivation\interest level on
genetics and biotechnology, was performed
question 4.2 Relevant data Majority among
responding students expressed medium interest
followed by some very interested, being those
with few interest only 13 per cent of them (see
Graphic 2).

Graphic 1- Distribution of responses concerning
source of information given in question 4.1.,
by the set of students (Note these responses are
not mutually exclusive) (total of 189 students)
Graphic 2- Level of Interest declared on
responses to question 4.2., by the set of
students (total of 189 students)
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS In agreement with Simmoneaux
(2001) statements Biotechnology is not a
scientific discipline as such but a combination
of several sciences and techniques. ()
Biotechnology applications raise questions in
several areas, including ethics, sociology,
economy, ecology, regulation and politics. we
consider very important and useful, all actions
and measures, even small ones, aimed to guide and
help students to comprehend basic information
that could, in future, enable and facilitate them
to perform thoughtful decision-making processes,
for a full citizenship.
REFERENCES Simmoneaux, L. (2000). A study of
pupils conceptions and reasoning in connection
with microbes, as a contribution to research in
biotechnology education. ? Int. J. Sci. Educ.
22(6) 619-644. Simmoneaux, L. (2001). Role-play
or debate to promote students argumentation and
justification on an issue in animal transgenesis.
Int. J. Sci. Educ. 23(9) 903-927.
Financed by
Acknowledgements Authors wish to express their
acknowledgements to all the schools communities
that have accepted our invitation to participate
on this pilot project, and that are performing
crucial tasks with their students. Our
Acknowledgements are also extended to all other
project colleagues and technicians working on our
Cd rom and Web project page (under construction).
Finally, but equally important, are our
acknowledgements to Fundação Calouste
Gulbenkian, by their financial support to the
project, and by trusting in us to perform this
challenging project.