FORMATION OF GENETIC CONCEPTS IN STUDENTS THROUGH THE USE OF MODERN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract

The article clarifies the essential features of the concepts, in particular: «general biological concepts» – «cross-cutting » concepts that include knowledge about biological regularities occurring in nature and in living organisms. Biological concepts are the basis of school subjects, in particular: «Biology», «Biology and Ecology» and integrated natural science courses and the main form of knowledge and thinking of secondary education students; «genetic concepts» – special biological concepts formed within the section «Genetics». A methodology for the formation of genetic concepts in the process of studying the topic has been developed: «Heredity and variability». The author’s own «Genetic Simulator» using the LearningApps.org network service is proposed, which consists of interactive exercises, namely: «Genetic puzzles», «Now I know! », «Illustrating the concept», «I understand it! », «I know it! », etc. The levels of mastery of genetic concepts by senior pupils are distinguished in order to diagnose this quality, in particular: high (understanding of the interrelationships and relations of the nature of genetic concepts; ability to analyse, compare and generalise them, the necessity to find cause and effect relationships; ability to apply them in practical activities under different conditions), medium (understanding of the nature of genetic concepts, possession of skills and abilities to analyse and compare relevant genetic knowledge, apply them in cognitive and practical tasks, establish connections and relations between concepts), low (reproductive knowledge of genetic concepts, skills and abilities to reproduce them), high (reproductive knowledge of genetic concepts, skills and abilities to reproduce them). The effectiveness of the proposed methodology for the formation of genetic concepts in the process of studying the topic is substantiated and experimentally proved: «Heredity and variability» in relation to traditional learning. According to the results of the diagnostics, it was recorded that the experimental group has the following percentages: high level – +35.48%, medium level – +6.45%, low level – -41.93. No significant changes were observed in the control group.