ERIC Number: EJ956466
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Dec
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1043-4046
EISSN: N/A
The Core Principles ("Big Ideas") of Physiology: Results of Faculty Surveys
Michael, Joel; McFarland, Jenny
Advances in Physiology Education, v35 n4 p336-341 Dec 2011
Physiology faculty members at a wide range of institutions (2-yr colleges to medical schools) were surveyed to determine what core principles of physiology they want their students to understand. From the results of the first survey, 15 core principles were described. In a second survey, respondents were asked to rank order these 15 core principles and, independently, to identify the three most important for their students to understand. The five most important core principles were "cell membrane," "homeostasis," "cell-to-cell communications," "interdependence," and "flow down gradients." We then "unpacked" the flow down gradients core principle into the component ideas of which it is comprised. This unpacking was sent to respondents who were asked to identify the importance of each of the component ideas. Respondents strongly agreed with the importance of the component ideas we had identified. We will be using the responses to our surveys as we begin the development of a conceptual assessment of physiology instrument (i.e., a concept inventory). (Contains 7 tables.)
Descriptors: Medical Schools, Physiology, College Faculty, Teacher Surveys, Scientific Principles, Educational Needs, Needs Assessment, Fundamental Concepts, Interest Inventories, Teacher Attitudes, Educational Objectives
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A