Photosynthesis—can our pupils see the wood for the trees?

Abstract

The usual classroom guided discovery approach to teaching and learning about photosynthesis frequently fails in its major objective, that is assisting pupils to understand photosynthesis as a carbohydrate-producing process. Many pupils are distracted by other unclarified teacher objectives (e.g. photosynthesis as foodmaking) and by problems with experimental procedures. A novel constructivistic approach, the generative learning strategy, is described. This approach encourages pupils to surface and discuss their out-of-school ideas about plant breathing, drinking, wood production, soil, minerals, leaves etc., and assists them to link appropriate ideas together to form an introductory explanation for the origin of plant materials. Classroom trials with a package entitled Where does the wood come from? are encouraging.