Teaching and learning cell division processes (mitose) for second year high school students

Abstract

Abstract: The work aimed to evaluate the importance of the practical class after the theoretical class, on cell division (Mitosis) for 30 students of the second year of high school. The work was carried out in March 2019 at the Didactic Laboratory I, at the State University of Mato Grosso, Carlos Alberto Reys Maldonado (UNEMAT). The class was divided into two stages. In the first stage, a theoretical class on cell division was given, at the end, a questionnaire was applied where students identified the images of dividing cells (Interphase, prophase, anaphase, metaphase and telophase). In the second stage, a practice was carried out with the students, with the visualization of the mitotic cells of Allium cepa in an optical microscope with a 40x objective. In the results obtained from the questionnaires, statistical data were obtained below 60% of correct answers in the identification of mitotic cells using only the theory. After the practical class, the students obtained results above 80% of correct answers for the same questionnaire applied. It is concluded that with the practical class followed by the theoretical class, more satisfactory results were obtained for the students' learning. Thus, didactics involving theory and practice is important and recommended for classes in the study of the cell cycle.

Keywords: Cells, Learning, Students.