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Governance and regulation of the use of live animals in research and teaching is examined in Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan and India. A comparison of the systems in different countries will enable the determination of best practice and fit-forpurpose regulation. The most comprehensive government regulation of animal welfare in institutions covers a broad range of animals and institutions are required to have an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, whose membership is specified in guidelines or regulations. The work of the Committees is rigorously overseen by government and facilities that use live animals are audited externally. All countries examined have legislation governing the use of live animals in research, although only Australia and Malaysia have a fully equivalent mandated oversight of teaching. Teaching that uses live animals is partly covered in the Philippines, Japan, Singapore and Thailand This paper thus aims to review the regulation of animal use in different Asian jurisdictions in order to determine best practices that are appropriate to those settings. The most comprehensive oversight is provided in Australia and Malaysia that essentially use the same regulatory framework.

In Australia, a significant number of students enrol in first-year university biology without the benefit of high school biology. In order to help students support each other, the authors of this paper (a central unit academic developer and a biology coordinator of first-year biology) created a classroom activity that facilitated the distribution of the more experienced students of biology throughout the practical work groups. An important feature of this creative design for forming groups, called the GLO Activityin this paper, was the embedding of two of the University's key teaching and learning priorities within the activity. These were the University's eight graduate learning outcomes (GLOs) and, inclusive education practice. We discuss creative pedagogies in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and their link to supporting students in their first year of university study. We explain our scholarly thinking behind the GLO Activity and evaluate its impact. Finally, we reflect on how we, the educators, found satisfaction in thinking deeply to create a new learning structure for a biology practical class that solved one teaching challenge but also met a number of the University's curriculum principles.

Menstrual health literacy has a direct impact on young peoples' quality of life, health, academic and professional performance. In Australia, the key learning area of Health and Physical Education [HPE] provides opportunities for students to develop menstrual health literacy. This paper reports on the findings of a survey of 5007 young Australian women aged 13-25 on their experiences of menstruation, dysmenorrhea and education. The discussion herein relates to the qualitative component that asked the question 'What was the most useful information about menstruation received in HPE [Health and Physical Education] class?' Applying a thematic analysis to the data, three key themes emerged. These include: (a) it's all just biology; (b) the cause but not the effect, and; (c) too little, too late. The findings suggest limitations in educational approaches taken by teachers potentially resulting in poor menstrual health literacy portending long-term negative health consequences for some individuals.

Research from the fields of science representation, genre pedagogy and disciplinary literacy for adolescents indicates that achievement for students, including those from linguistically diverse backgrounds, will improve if they engage with the meaning-making conventions of disciplinary texts, but there is no current agreement on the nature of teaching practices for supporting such work. This paper reports on the pedagogical changes that occurred when a high-school biology teacher was supported to develop knowledge about systemic functional linguistics and to use genre pedagogy. The case study of one biology teacher discussed here demonstrates that student participation in dialogue about the language patterns of scientific texts improves when the teacher uses genre pedagogy during text deconstruction. Student involvement in dialogue about content area language increases when the teacher focuses on specific parts of texts, prepares students for what to look for within texts, and elaborates on student input. Preparation included converting language to everyday meanings, while elaboration involved recasting to academic language, as well as prompting to reword and expand meaning.

Are there neurobiological reasons why we are willing to trust other people and why "trust" and moral values such as "care" play a quite pivotal role in our social lives and the judgements we make, including our social interactions and judgements made in the context of schooling? In pursuing this question, this paper largely agrees with claims made by Patricia Churchland in her 2011 book "Braintrust". She believes that moral values are rooted in basic brain circuitry and chemistry, which have been shaped over evolutionary time. However, these naturalistic claims raise important issues, including the standard philosophical objection that they fall victim to the naturalistic and/or deontic fallacies. This paper provides an overview of the neurobiology of trust and examines some of the main objections, in the belief that recognising the neurobiological substrate of care and trust can deepen our appreciation of the role these play in education.

This paper provides a brief introduction to teaching strategies that can be used to support English as Additional Language (EAL) students in learning biology terminology. The paper begins with an overview of EAL students and considers the difficulties that they may face in the classroom along with the challenges that mainstream teachers may have when teaching EAL students. Then, an outline of strategies identified in the literature as promoting effective learning of biology terminology is discussed and critiqued. Next, some feedback and suggestions about how to support EAL students learning biology terminology is offered by an experienced teacher of both biology and EAL students. This paper focuses on these strategies (and others found in the literature) and discusses how they can be implemented, why they are effective, and how these strategies can be modified and enhanced.

This paper investigated the use of term recall and recognition tools for learning terminology and concepts in a senior biology classroom. The paper responded to a set of research questions from a teacher researcher perspective, making use of data collected from the teacher researcher's classrooms over several years, based on the implementation of two teaching strategies. Findings indicated that while looking for a teaching procedure to support a specific purpose may seem a simple task, in reality it was a complex task. However, the complexity lead to a greater awareness of the teacher researcher's teaching practice and inspiration to develop ideas for new and enhanced practice.

In this paper, we propose computational scientific inquiry (CSI) as an innovative model for learning important scientific knowledge and new practices for "doing" science. This approach involves the use of a "game-like" virtual world for students to experience virtual biological fieldwork in conjunction with using an agent-based computer model to enable computational inquiry activities. After an overview of literature into learning about scientific inquiry and the use of virtual worlds and game-like systems for learning science, we provide a description of the technology systems we developed and the methods of the study. The results are reported of a two-week intervention involving the use of a CSI approach in two eighth-grade classes that found significant learning gains by students. The paper concludes with a discussion of the findings and a consideration of CSI more generally for learning important and difficult scientific knowledge and practices.

The topic of living things is ideal for exploring the ideas of children in the early years of school. Preschool and primary school teachers are reasonably confident with the subject matter and all children will have had some life experiences that contribute to their prior knowledge. For this reason, the question 'Is it alive?' is one that Foundation-year students will be ready to engage with. The diversity of living things and non-living artefacts that children have encountered in their everyday lives provides a rich foundation for discussion. Engaging children in talking about familiar topics is a good way to support emergent science ideas and the development of scientific thinking and inquiry skills. This paper presents a sequence of learning tasks comprising about one hour of lesson time from a unit of work for Foundation-year students. Emphasis is placed on supporting children to develop the science inquiry skill of communicating with a focus on early argumentation. Talk with fellow students and adult teachers supports children expressing their ideas and observations with reasons and evidence, a practice central to science communication (Russell & McGuigan, 2016). The learning experiences featured occurred early in Term 1 of the school year in two kindergarten classes. Both groups of children were involved in learning about living things and their survival needs. In this all-girls school, a science specialist (author) taught each class collaboratively with their classroom teacher.

STEM is about the integration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. To teach STEM effectively, students need practical examples of subject integration. A good example is the use of an electron microscope in teaching physics and biology. An electron microscope is an instrument in which the operation depends on electromagnetism and quantum mechanics, in particular wave-particle duality. In teaching physics, an electron microscope can be used to measure the separation of repeated structures that give rise to interference phenomena. This paper describes the use a tabletop scanning electron microscope to teach physics and biology together through imaging butterfly wings. Students are able to identify structures with a spacing comparable to visible light on butterflies exhibiting structural colour and much larger spacing on wings without structural colour.

Adding to concerns about falling participation rates in science education, the profile of certain student groups who go on to study decreases, particularly as the year level increases. The aim of this paper is to examine if, and in what ways, demographic factors predict students' post-16 participation in biology, physics, chemistry and earth/space sciences. The study was conducted in Australia, drawing on data from over 4,300 students. Characteristics of focus include students from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds, indigeneity and gender. Outcomes of this study indicate that SES predicts participation in post-16 science subjects in each science domain. Indigenous status was a negative predictor of student participation in biology, physics and chemistry, but not earth/space sciences, where there were no significant differences in participation. Gender is a significant predictor in biology and physics participation, but not chemistry or earth/space sciences. Drawing on Bourdieusian perspectives, the authors discuss associations between participation and access to cultural, social and science capitals. Implications for the ways in which students' capital may impact their subject choices and how capital may be enhanced, are explored.

This paper describes students' experience of participating in a case-based peer-assisted learning (PAL) program in order to examine whether the approach is pedagogically effective and likely to contribute to students' professional development. It presents the findings of a study which examined the integration of PAL and case-based learning (CBL) in a multidisciplinary radiologic biology unit as part of an undergraduate degree program in Radiography and Medical Imaging. The study indicated the value of students working together in small groups to prepare and offer a case-based tutorial for their peers, with the cases offering a focus for their research and teaching in the multidisciplinary context. Working in groups and peer teaching were the most beneficial aspects of the program for enhancing student learning. The program involved three episodes of peer assessment (assessing teaching, assessing learning and assessing contributions to group work), with the first of these contributing most to the program, though further development and exploration of the latter two aspects are needed. The integration of PAL with CBL provided a "real world" context for teaching and learning. Students recognised that interacting with peers would be an important aspect of their professional lives and that the program offered them opportunities to prepare for this. Implementation and evaluation of this approach with other groups of students in vocational and non-vocational courses would determine its broader pedagogical effectiveness.

Global progress has arisen from scientific advances and we currently live in the age of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); science as a way of increasing the knowledge base, technology as a means of manifesting the science, engineering as a way of building and creating with it, and mathematics to devise the language we use for science to explore new realities. Strengthening science-related economies requires more students to pursue STEM subjects which means that we need to retain them early in the education pipeline in order to strengthen knowledge-based communities and nations' economic growth. In Australia, however, there is a trend of more occupations requiring STEM skills while there is a declining interest in studying STEM subjects at secondary school. The disengagement of students from STEM subjects is most notable amongst girls towards the physical sciences such as physics and mathematics. When girls are considering life pathways at high school they generally view STEM subjects as difficult, leading to career pathways that are not aligned to their interests. With the exception of biology girls do not deem STEM subjects as relevant to improving the human condition. Moreover, the STEM subjects are not viewed as interconnected and contributing to areas of knowledge that impact our lives. To increase the accessibility of STEM subjects and STEM careers to enable students and unblock the pipeline into the work sector we need to rationalise how the STEM areas work together and impacts the fabric of life beyond the knowledge silos. In addition, as educators we need to show young people how STEM skills and learnings are integrated into areas such as psychology, economics, computing, and data science. In this paper we describe how a pilot of the "Growing Tall Poppies STEM" program (GTP) has enabled female high school students and (largely) female scientists at the University of the Sunshine Coast to explore the interdigitated nature of STEM subjects and psychology to support the understanding of how STEM skills are important, relevant, and life changing. By way of background, the GTP program framework was developed to encourage secondary students, particularly girls, to choose to study STEM subjects in their final years of secondary school by demonstrating (a) the relevance of these subjects to their everyday lives, (b) that girls are capable of STEM-related academic success, (c) that STEM subjects are career-empowering, by (d) providing examples that debunk the stereotypic expectations of female students and employees. This pilot project highlighted how the STEM skills of critical thinking, problem solving, and innovation can be used "beyond" traditional STEM disciplines such as psychology. In this regard, a group of four Year 10 girls were immersed in an applied social psychology laboratory in 2016 to participate in a genuine research investigation, and students were given autonomy to contribute and take charge of their own project question. Thus the girls experienced firsthand the interdisciplinary nature of STEM disciplines, and in this way STEM learnings were related to a broader range of applications and career paths for these students. While this pilot was the first university-high school GTP collaboration, pleasingly this group of students advised that they felt inspired to continue in their study of STEM subjects on their return to school, and indicated that they were more inclined to choose STEM subjects beyond Year 10.

This paper reports on an Action Research project that investigated the integration of Aboriginal and Western knowledge into science learning in a Montessori classroom in regional Queensland, Australia. Drawing on the local knowledge of fauna of community members, the study explored the teaching of science to 12 year 8-9 students in an Aboriginal independent high school in Queensland. The overall study covered 83 lessons that included an initial Short-beaked echidna study. It applied thematic analysis to data to explore the effect of this integrated approach on students' pride in heritage, cultural knowledge, learning and the Linnaean zoology taxonomy. Results revealed that the contextualisation of Aboriginal and Western science knowledge strengthened students' Aboriginal personal identity as well as identities as science learners and status of local Aboriginal knowledge.

This paper addresses how teachers can be trained to enable cumulative knowledge-building. It focuses on the final intervention stage of the "Disciplinarity, Knowledge and Schooling" ("DISKS") project at the University of Sydney. In this special issue, Maton identifies "semantic waves" as a crucial characteristic of teaching for cumulative knowledge-building; and Martin explores a "power trio" of intertwining linguistic resources which contribute to the creation of these waves. This paper draws on these complementary theoretical frameworks from Legitimation Code Theory and Systemic Functional Linguistics to explore their implications for teacher training. Specifically, it links one Year 11 Biology teacher's experience of new metalanguage and explicit pedagogy, in teacher training, to first attempts at classroom Joint Construction, a form of collaborative text creation. This paper then raises important issues regarding collaborations concerned with classroom interaction and knowledge-building practices. (Contains 4 tables and 8 figures.)

In this paper, we examine students' reflections about the value of two photo-sharing activities that were implemented in undergraduate Biology and Chemistry subjects. Both activities aimed, broadly, to provide support for authentic and meaningful learning experiences in undergraduate science. Although the activities were similar--both required students to capture and share images as part of an independent inquiry activity--students in the Biology case study were more positive, overall, than the Chemistry students in their evaluation of the activity. In this paper, we examine the findings from the two case studies in parallel to provide insight into our understanding of meaningful learning in undergraduate science. The results suggest that, for meaningful learning to occur, the learning activity needs to be well aligned with students' individual learning goals and with the objectives and characteristics of the course. In the two case studies examined in this paper, this alignment was successful for the Biology case study but less successful in the Chemistry case study. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)

This paper investigates the magnitude of difference of academic achievement scores by language of instruction of prior education and the magnitude of interaction between language of instruction of prior education and students' preferred learning trait on academic performance of a group of international students in two teaching and learning practices. The magnitude of difference and magnitude of interaction were determined by using Cohen's "d" with Hedges "g" correction. Coe's spread sheet was used for the analysis. The study showed that the magnitude of difference of academic achievement score was found to be "very small" on Traditional method of Teaching and Learning (TTL) and small on Problem-Based method of Learning (PBL). However, the magnitude of interaction between language of instruction of prior education and learning traits varied from very small to large. It is a challenging task to accommodate international students from different language background and optimize the whole learning process in an English speaking teaching and learning environment.

This paper investigates various approaches to learning and their effect on performance of a cohort of international students in two different pedagogical environments. The effect of approaches to learning on performance was determined by using Cohen's "d" with Hedges "g" correction. Coe's spread sheet was used for the purpose. The study showed that the magnitude of difference in the effect of approaches of learning on performance varied from "very small" to "medium". Teaching international students from diverse educational, linguistic and cultural backgrounds is a complex task. Students from different cultural backgrounds tend to exhibit greater diversity in their approaches to learning. Appropriate teaching strategies are suggested to use to enhance the learning process of international students. An understanding about the magnitude of difference in performance of students with various approaches of learning helps to optimize the learning environment.

This paper explores teacher education through a self-study approach to researching practice. The development of the notion of tensions--in this case, the tension between confidence and uncertainty--is used as a way of understanding the complex nature of teaching and learning about teaching with a focus on teacher education practice. The paper is organised so that each section illustrates a particular concern or issue arising from an examination of practice by posing questions about the particular aspect of practice under consideration. The paper illustrates how the results of self-study research can help to build confidence both individually and collectively among the teacher educator profession, so that genuine change in teacher education practices might be enacted in teacher education programs.

This paper explores the teaching of beauty therapy in the Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. It uses the theoretical concept of bio-power to examine how the body is compliant with intimate treatments in the name of beauty. Bio-power makes visible the anatomical and biological transformation and re-formation of the human body. Bio-power constructs and is in turn constructed by the work of beauty therapy teachers in the practice of transforming the body, regulating the physical functions of the body and disciplining the choices of teachers working with training packages. Through this conceptual framework, a unit of competency is analysed to determine the association of bio-power with two training packages when teaching beauty therapy. It will show that working intimately with the human body from the inner mechanisms at the cellular level to managing the therapist/client relationship is both physically and emotionally laborious. Consequently, the two training packages that are meant to frame and conceptualise this work may not provide adequate explanations of its complexity.

In many countries there remain substantial sex differences in enrolments in elective science courses, despite concerted efforts in recent years to alleviate them. This paper explores the reasons for these differences by comparing models of male and female enrolment intentions in elective courses in biology, chemistry and physics. The models are based on responses from approximately 450 students from 5 Australian high schools. First, a theoretical model, the Science Enrolment Model, was derived from Eccles and colleagues' General Model of Academic Choice. Students' responses were then used to develop empirical models of enrolment intentions in the three elective courses. Analyses for the models were conducted using the LISREL "mean structures" extension. Sex differences in the dependent variables in the models were then attributed to the relevant sets of independent variables. Substantial sex differences were identified in measures of perceived career value, interest and performance expectations in all three models which explained between 70% and 82% of the sex differences in enrolment intentions. (Contains 1 table and 5 figures.)

In this paper, insight into forensic science students' experiences of a case-based scenario with an interdisciplinary guided-inquiry experience in chemistry and biology is presented. Evaluation of student experiences and interest showed that the students were engaged with all aspects of the case-based scenario, including the curriculum theory components as well as the active learning within interdisciplinary laboratories. Working in groups of three during laboratories was favored by students, but mixed responses for group assessment were observed. Since the introduction of the case-based scenario, sustained improvements in student assessment outcomes were observed. Questionnaire respondents indicated a strong interest in case-based learning. We propose a methodology framework for the case-based scenario investigation in forensic science and discuss the student experiences and improved learning occurring with the scenario involving an interdisciplinary guided-inquiry experience in chemistry and biology. This work suggests that an interdisciplinary guided-inquiry learning approach, ideally contextualized within a case-based scenario, is adaptable to other science discipline combinations.

In a global climate increasingly shaped by neoliberal agendas that privilege meritocratic individualism, it is apparent that society as a whole and educational policy-makers and practitioners in particular expect students to take more "responsibility" for their own learning and behaviour at school. In the Australian context, as elsewhere, schools are seen as sites in which students should develop and practise responsibility for self and others in ways that are enterprising, productive, civic-minded, and in accordance with social norms. Yet, few studies have critically examined how the concept of responsibility features in the everyday, taken-for-granted, discursive practices of policy-makers, teachers and students. This paper discusses findings from an ethnographic study concerned with how the discursive constructions of responsibility in three regional Australian primary schools shape upper-primary students' understandings and experiences of responsibility for self and others. Using the theoretical insights of Michel Foucault, Emmanuel Levinas and Judith Butler to interpret data, I argue that gendered discourses of biological determinism and peer pressure work to reinforce the misconception that violence and irresponsibility are 'naturally' masculine traits.

This paper analyses some contemporary educational contexts that teachers should consider for their puberty education programmes and/or curricula, for primary and secondary school students. The educational contexts addressed here include significant international puberty education framework documents, socio-biological factors including earlier puberty and a developmental approach, demographic and technological factors, and school factors including what students want from such education, and its professional teaching standards. Teachers and course designers may use these educational contexts to guide their planning, accommodate students' needs and motivation, identify goals, processes and solutions, and respond to international policy directions encapsulating the accelerated change that is the spirit of the age.

A greater emphasis in school curricula on the technology of science would encourage teachers to engage their students more in practical work. This in turn might be expected to improve students' attitudes towards science and enhance cognitive outcomes. The paper presents findings from a study on first-year university students' school experience of, attitudes towards, and knowledge of, microscopy. The findings reinforce the general expectations alluded to above. They also draw attention to the importance of the lower secondary science experience--often a suboptimal one owing to a poor resource base--to the formation of student attitudes and cognitive development with respect to science.

At the present, human capital theory (HCT) and neuroscience reasoning are dominant frameworks in early childhood education and care (ECEC) worldwide. Popular since the 1960s, HCT has provided an economic understanding of human beings and offered strategies to manage the population with the promise of bringing improvements to nations. Neuroscience arguments added new ways to regulate human beings, and thus another "hopeful ethos" and investment into the future. In this paper, we examine different positive, life-improving, and hopeful takes on early childhood as forms of biopolitical government, which are closely related to the enhancement of individual capacities and the shifting problems of the neoliberal state. Curiously, this process, grounded on biological fatalism and naturalizing arguments, has led to new class categorizations and ways of social discrimination. We hence argue that even though a "hopeful ethos" is offered through the (bio)politicization of neurosciences, it has led to eugenic arguments by re-inscribing social and economic differences into differences in brain architecture. Finally, we aim to demonstrate that ECEC policy offers an example of how current policies govern through scientific evidence and softer forms of "government by example", at the same time moving the government of population into the home, and with that privatizing and personalizing self-investment.

This paper investigates the cognitive experiences of four religious students studying evolutionary biology in an inner city government secondary school in Melbourne, Australia. The participants in the study were identified using the Religious Background and Behaviours questionnaire (Connors, Tonigan, & Miller, 1996). Participants were interviewed and asked to respond to questions about their cognitive experiences of studying evolutionary biology. Students' responses were analysed using cultural analysis of discourse to construct a cultural model of religious students of science. This cultural model suggests that these students employ a "human schema" and a "non-human schema," which assert that humans are fundamentally different from non-humans in terms of origins and that humans have a transcendental purpose in life. For these students, these maxims seem to be challenged by their belief that evolutionary biology is dictated by metaphysical naturalism. The model suggests that because the existential foundation of these students is challenged, they employ a "believing schema" to classify their religious explanations and a learning schema to classify evolutionary biology. These schemas are then hierarchically arranged with the "learning schema" being made subordinate to the believing schema. Importantly, these students are thus able to maintain their existential foundation while fulfilling the requirements of school science. However, the quality of this "learning" is questionable.

Lack of clarity about assessment criteria and standards is a source of anxiety for many first-year university students. The Developing Understanding of Assessment for Learning (DUAL) programme was designed as a staged approach to gradually familiarise students with expectations, and to provide opportunities for the development of the skills required to successfully complete assessment tasks. This paper investigated the students' perceptions of the first two components of the DUAL programme, which assist first-year biology students to engage with stated assessment criteria and standards in order to develop their capacity to make judgements about scientific report exemplars, their peers' scientific reports and ultimately their own. The study found strong evidence (96% of responses) that the marking and discussion of exemplar reports with peers and demonstrators clarified expectations of scientific report writing. A key feature of this element of DUAL was the opportunity for structured discussion about assessment criteria and standards between peers and markers (demonstrators). During these discussions, students can clarify explicit statements and develop a tacit knowledge base to enhance their ability to judge the quality of others' work and their own. The peer review exercise (the second element of DUAL) was not rated as highly, with 65% of students finding the process helpful for improving their report. The negative reactions by a sizeable minority of students highlight the need to clearly communicate the expectations and benefits of peer review, with a focus on how the process of giving feedback to peers might benefit a student as much as receiving feedback on their own report.

This study used an interactive dynamic simulation of action potential to explore social practices of learning among first year undergraduate biology students. It aimed to create a learning environment that fosters knowledge building discourse through working with multiple concept-specific representations. Three hundred and eighty-nine students and twenty-four tutors from different tutorial classes in Queensland, Australia participated in the study. Students were randomly allocated to two experimental groups and a comparison group. In the experimental groups, pairs of students used the interactive simulation to explore action potential. Only one of the experimental groups received instruction that modelled the scientific and visual language conventions of the representations within the simulation. In the comparison group, small groups of students used a traditional paper-based activity. Students across all groups were audio recorded using a think-aloud protocol while completing the group activity. Individual learning gains in the experimental groups and the comparison group were similar. However, the experimental groups showed a significantly greater frequency of knowledge construction discourse that included explanatory answers, evaluations, interpretation, testing and synthesis compared to the comparison group, indicating a deeper understanding of action potential. Analysis of misconceptions on the post-test and tutors' reflections revealed that the experimental group receiving instruction modelling the scientific and visual language conventions around the representations had a better grasp of the terminology associated with the concepts compared with the other groups. The findings suggest that instruction focussing on the language conventions of concept-specific representations fosters the development of disciplinary discourse by transforming students' social practices of working with scientific knowledge.

Academics teaching large and highly diverse classes are familiar with the inevitable effect this has on promulgating teaching and assessment practices to "middle of the distribution", thus ignoring the distribution extremes. Although the literature documents a wide range of strategies for supporting poor-performing students in large class settings, very little work has been reported on catering for more capable students who may feel frustrated and poorly challenged in such settings. This paper reports on the introduction of alternative assessment tasks into two first-year science units of study, with the aim of providing more challenging learning opportunities for high-performing students. It analyses student engagement with and perception of alternative assessment, and concludes that such opportunities are well received by students, even when no additional marks are available nor special credit recognition given for completing an advanced task.

Background: The ubiquity, availability and exponential growth of digital information and communication technology (ICT) creates unique opportunities for learning and teaching in the senior secondary school biology curriculum. Digital technologies make it possible for emerging disciplinary knowledge and understanding of biological processes previously too small, large, slow or fast to be taught. Indeed, much of bioscience can now be effectively taught via digital technology, since its representational and symbolic forms are in digital formats. Purpose: This paper is part of a larger Australian study dealing with the technologies and modalities of learning biology in secondary schools. Sample: The classroom practices of three experienced biology teachers, working in a range of NSW secondary schools, are compared and contrasted to illustrate how the challenges of limited technologies are confronted to seamlessly integrate what is available into a number of molecular genetics lessons to enhance student learning. Design and method: The data are qualitative and the analysis is based on video classroom observations and semi-structured teacher interviews. Results: Findings indicate that if professional development opportunities are provided where the pedagogy of learning and teaching of both the relevant biology and its digital representations are available, then teachers see the immediate pedagogic benefit to student learning. In particular, teachers use ICT for challenging genetic concepts despite limited computer hardware and software availability. Conclusion: Experienced teachers incorporate ICT, however limited, in order to improve the quality of student learning.

Plant families are the level of the taxonomic hierarchy that many biologists use to organise their understanding of plant diversity. Consequently, from many perspectives, it is very useful to be able to recognise the major plant families "on sight". To this end numerous books and web sites have described and illustrated plant families, but few resources are available for students to test their recognition skills. The application described in this paper features an illustrated tutorial for 11 of the largest plant families in Australia (they cover over 50% of Australia's plant species), augmented with a series of interactive tests. The tests are organised in five groups of 20 high quality images. Each image is supplemented with optional hints to the main features of flower structure and an optional reminder of the family names. The web site is one part of an integrated series of activities to assist students to recognise some of the most important plant families and thus master a very useful practical skill. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)

Capitalising on areas in which teachers feel most comfortable, the teaching of Biology, environmental education or nature to young children can be an alternative way of introducing and understanding Science. A "Citizen Science" program currently being run by the University of South Australia (UniSA) may be an appropriate starting point. "Citizen Science" is research involving interested members of the public, including school groups and parents, who participate by collecting scientific data in collaboration with scientists and professional bodies. Following the success of two previous projects, "Operation Possum" and "Operation Bluetongue", the 2009 venture of "Operation Magpie" encouraged interested participants to access a website, where information was provided regarding magpie behaviour and bird watching. This paper reports on a series of lessons developed from the program to encourage teachers and students to understand how better to interact with wildlife in their backyards (UniSA 2009). (Contains 1 table and 2 photos.)

Although the important role of providing fieldwork experiences for students in the natural environment is now well-established within environmental education literature, there is still little research evidence to guide teachers in their choice of effective teaching strategies. This paper presents findings from an interpretive case study designed to investigate the value of combining experience-based fieldwork in a mangrove and coastal environment with reflective and metacognitive activities. Analysis of video recordings, researcher observation notes and interviews of a class of Year 11 biology students who participated in the activities resulted in the emergence of five themes. These themes together provided evidence of enhanced student environmental learning, and included student appreciation for various learning contexts, self-awareness of group learning processes, and awareness of the integration of cross-curriculum knowledge. The study supports and illustrates the contention that the most effective environmental learning experiences are likely to be those that integrate learning in the natural environment "with" classroom learning strategies.

Problem based learning (PBL) is a recognised teaching and learning strategy used to engage students in deep rather than surface learning. It is also viewed as a successful strategy to align university courses with the real life professional work students are expected to undertake on graduation (Biggs, 2003). Problem based learning is practised internationally, for example, in Europe, Australia and the United States (Dolmans et al., 2005; Savin-Baden, 2000; Schwartz et al, 2001). In this paper I report on implementing PBL tasks to replace conventional tutorial and laboratory sessions in three first year units during 2007 and 2008. I also describe participant unit coordinators' understanding of the changes required to shift their focus from "what the teacher is teaching" to "what the students are learning" and include student perceptions of PBL in these units. Generally unit coordinators perceive the implementation as successful and valuable to enhance the student learning experience. Student feedback on PBL is varied and ranges from enjoyment to resentment. (Contains 4 tables.)

Increasing the scientific literacy of Australians has become an educational priority in recent times. The "Science State--Smart State" initiative of the Queensland Government involves an action plan for improving science education that includes a Science for Life action. A desired outcome is for an increased understanding of the natural world so that responsible decisions concerning our future wellbeing can be made in an age of science and technology. Biotechnology is a technology that is having profound impact on our lives. This paper describes how 15-16 year old students and biology teachers revealed a mismatch in both attitudes and interests towards biotechnology between the students and teachers. The findings are of interest as the teachers are writing biotechnology into their work programs in response to new syllabus documents. The teacher's areas of interest did not match those of the students, possibly resulting in a curriculum the teachers want to teach, but the students do not want to learn. (Contains 4 tables and 2 figures.)

Gender differences in participation and performance at "high stakes" examinations have received much public attention, which has often focused on mathematics and science subjects. This paper describes the innovative forms of assessment introduced into mathematics and science subjects within the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) system. Results from these subjects are examined for patterns of gender differences in participation and performance over the period 1994-1999. A larger proportion of males than females studied all the VCE science and mathematics subjects except Biology and Psychology over this period. Based on study scores, females, on average, out-performed males in almost all VCE science and mathematics subjects in nearly every year from 1994-1999. As exceptions to the patterns, males out-performed females in Chemistry and Mathematical Methods. Results from a general ability test are used to question the legitimacy of gender comparisons in subjects in which enrolment is no longer compulsory. The data do not support simplistic conclusions about gender differences in participation and performance. (Contains 5 tables and 5 figures.)

Presents the idea that several points should be considered in animal dissection: (1) ethics; (2) the animal's position; (3) the law; and (4) the actual benefits to society. Recommends that students be carefully prepared for animal dissection. Contains 21 references. (DDR)

This research aims to investigate whether multi/inter-disciplinary research activities are related to research impact and publication counts of scholars. Since researchers with very high levels of multi/inter-disciplinarity might be able to target complex problems, we would expect them to receive more credits than their colleagues with a stronger disciplinary orientation. We analysed Web of Science (WoS) indexed publications of all associate and full professors from a random sample of Australian universities in physics, chemistry and biology (1980–2014). Australian Fields of Research (FoR) codes assigned to journals were used to calculate the diversification of authors' publications. The number of citations in the first 3 years, number of 10% most frequently cited papers, and citation impact percentile were used for impact assessment. A few indicators were used to measure the diversity including 'extent of diversification (ED)' (number of distinct FoR codes divided by the number of publications) and 'diversification ratio (DR)' (ratio of the publications falling outside the dominant code to the total number of publications). A total of 47.76% of biologists' publications, 35.23% of physicists' publications and 20.36% of chemists' publications were published in journals assigned to fields other than the Australian associate and full professors' fields. Publications from biologists had the largest values of diversification. Women (compared with men) and associate professors (compared with full professors) in chemistry, biology and overall were more probably to publish diversely. ED was negatively correlated with output and citation impact. DR also had a negative but weak correlation with the number of publications and 10% most frequently cited paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article summarises the careers of ten women who have made an amazing contribution to our knowledge of Australian coral reefs and their management, and how this contribution has been used by the Great Barrier Reef Committee (subsequently the Australian Coral Reef Society) to conserve and manage our reefs—an ongoing process in the face of climate change. This paper highlights the critical role that women have played in Australian coral reef science over the last 90 years, through documenting the biodiversity, ecology and functioning of coral reefs. The scientific contributions of ten outstanding women are summarised, along with how they broke down barriers by working on oceanographic vessels and undertaking research in remote areas, while also using their expertise to advocate for the management and conservation of Australia's diverse coral reefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attitudes of biologists in Australian universities towards teaching and research are compared with those of their British counterparts. Both prefer research to teaching, and four major problems in undergraduate education are analyzed in these terms. (MSE)

Ground pearls (Hemiptera: Margarodidae), so called for their shiny spherical cyst stage, are important root-feeding pests of a broad range of plants predominantly belonging to the family Poaceae. In the tropical and subtropical regions of eastern Australia, ground pearl species cause significant damage on sugarcane and turf grasses and have been identified at multiple sites of pasture dieback in Queensland. The potential impact of ground pearls on pasture production in Australia and elsewhere is largely unknown. This paper reviews Australian and international literature on the biology and management of this poorly understood group of pests. Ground pearls have several features that make control difficult, including a resilient cyst which provides resistance to drought and excessive moisture, a relative impermeability to insecticides, and ease of dispersal through movement of soil. Ground pearls can also modulate the period of encystment to survive adverse environmental conditions, with some species capable of surviving for years while disassociated from a host. No insecticide effectively controls ground pearl cysts. Biological control agents have been identified for some species; however, these pathogens are relatively ineffective on subterranean ground pearl cysts. Cultural control methods such as cultivation and fallowing have helped to reduce ground pearl populations in sugarcane. In turf, practices that maintain plant health such as adequate irrigation and nutrition can mask signs of ground pearl infestation. The paucity of research conducted on the biology and impact of ground pearls represents a constraint to improving management of this pest. Ground pearls are important pests of a broad range of plants predominantly belonging to the grass family (Poaceae). In eastern Australia, they cause significant damage on sugarcane and turf grasses, and have recently been found in pasture situations in Queensland, but their impacts are unknown. This work reviews Australian and international literature on the biology and management of ground pearls, finding that relatively little research has been undertaken and several knowledge gaps remain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Funded by the European Commission Horizon 2020 programme, the Lifepath research consortium aimed to investigate the effects of socioeconomic inequalities on the biology of healthy aging. The main research questions included the impact of inequalities on health, the role of behavioral and other risk factors, the underlying biological mechanisms, the efficacy of selected policies, and the general implications of our findings for theories and policies. The project adopted a life-course and comparative approach, considering lifetime effects from childhood and adulthood, and pooled data on up to 1.7 million participants of longitudinal cohort studies from Europe, USA, and Australia. These data showed that socioeconomic circumstances predicted mortality and functional decline as strongly as established risk factors currently targeted by global prevention programmes. Analyses also looked at socioeconomically patterned biological markers, allostatic load, and DNA methylation using richly phenotyped cohorts, unraveling their association with aging processes across the life-course. Lifepath studies suggest that socioeconomic circumstances are embedded in our biology from the outset-i.e., disadvantage influences biological systems from molecules to organs. Our findings have important implications for policy, suggesting that (a) intervening on unfavorable socioeconomic conditions is complementary and as important as targeting well-known risk factors, such as tobacco and alcohol consumption, low fruit and vegetable intake, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, and that (b) effects of preventive interventions in early life integrate interventions in adulthood. The report has an executive summary that refers to the different sections of the main paper., (Copyright © 2020 Vineis, Avendano-Pabon, Barros, Bartley, Carmeli, Carra, Chadeau-Hyam, Costa, Delpierre, D'Errico, Fraga, Giles, Goldberg, Kelly-Irving, Kivimaki, Lepage, Lang, Layte, MacGuire, Mackenbach, Marmot, McCrory, Milne, Muennig, Nusselder, Petrovic, Polidoro, Ricceri, Robinson, Stringhini and Zins.)

In an era of rapid technological advancement, it is easy to overlook those who established the knowledge base that underpins today's research programs. This paper traces the history of plant and soil nematology in Australia and New Zealand and recognises six pioneers who contributed significantly to its development, namely N. A. Cobb, R. C. Colbran, H. R. Wallace, A. F. Bird, J. M. Fisher and W. C. Clark. Collectively, these scientists described many unique and economically important nematodes, advanced our understanding of the biology and ecology of both plant-parasitic and free-living species, laid the foundation for many of the nematode control measures that are in use today and also contributed to the development of the discipline of nematology at an international level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst exotic invasive species are a major threat to natural and modified ecosystems around the world, management programs to reduce their impacts often fail due to a lack of information about their biology and how best to control them in various situations. This paper reviews the currently available information on the biology, distribution, and management options for the invasive weed Senecio madagascariensis Poir. (fireweed). In addition, we developed a model to predict the climatic suitability of this weed around the world based on the current climate. Senecio madagascariensis originates from southern Africa but it has been introduced to several other countries including Australia. Climatic suitability suggests that there are large areas around the world suitable for the weed's growth where it is currently not present. The weed poses a major threat to livestock industries in these countries through its ability to reduce pasture production and poison animals. A range of control techniques have been used to try and manage S. madagascariensis. This paper highlights how a better understanding of the biology of S. madagascariensis can help determine the most effective treatments to impose and to further develop integrated management strategies. Besides using traditional approaches, the use of competitive pastures and more tolerant livestock (such as sheep and goats) are some of the other options recommended as part of an integrated approach. On-going research to identify host-specific biological control agents is also considered a priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2022, the Society for Reproductive Biology came together in Christchurch New Zealand (NZ), for its first face-to-face meeting since the global COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting showcased recent advancements in reproductive research across a diverse range of themes relevant to human health and fertility, exotic species conservation, and agricultural breeding practices. Here, we highlight the key advances presented across the main themes of the meeting, including advances in addressing opportunities and challenges in reproductive health related to First Nations people in Australia and NZ; increasing conservation success of exotic species, including ethical management of invasive species; improvements in our understanding of developmental biology, specifically seminal fluid signalling, ovarian development and effects of environmental impacts such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals; and leveraging scientific breakthroughs in reproductive engineering to drive solutions for fertility, including in assisted reproductive technologies in humans and agricultural industries, and for regenerative medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethics deals with moral behavior in a professional context; ideally, it leads to a set of governing principles through which the appropriateness of any activity may be determined or assessed. Environmental ethics specifically deals with how humans interact with the biosphere. It is clear, however, that, as a species, we are failing in our duty of environmental stewardship. The encroachment of human activity into the natural environment is inexorable, and almost always deleterious. Any response to mitigate loss of taxa or ecosystems will have economic implications, and these are often considerable. In finding effective solutions, a process soon becomes political. In light of this we must reflect upon the leadership role that biologists have, especially our impact on policy development that pertains to natural resource management. Although our track record is no worse than any other professional group, biologists by way of training usually have a greater understanding of natural processes and must be prepared to articulate these publically. We have an ethical mandate to question decisions, policies and legislation that impact negatively upon biological systems: a mandate guided through logic, grounded in empirical science, and hopefully coupled with a deep understanding of the true value of both the living world and the physical world which sustains it. This paper uses Australian examples to demonstrate the frequent clashes between economics and biology, in anticipation that we should strive to achieve the underlying principles of sustainability, environmental stewardship and resource management in both daily decision-making and in long-term planning., (© 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd, ISZS and IOZ/CAS.)

The cultural keystone species theory predicts plant species that are culturally important, play a role in resource acquisition, fulfil a psycho-socio-cultural function within a given culture, have high use-value, have an associated naming and terminology in a native language, and a high level of species irreplaceability qualify for cultural keystone species designation. This theory was proposed as a framework for understanding relationships between human societies and species that are integral to their culture. A greater understanding of the dynamic roles of cultural keystones in both ecosystem processes and cultural societies is a foundation for facilitating biocultural conservation. Given such important direct conservation implications of the cultural keystone species theory, we reviewed the use of this theoretical framework across the literature to identify new directions for research. Most studies often emphasized the role of cultural keystones species in human societies but failed to provide a robust and reproducible measure of cultural keystone species status or direct test of the predictions of the theory and underemphasized their potential roles in ecosystem processes. To date, no studies that mentioned cultural keystone species tested the predictions of the theory. Only 4.4% provided a measure for cultural keystone status and 47.4% have cited or applied keystone designation to a given species without providing a reproducible measure for cultural keystone species. Studies that provided a measure for cultural keystone species primarily occurred in North America while few of these studies occurred in Australia and Europe with none occurring in Africa. As such, most cultural keystone species have been designated as such qualitatively based on researcher subjectivity while other studies have designated keystone species with quantitative indices of cultural importance, often incorporating researcher biases or measuring a few of the cultural keystone status predictors rather than all of them, indicating a lack of consensus in identifying cultural keystone species. Thus, we pose the need for a paradigm shift toward the development of serious and systematic approaches for keystone designation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian native colonial ascidian Eudistoma elongatum has spread throughout harbours and oyster farms in Northland, New Zealand. This paper summarizes results of a study on the biology, ecology and potential methods of control of this recently introduced species. Colonies were reproductive for nine months of the year and embryos were present in zooids at water temperatures above 14oC. Low salinity was most likely the cause of variation in reproductive status observed. Larvae were able to swim for up to 6 hours, and remain viable at temperatures as low as 10°C at salinities above 20 psu. Only acetic acid was effective at killing colonies. Control using heat or other chemicals was not feasible for shallow subtidal populations identified in the study. E. elongatum has the potential to spread further within already occupied harbours, and to more southern harbours in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Knowledge gaps exist for the interference of Avena ludoviciana and Argemone mexicana in chickpea grown in eastern Australia. Aims: This research aimed to examine the effect of different interference levels of A. ludoviciana and A. mexicana for their potential to cause yield loss in chickpea. Methods: Experiments were conducted in a randomised complete block design with five weed infestation levels of both weeds (none, low, medium, high, and very high) in three replications. Key results: Infestations of A. ludoviciana and A. mexicana at 15 and 17 plants m−2 caused an 83 and 48% reduction in chickpea yield, respectively, compared with weed-free situations. Based on the regression model, a 50% yield reduction of chickpea occurred at 10 and 17 plants m−2 of A. ludoviciana and A. mexicana , respectively. Based on the modified hyperbolic model, maximum seed production of A. ludoviciana and A. mexicana in chickpea at an infestation level of 1 plant m−2 was estimated at 366 and 7800 seeds m−2, respectively. At crop harvest, seed retention of A. ludoviciana and A. mexicana was greater than 50 and 90%, respectively. Conclusions: A. ludoviciana and A. mexicana infestation in chickpea caused a substantial reduction in crop yield. High seed retention in A. mexicana and A. ludoviciana in chickpea suggests the possibility to manage these two weeds through harvest weed seed control. Implications: The information generated from this study could help in strengthening integrated weed management in chickpea. Knowledge gaps exist for the interference of Avena ludoviciana and Argemone mexicana in chickpea in Australia. About 50% yield reduction of chickpea occurred at 10 and 17 plants m−2 of A. ludoviciana and A. mexicana , respectively. High seed retention in A. mexicana and A. ludoviciana in chickpea suggests the possibility to manage these two weeds through harvest weed seed control for strengthening integrated weed management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]