Epistemological obstacles in teaching and learning cellular respiration

Abstract

In this study, we present a didactic analysis of the impact of epistemological obstacles -identifed by various studies over the past 30 years- may have on the learning of biochemical models of cellular respiration. Epistemological obstacles refer to general reasoning patterns that shape people’s conceptions on diferent topics, such as teleology, essentialism, and linear causal reasoning, among others. Our analysis aims to characterize these epistemological obstacles as they underlie the conceptions that emerge in the teaching and learning of cellular respiration within the context of biochemistry education. This topic has been relatively unexplored from this perspective in biochemistry education research, particularly at the interface of biology and chemistry, where various alternative conceptions have been identifed. Similarly, the specifc process of cellular respiration -central to cellular metabolism and energy production in living organisms- has received limited attention from this viewpoint. Furthermore, in this article, we propose strategies to address these epistemological obstacles in educational settings, with a specifc focus on cellular respiration. We argue that surveying and characterizing these epistemological obstacles in biochemistry education can support the development of teaching strategies that efectively address them in science classes, fostering metacognitive vigilance and conceptual understanding.