Abstract

The concept «cell» is fundamental in Biology for the understanding of many biological and biotechnological phenomena. Empirical research shows that the consideration of students conceptions is of high relevance for successful teaching-learning-processes. Our study investigates the pre- and post instructional conceptions of chilean secondary students about «cell», «living being» and the relation between them. The results show that, even after instruction, many students are incapable to link characteristics and functions of living beings with characteristics and functions of cells, making difficult the understanding of the cell as the basic structural and functional unit of life.