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“Bacteria are not viruses; viruses are more malicious”: young pupils’ understanding of bacteria and viruses in the aftermath of COVID-19
University West, Department of Social and Behavioural Studies, Division for Educational Science and Languages. Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad (SWE).ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4663-9200
University West, Department of Social and Behavioural Studies, Division for Educational Science and Languages.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9355-2095
Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad (SWE).ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8735-2102
2023 (English)In: Journal of Biological Education, ISSN 0021-9266, E-ISSN 2157-6009, p. 1-14Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted immensely on individuals and societies around the world. This study aimed at delineating Swedish middle school (10?12-year-old) pupils? understanding of bacteria and viruses, thereby illustrating the influence of the pandemic at schools and in society. Data was collected by semi-structured, individual interviews and by asking pupils to draw images. Thematic coding of interview transcripts and content analysis of pupils? annotated drawings were used. The morphology of microorganisms from the drawings was often 'corona-like', with a round shape and with protruding parts. Viruses were commonly considered larger than bacteria, but sometimes also similar in size. Interrelationships between bacteria and viruses were expressed with a superior microorganism. Pupils drew microorganisms as cell-like and never portrayed them as animals or with anthropomorphic features. Viruses were considered to cause a more severe disease than bacteria. Pupils seldomly tethered a specific virus to a specific infectious disease, and often named both (virus and disease) 'corona'. However, when they did make a connection, viruses were considered to cause flu and COVID-19, bacteria to cause cold and plague. In general, these results indicate that viruses received a more pronounced position amongst microorganisms in the minds of pupils in the aftermath of COVID-19.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2023. p. 1-14
Keywords [en]
Contagion literacy, COVID-19, health literacy, primary education, students’ conceptions
National Category
Pedagogy Biological Sciences Didactics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hv:diva-20614DOI: 10.1080/00219266.2023.2247409ISI: 001049123100001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85168081891OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hv-20614DiVA, id: diva2:1789763
Funder
Swedish Research Council Formas, 2019-04419
Note

CC-BY 4.0

Available from: 2023-08-21 Created: 2023-08-21 Last updated: 2024-04-10

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Rönner, Anna-ClaraJakobsson, Anna

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