Genetics Misconception on High School Textbook, the Impact and Importance on Presenting the Order of Concept through Reorganization of Genetics

Abstract

The aim of this research was to uncover the misconception of high school class XII textbook, especially on genetic material. Fiveteen textbooks were analyzed and published in 2007-2010. This research was conducted to identify misconception page by page and chapter by chapter and validated by geneticist. The result show that misconception found in the concept of the scope of genetics, the genetic material of chromosome, gene, DNA; replication; polypeptide synthesis; Mendel and inheritance, cell division and mutation. The cause of the misconception was still a classic presentation of genetic material or Mendel mindset still dominate, the use of analogy was not appropriate, use the bias terminology and the selection of language (word and sentence not appropriate), and the ideas of the author. Misconception affect the concept of genetic disorder. Misconception can be overcome by doing the selection of books, and reorganization of the genetic concept that takes into account the order of presentation of the concept.

Keywords: misconception, cause of misconception, genetics, high school textbook