Energy Flow through an Ecosystem: Conceptions of In-service Elementary and Middle School Teachers

This descriptive study investigated 53 in-service elementary and middle school teachers’
understanding of basic concepts regarding energy flow through an ecosystem they likely
are expected to teach. A multiple-choice instrument assessing selected standards-based
life science concepts (i.e., essential needs of plants, photosynthesis and respiration,
natural selection, energy flow through an ecosystem) with non-scientific conceptions
embedded as distracter options was used in the study. Findings from five tasks regarding
energy flow through an ecosystem suggest that the teachers sampled had conceptual
difficulty with key standards-based energy flow concepts, particularly concerning the
original energy source for a forest ecosystem, decomposers as nutrient recyclers rather
than energy recyclers, and differentiating between primary and secondary consumers.
Findings support the need for professional development regarding energy flow through
an ecosystem for these teachers to address their non-scientific conceptions. Additionally,
recommendations are provided for strengthening pre-service teacher education.