The ability of A-level students to name plants

Biology students know very few common plants

Bebbington tested nearly 800 advanced-level biology students (secondary school students in the United Kingdom (UK) (who are generally 16-17 years of age) on their ability to identify 10 common wildflowers that were illustrated in color on a sheet of paper. She found that none of these students could name all 10 wildflowers and the vast majority of students (86%) could not name more than three common wildflowers. The author also tested Post Graduate Certificate of Education students and teachers, but the sample sizes for both of these groups were too small to conduct comparative analyses. The author discusses how science is taught in primary and secondary schools in the UK and what implications this study may have for education. Importantly, she highlights the role of identification and how it is not an end in itself;