It is common for students to enter the class with various understandings of a biological concept. Any misconceptions, if left unaddressed, can persist and become more difficult to correct as students progress through their studies. Identifying and eliminating these misconceptions early is crucial. This study identified misconceptions held by elementary-grade students about the "Growth of Plants". It investigated the reasons behind the misconceptions in a government Hindi Medium School in the suburban area of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The study utilized a drawing method to identify the misconceptions. After diagnosing the misconceptions, a hands-on constructivist pedagogical approach was utilized to remediate the students' misconceptions. This approach consisted of three activities: student-led plant cultivation from seeds, experiments altering environmental conditions necessary for growth, and training using photographs depicting each stage of the plant life cycle. A thematic analysis for a holistic understanding of plant parts and plant growth was adopted for the study. This study revealed the effectiveness of drawing methods to diagnose misconceptions; some were similar to those in previous studies, such as the fact that seeds are not alive and attributing anthropomorphic explanations for the growth of plants. The hands-on constructivist pedagogical approach involving collaborative learning led to conceptual change, evidenced by the post-tests (drawings and interviews) conducted.

This case study determined whether classroom management approaches (CMA) to teaching cell division and Mendelian genetics vary based on years of teaching. Specifically, comparisons among four Grade 8 teachers—two beginning teachers and two experienced teachers—were made with respect to facilitating skills, metacognitive techniques, and personality construct dimensions. Initial interviews documented the teachers’ knowledge and ideas about cell division and Mendelian genetics, after which video recordings of the actual teaching sessions were done for 10 days. Follow-up interviews were also done for clarification. The transcribed interviews and observations were subjected to qualitative analysis. The findings indicate that one experienced teacher and two beginning teachers demonstrated stronger CMA than the remaining experienced teacher, who did not show much facilitating skills, demonstrated fewer metacognitive techniques, and failed to project a strong personality. With the results, CMA partially varies based on years of teaching. This teacher should be encouraged to retool and upgrade skills through training and workshops. This case study may serve as a basis for school heads’ planning of programs for continuous professional development on classroom management. Likewise, it is recommended to take into account a greater population size as well as apply a specific statistical tool in the analysis.