A didactic framework to develop complex thinking and to deconstruct and reconstruct knowledge in genetics

In the face of growing complexity, developing the skills to navigate our daily lives has become a major challenge. In French-speaking Belgium, although the decree of the Education Code emphasises the need to prepare students to become responsible citizens, current teaching practices tend to oversimplify complex phenomena, particularly in genetics. To introduce learners to the complexity of genetics, a didactic framework was developed. This framework integrates reflective, systemic, emergentist, and socio-constructivist approaches, whose impact on students’ thinking and knowledge was analysed. The results show significant progress, both in students’ modes of thinking – marked by critical and nuanced reflection – and in their understanding of key genetic concepts. Among the framework’s components, expert interventions and peer discussions proved effective in deconstructing misconceptions, deepening the understanding of complex genetic interactions, and assimilating new concepts. It would be beneficial to integrate these approaches throughout the school curriculum and across disciplines to help students develop thinking that can grasp complexity.

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Focant, I., Rezsohazy, R., & De Kesel, M. (2026). A didactic framework to develop complex thinking and to deconstruct and reconstruct knowledge in genetics. Journal of Biological Education, 1-36. https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.2026.2676222 (Original work published 2026)