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Unless directly addressed, misconceptions can persist even in particularly capable students attending elite programs. To explore the presumptions that undergraduates of two distinguished Swiss universities have common biological misconceptions, we have used the Biological Concepts Instrument (BCI) in a pre-post-test approach [1]. We find that, after 1.5 years of studying biology, students’ performance onmany BCI questions is still weak, particularly on concepts related to molecular interactions including diffusion or energetic properties of molecules. Additionally, students’ responses are persistently influenced by misleading analogies such as the key and lock mechanism of molecular interactions. Our investigation demonstrates that the limitations of analogies, when used to explain biological processes, need to be explicitly articulated to students in an interdisciplinary perspective. Introduction Many students demonstrate a naive understanding or unrecognized misconceptions concerning molecular interactions [2] [3] [4] [5]. Misconceptions often go unnoticed and persist during the course of instruction if not addressed [6]. The lock and key or the ball (atoms) and stick (bonds) model often used to visualizemolecular structures can lead students to conclude that molecules are rigid rather than flexible conformational structures that either fit together perfectly or do not fit at all (a dichotomous interaction) [7]. Such analogical models can distort the physicochemical concepts involved, such as the rotation of parts of molecules around single bonds, as well as bond stretching and bending, driven by thermal motions [8]. A related issue involves an understanding of how molecules “find” each other, interact with one another, and come apart again. Diffusion-based (molecular collision-driven) stochastic movements are often misunderstood [9] [10] [11]. The Biological Concepts Instrument (BCI) used in the current project can reveal the presence and persistence of misconceptions related to fundamental concepts in biology [1]. This questionnaire consists of multiple choice questions developed through extensive researches on student interviews or student responses to open-ended questions [11]. Objective This study explores the presence and persistence of misconceptions in students’ understanding using the BCI [1] through a preand post-test approach (separated by 1.5 years) to provide a measure of conceptual change over time. The participants were two cohorts of undergraduates enrolled in biology introductory courses in two distinguished Swiss universities. Debunking key and lock biology: Exploring the prevalence and persistence of students’ misconceptions on the nature and flexibility of molecular interactions DOI: 10.19185/matters.201606000010 Matters Select (ISSN: 2297-9239) | 2 a

matters select

Debunking Key and Lock Biology: Exploring the prevalence and persistence of students’ misconceptions on the nature and flexibility of molecular interactions&amp;nbsp;