Differences between image presentation and video presentation on the outcome of teaching about the menstrual cycle

ABSTRACT

Previous research has shown that students have numerous misconceptions about the menstrual cycle, especially when it comes to determining ovulation days. It has also been shown that using a high-quality pictorial representation is of key importance for dispelling misconceptions. Today’s students are used to quick access to information and to its visualisation, so one way to improve the teaching process is to use short video materials. The aim of this research was to determine the impact of a simple video clip in comparison to a pictorial representation on determining ovulation days. The research was carried out on a sample of 122 students from three different high schools in Zagreb with different programmes. The results of the three conducted surveys were collected just before teaching the lesson, after the teaching, and with a time lag of approximately three months after the lesson. Furthermore, students and teachers were asked to say whether they prefer the picture or the video. The results show that there is a difference in the impact of the type of materials on the result of determining the ovulation days, and that both students and teachers consider that the offered video is better material than the offered picture.

KEYWORDS:

• ovulation
• conceptual understanding
• misconceptions
• modern teaching
• visual literacy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).