A Factor Effecting Students’ Performance in Biology: Working Memory Capacity

Abstract

Several studies in information processing would seem to suggest that, when the information is admitted through the perceptive filter, it passes into a working memory where it is held and manipulated before being rejected or passed on to long-term memory. One of the most important characteristics of this area is its being a limited space. In this research, the effect of students’ working memory capacity (WMC) on their performance in general biology was studied and 150 primary school teacher candidates were involved. Digit span backwards test (DSBT) was used to measure the students’ WMC. A knowledge test which consisted of multiple choice items, in which the response has to be justified, was developed to assess the degree of understanding in biological concepts. As a result, a statistically significant positive correlation (r= 0.411) was found between students’ scores in knowledge test and DSBT. In addition, the relationship between the size of WMC and the questions that had the lowest facility values in knowledge test was sought and the implications of the results for teaching and learning are discussed.