How metrological concepts are introduced in biology courses in higher education?
L'enseignement de la mesure en licence de biologie : quels concepts de métrologie sont mis en jeu ?
Résumé
Natural sciences are built on qualitative and quantitative observations of the world in various experimental
situations. Measurements obtained make it possible to objectify these observations but require a definition of
the quantities studied. However, the observable characteristics depend on the objects themselves and on the
theoretical questioning underlying the observations. The definitions, the activities and the interpretations of
measurements are a priori dependent on the disciplinary specificities. Measurements are central in scientific
research. They should have a similar role for scientific teaching from kindergarten to higher education. In
this exploratory study, we investigate the metrological concepts and methods involved in the first year of a
bachelor’s degree of biology courses. This study explores course materials provided to students for exercise
and practical sessions and the associated teaching goals through interviews of teachers. Our analysis method
allows us to characterise the concepts and methods of metrology existing in course materials. These
preliminary results show us that metrology is a poor subject of interest in first year biology courses.