Investigating Secondary School Students' Misconceptions About Microscopic Organisms

This study aimed to reveal the misconceptions of eighth-grade students about microscopic organisms. The case study design was used in the study. The samples consisted of 25 8th-grade students studying in a public school in the 2021-2022 academic year. The data were collected with a semi-structured interview form consisting of 13 questions. The questions in the interview form are related to the characteristics of microscopic organisms, their locations, functions, and their place in daily life. The study results revealed that the students directly associate pollution and diseases with microscopic organisms. It was observed that the students needed clarification about the benefits of microorganisms. They were not aware of the functions of microorganisms in the human body and thought they were organisms that made people sick. The study\\\'s findings showed that the students needed information about microorganisms\\\' place in material cycles and their place in biotechnology. There also needs to be more clarity about the similarities of microscopic organisms with other living things. It has been determined that some students think microscopic organisms do not have features similar to other living things. It has been stated that the subject of microorganisms, which is given only in the fifth grade and in a minimal way in the middle school science curriculum, needs to be revised and the content should be expanded in the curriculum at other grade levels, and microorganisms should be included in a more comprehensive way that touches on aspects such as cycles in nature and applications in biotechnology.