Abstract:

Despite the central role of genetics in biology curricula, only a few studies have examined the simultaneous perspectives of both students and instructors within the same undergraduate course in Mexican public universities, particularly in the post-pandemic academic context. This dual-perspective approach, combined with the simultaneous analysis of learning resources, study habits, and academic performance, represents the novelty of the present work. This study analyzes the educational experience in the course "Bases Genéticas de la vida" (Genetic Bases of Life) during the 2026-1 academic term at the Faculty of Sciences (Facultad de Ciencias), UNAM, Mexico. A mixed-methods, cross-sectional survey design was employed. Two structured questionnaires were administered: one to students (n = 448) and one to instructors (n = 20). The student questionnaire collected data on perception on topic difficulty, the preferred learning resources, strategies used when facing academic difficulties, and self-reported factors contributing to poor performance. The instructor questionnaire gathered assessments of cohorts’ performance relative to previous groups and perceptions of student progress over the semester. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results indicate that students perceived the course topics as highly challenging, although most grades were concentrated in the highest grading ranges (8, 9, and 10). From the instructors' perspective, 47.4% considered the group's performance worse than in previous years; however, 100% agreed that students show improvement throughout the semester. The primary learning resources reported by students were lecture notes provided by the professors at class (25.9%), personal notes taken during class (26.5%), and internet resources (18.7%). When facing academic difficulties, 37.9% of students preferred to consult their classmates. The main factors identified as contributing to academic deficiencies were the lack of prior knowledge (35.7%) and inadequate study habits (23.8%). We conclude that it is necessary to reconsider the established sequence of topics within the course, incorporate laboratory sessions, and adopt active learning methodologies to enhance students' access to the content.

Keywords:

Genetics Education, Active Learning, Undergraduate Science Education, Student Learning Perception, Teaching Strategies in Genetics.