Secondary Education in Biology (BA)
The Bachelor of Arts Program in Secondary Education with a major in the Teaching of Biology rests on the fundamental principles of the development of the human being able to think, to analyze critically and to evaluate the learning processes. This Program has as its standards the foundation, theories and methodologies, relevant to the teaching of chemistry in the classroom. This will permit graduates to apply in the classroom the content (knowledge, skills and attitudes), the methodology (strategies, methods and techniques) and the learning evaluation methods, learned during their study program.
It will use the appropriate curricular structure and will be governed by the standards of excellence applicable to the study of biology.
The Aguadilla, Arecibo, Barranquitas, Fajardo, and San Germán campuses are authorized to offer this program.
Competencies Profile of Graduates
The Program aims to provide the theoretical and practical base for future biology teachers. This implies that they possess:
Knowledge
- The theory, methodology and application of the curricular structure.
- The usefulness of the scientific method in understanding natural phenomena in relation to living beings.
- The fundamental and developing concepts that make up biological sciences.
- Evaluation and assessment in the classroom.
- The historical and philosophical frame of education.
- The different stages of development of the human being and how they affect the capacity to learn.
Skills
- The use of technology and scientific instrumentation for the comprehension, analysis, synthesis and evaluation of natural phenomena.
- The interpretation and analysis of scientific information.
- Communication within the scientific frame.
- The use of the investigation process in the classroom.
- The design and evaluation of curriculum and how this act in response to the education of a society.
- The use of technology in the field of the education.
Attitudes
- Strengthening ethical aspects in biology.
- Promoting respect and appreciation for nature.
- Promoting favorable changes in society through solutions or alternatives that improve the quality of biology teaching.
Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Secondary Education in Biology
| General Education Requirements |
51 credits |
| Core Course Requirements |
41 credits |
| Major Requirements |
48 credits |
| Elective Courses |
3 credits |
| Total |
143 credits |
General Education Requirements - 51 credits
Fifty-one (51) credits are required in General Education for this Program. In addition to GEHS 2010, students will take GEHS 4020 and 4030 in the Historic and Social Context category. Students will take courses GEPE 4040 and GEPE 3010 or 3020 to fulfill the six credits required in the Philosophical and Esthetic Thought category. They will take the course GEST 2030 in the Scientific and Technological Context category. Students will take the course GEMA 1200 in the Basic Skills in Mathematics category.
Core Course Requirements - 41 credits
| EDUC 1080 | Field Experiences in The Educational Scenario I | 1 |
| EDUC 2021 | History and Philosophy of Education | 3 |
| EDUC 2022 | Society and Education | 3 |
| EDUC 2031 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| EDUC 2032 | Learning Psychology | 3 |
| EDUC 2060 | Integration of Technology in Education | 2 |
| EDUC 2870 | The Exceptional Student Population | 4 |
| EDUC 2890 | Field Experiences in The Educational Scenarios Ii | 2 |
| EDUC 3013 | Teaching Strategies | 2 |
| EDUC 3015 | Clinical Experiences in The Educational Scenario I | 2 |
| EDUC 4011 | Evaluation and Assessment | 3 |
| EDUC 4012 | Classroom Research | 2 |
| EDUC 4013 | Clinical Experiences in the Educational Scenario II | 4 |
| EDUC 4050 | Curriculum Design | 2 |
| EDUC 4551 | Integration of Basic Knowledge and Communication Skills | 1 |
| EDUC 4552 | Integration of Professional Skills | 1 |
| HIST 3010 | Historical Process of the United States of America | 3 |
Major Requirements - 48 credits
If, in addition to their certification as Biology teachers, students wish to be certified as Junior High School Science teachers, they must take course EDUC 3864 (Instructional Theories, Methodology, and Technological Resources in the Teaching of Science in the Junior High School) in addition the 42 credits of the core requirements.