Threshold Concepts

The notion of a threshold concept was introduced by Meyer and Land (2003) to describe key ideas in certain disciplines that are 'conceptual gateways' or 'portals' leading students to a transformed view and better understanding of a subject. Meyer and Land (2005) further defined a threshold concept as having the following characteristics:

transformative - once acquired it shifts perception of the subject
irreversible - once learners have come to see the world in terms of the threshold concept they can not return to their former, more primitive, view
integrative - acquisition of the threshold concept illuminates the underlying inter-relatedness of aspects of the subject
bounded - the threshold concept helps to demarcate subject boundaries
troublesome - a threshold concept may be counterintuitive and initially very difficult for learners to accept.

Our Project:

Using Threshold Concepts to Generate a New Understanding of Teaching and Learning Biology

The aims of this project are to improve student understanding of biology through the use of novel research (into the definition of a Threshold Concept in Biology) to enable the development of teaching that is appropriate for diverse learning strategies. At the same time we will model the process of strategic change in approaches to teaching Biology in Australian Universities, through extensive discussion and consultation with existing networks of tertiary teachers. Initial developments will be guided by the collaboration between a core group of biologists at three universities in Sydney and will be enhanced and supported by workshops and regular communications with a national biology teaching group. As part of this Project we are surveying tertiary biology teachers and asking them to rank Difficult Concepts in Biology and to tell us how they go about teaching them. If you would like to participate in this survey please use the following link:

Complete our Survey

Support for this project has been provided by The Australian Learning and Teaching Council, an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.