CONCEPTIONS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ON BLOOD TYPES

The human red blood cells can create a vast change in the health of every individual. That is why blood production is very complex. This research work aimed to investigate conceptions and misconceptions on gene segregation and interaction particularly on the practical applications of understanding blood types among students, faculty members, and non-teaching staff of Isabela State University-Jones Campus. In this study, a mixed method of research design with both qualitative and quantitative forms was used. There were 161 male and female respondents in the study. Majority of the respondents were single, mostly students, and 19 to 23 years of age; 42% were male and 58% were female. The most common blood type was O, followed by AB, B, and A. However, only 14% were blood donors. Among the 20-item questions, three items in 2, 6 and 10 showed a significant difference where students had misconceptions more than the teachers and non-teaching staff. Further studies may be undertaken to make genetics courses more appealing and can be easily understood to deliver such lessons particularly on blood types or the ABO system. Also, an improved version of the whole syllabus that incorporated the results of this study may be used in the next semester.