In response to the challenge of learning and teaching complex biological concepts, we evaluated upper secondary school students’ conceptions within the content section of biology, which we found demanding for students. Based on the analysis of the previous years’ Matura examination results and the literature data, the content section chosen was Heredity. An existing two-tier diagnostic test (Tsui and Treagust, 2010) was translated, adapted, transformed into a three-tier diagnostic test, and delivered in three different schools to evaluate students’ conceptions. We analyzed the data collected using the methods of descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, and descriptive analysis. The results revealed that students who had covered the topics about heredity in school lessons already achieved better results on the test than students who had not, and they also proved more certainty about their answers. Further, we showed a positive correlation between preferential interest in science subjects or intention to choose biology as a Matura examination subject and the test results. Some students’ misconceptions were discovered, but at the same time, lack of knowledge dominated the misconceptions. Awareness of students’ conceptions can help teachers prepare lessons more effectively and improve the quality of teaching.
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