The Influence of Project-Based Practicum and Science Literacy on Understanding the Concept of Pathogens and Immunity

Abstract

University students’ understanding of pathogens and immunity remains relatively low due to learning methods that fail to connect theoretical concepts with real-world applications. This study aims to analyze the influence of project-based laboratory practices and scientific literacy on enhancing the comprehension of pathogen and immunity concepts. A systematic literature review was conducted using relevant national and international articles published within the last ten years. This method was applied to explore empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of both approaches in microbiology education. The results show that project-based laboratory practices enhance active student engagement, conceptual understanding, and analytical skills. Meanwhile, scientific literacy strengthens critical thinking and problem-solving abilities through a deeper comprehension of scientific information. The findings indicate that the integration of both approaches significantly contributes to a more meaningful and applicable understanding of pathogen and immunity concepts. The novelty of this research lies in the synergistic analysis of two instructional strategies that have rarely been examined together in the context of microbiology learning. The study concludes that this integrated approach is worth implementing to improve the quality of biology education at the higher education level.