Plant Trichomes as a Feature in Teaching Evolutionary Adaptation to the Environment

This master's thesis focuses on trichomes as an example of evolutionary adaptation in plants and their use in biology education at the grammar school level. The theoretical part characterizes the main types and functions of trichomes in the context of adaptation to abiotic and biotic environmental factors. Furthermore, it proposes a selection of available plant species suitable for effective instruction on this topic. In the practical part, an educational material incorporating elements of inquiry-based instruction was created and tested in two classes of the fifth year of an eight-year grammar school (n = 42). The effectiveness of the instruction was evaluated using a pretest and posttest focused on knowledge of trichomes and their adaptive role. In addition, the standardized Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) questionnaire measuring students' intrinsic motivation was administered. Statistical analysis showed a significant increase in knowledge among all students (Wilcoxon test, p < 0.001, rank biserial correlation = 1.00). The greatest progress was observed in tasks requiring deeper understanding and application of knowledge. The analysis of intrinsic motivation revealed that students rated the instruction as enjoyable and useful, but reported relatively lower levels of effort and perceived...