Our educational initiatives aimed to identify gaps in youth biology education related to hepatitis B and to develop accessible, scientifically accurate resources to address them.
To design impactful educational materials, we first sought to understand the current state of biological education concerning viruses and hepatitis B in schools. We conducted an analysis of school biology textbooks and state-approved educational programs to evaluate the extent to which topics related to virology and infectious diseases are covered.
Biology is taught from grades 7 to 9, during which students go through four core textbooks. In high school (grades 10–12), biology becomes an elective subject and is taught only to students who choose the science track. During this stage, students typically use three core textbooks and up to two supplementary ones, depending on the school.
Viruses are mentioned for the first and only time in a single paragraph of the third chapter “Microorganisms” in the first textbook used in middle school. In high school, viruses are briefly covered in the mandatory textbook Molecules and Cells (Grade 10, chapter “Entry into the Cell”), and then again only in a supplementary textbook for Grade 11, in the chapter “Immune Regulation.”
This review makes it evident that very little time is allocated to the study of viruses and infectious diseases. Within the mandatory curriculum, students receive minimal instruction on viruses: a brief mention in middle school and an overall lack of key concepts in textbooks make this topic largely inaccessible, unless students opt for specialized biology.
It is especially noteworthy that despite the scale of the hepatitis B epidemic in China and the global significance of this infection, hepatitis B is not mentioned in any of the reviewed textbooks.
The absence of systematic and up-to-date coverage of such topics in the school curriculum poses a clear risk: student knowledge becomes highly dependent on individual teachers, and the available teaching materials often fail to reflect modern challenges in public health.
To fill these gaps, we created ready-to-use educational materials specifically for teachers, that can be easily integrated into school lessons. These materials cover the fundamentals of virology and provide in-depth explanations of hepatitis B and other infections, helping educators communicate essential aspects of infectious disease prevention in a modern and accessible way.
In developing these materials, we also referred to official documents issued by the Ministry of Education of China, the Guidelines on Integrating Life Safety and Health Education into School Curricula and Teaching Materials (2021) in particular. This document provides detailed recommendations for different age groups. At the middle school level, it emphasizes knowledge of common infections, the importance of vaccination, personal preventive skills, and a basic understanding of virus transmission and precautionary measures. For high school students, it includes more advanced content: analysis of the societal and economic impacts of infectious diseases, understanding national epidemic response policies, principles of biosafety, and the legal foundations of public health efforts.
These guidelines formed the basis for structuring our educational materials in an age-appropriate manner. We adopted both the thematic priorities and pedagogical approaches outlined in the document to ensure that our presentations meet scientific and educational standards while effectively addressing knowledge gaps in infectious disease awareness among students of different age groups.
The materials we developed were piloted in two partner schools: Nanshan Foreign Language School Senior High School (南山外国语学校(集团)高级中学) and Meishan Middle School (梅山中学). The first phase involved presenting the content to high school students, followed by a second round in middle school. This sequential approach allowed us to evaluate the appropriate age at which information about infectious diseases can be both effectively introduced and well retained.
To measure learning outcomes, students took pre- and post-presentation quizzes. Results showed that over 85% of high school students and around 72% of middle school students demonstrated near-complete understanding of the material by the end of the session. All participants reported a better awareness of their own knowledge levels regarding hepatitis B and virology after the lessons.
Informed by both quiz results and discussions with biology teachers, we identified areas that needed clearer explanations or more accessible language. After refining the materials accordingly, we re-tested them in a second cycle. The updated content led to even stronger outcomes: over 92% of high school students and 81% of middle school students achieved high scores in the follow-up quizzes, indicating substantial improvement in both comprehension and engagement.
We are currently in the process of offering these finalized materials to schools across Shenzhen. While not yet formally integrated into the standard curriculum, these materials have been introduced to school administrators and educators through outreach initiatives. We hope this will serve as a first step toward broader implementation and sustained improvement in student understanding of virology and public health.
For details on our outreach to university students and our initiatives targeting vulnerable elderly groups, see the Public Engagement section.