College students' perceptions of the theory of evolution

Hayat Hokayem · Saouma B. Boujaoude

168 citations0/0 files storedJournal of Research in Science Teaching

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Evolution and Science Education Science Education and Pedagogy Educational Strategies and Epistemologies

Abstract

Abstract Although a well‐corroborated scientific theory, the theory of evolution has continued to cause dilemmas for some individuals who have not easily been able to accommodate the concepts of this theory within their “cognitive culture.” The reason lies in the overlap of some ideas that the theory advocates with other social, epistemological, and religious beliefs. This study describes how 11 college biology students who completed a course on the theory of evolution perceive the relationship among their epistemological beliefs about science, their beliefs about religion, and their perception of nature and causality and their position regarding the theory of evolution. It also compares the different positions of the students to that of the course instructor. Questionnaires and semistructured interviews were used to collect data. Qualitative methods were used to analyze the data and identify the various positions of the students and course instructor. The students' positions ranged from complete acceptance to complete rejection of the theory of evolution. The results suggest that students' personal beliefs should not be dismissed or underestimated when teaching the theory of evolution. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 395–419, 2008

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References

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2009Current Status of Research in Teaching and Learning Evolution: I. Philosophical/Epistemological Issues 2009Academic preparation in biology and advocacy for teaching evolution: Biology versus non‐biology teachers 2014Teachers teaching misconceptions: a study of factors contributing to high school biology students’ acquisition of biological evolution-related misconceptions 2016Accepting, understanding, teaching, and learning (human) evolution: Obstacles and opportunities

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