Current Status of Research in Teaching and Learning Evolution: II. Pedagogical Issues

Abstract

This is the second of two articles that address recent scholarship about teaching and learning about evolution. This second review seeks to summarize this state of affairs and address the implications of this work for the classroom by addressing four basic questions: (1) What is evolution?/What components of the theory are important at the introductory level? (2) Why do students and members of the public at large need to understand evolution? (3) What makes evolution difficult to teach and learn? and (4) What promising instructional approaches have been developed and tested? The paper will also focus on concerns about both the research designs and the measures used in this work. Based on this review, I will then propose a set of pedagogical implications and recommendations for the classroom instructor and call for studies to address specific gaps identified.

Gain in Student Understanding of the Role of Random Variation in Evolution Following Teaching Intervention Based on Luria-Delbruck Experiment

“…Smith (12) notes that, while several promising interventions to improve understanding of evolution have been published in the past decade, student reversions to earlier-held misconceptions are common. Students who consented to participate in this study also agreed to be contacted in years following the intervention.…”

The Development of Paranormal Belief Scale (PBS) for Science Education in the Context of Turkey

“…In Turkey, Surmeli and Saka (2011) reported no differences between preservice science teachers and other pre-service teachers in relation to their paranormal beliefs. From this perspective, we are not sure only science education is sufficient to reduce the paranormal beliefs especially in religious beliefs because science and religion are different ways of knowing and thus, if an individual have religious beliefs, he/she does not necessarily reject to scientific ones or vice versa (Smith, 2009). Therefore, the main concern of us, as science educators, is overcoming classic paranormal beliefs that are incompatible with science.…”

The use of examples in school science: Developing an analytical tool to enable a discussion in science teacher education

“…However, the topics are regarded as difficult to teach and learn (e.g., Smith, 2010;Williams, Montgomery, & Manokore, 2012). The current understanding of evolution includes both natural selection, as proposed by Darwin, and modern genetics.…”

“…Teleological explanations (the position that things are made for a reason), as well as simplified causal explanations, are emphasised as obstacles to learning both evolution and genetics, where explanations are often complex and dependent on many co-occurring conditions. Concepts, such as adaptation, inheritance and evolution, are understood through different time scales involving several biological organisational levels and the influence of chance (e.g., Emmons & Kelemen, 2015;Smith, 2010;Trommler, Gresch, & Hammann, 2018). One task for science teachers is to address the difficulties, for example, the misunderstanding of evolution as a direct process, as well as facilitate pupils' understanding of evolution as an emergent process (Chi, 2005;Smith, 2010).…”