Novice and experienced science teachers’ conceptual knowledge of evolutionary theory within the context of micro-and macroevolution

Date

2019-01-01

Author

Yesilyurt, Ezgi
Öztekin, Ceren
Çakıroğlu, Jale
Deniz, Hasan

Metadata

Show full item record

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Item Usage Stats

204
views

0
downloads

The purpose of this study was to explore science teachers' conceptions about micro-and macro-evolutionary processes. In this study, a case study was employed to compare and contrast novice and experienced middle school science teachers' evolution conceptions. The data were collected using four micro-and macro-evolutionary scenarios alongside cognitive interviews. The findings illustrated that while the novice teacher mostly provided non-Darwinian explanations, the experienced teacher predominantly applied key concepts of natural selection in her causal explanations, but cognitive biases regarding evolution were also found in her explanations. Therefore, the study suggested that the reasons for the coexistence of evolution concepts and cognitive biases be worthy of further exploration. The findings also indicated that even though the experienced teacher used several principles of macroevolution to explain the evolutionary changes above the species level, she based her causal explanations mainly on natural selection concepts. In this regard, the study recommended that teacher education programmes place special emphasis on the areas that are shown to be problematic for teachers like teaching and learning evolution, especially the concepts of macroevolution. The study also suggested that it may be worth the effort to develop a comprehensive qualitative measure in order to uncover learners' conceptions concerning macroevolution.

Subject Keywords

Education, General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/35453

Journal

Journal of Biological Education

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.2019.1667404

Collections

Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Article

Suggestions

OpenMETU
Core

The effect of explicit embedded reflective instruction on nature of science understandings in advanced science students Koksal, Mustafa Serdar; Çakıroğlu, Jale; Geban, Ömer (Informa UK Limited, 2013-12-01) The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of explicit-embedded-reflective (EER) instruction in nature of science (NOS) understandings of ninth-grade advanced science students. This study was conducted with 71 students, who were divided into three groups, by using non-equivalent quasi-experimental design. In the treatment groups, the EER teaching was conducted, while in the comparison group NOS instruction was carried out in the same time interval by lecturing, demonstration and questioni...
Enhancing learning through multiple intelligences Özdemir, Pınar; Güneysu, Sibel Çiğdem; Öztekin, Ceren (Informa UK Limited, 2006-03-01) This study investigated whether there was a significant difference between multiple intelligence instruction (MII) and traditionally designed science instruction (TDSI) on fourth grade students' understanding of concepts associated with the 'Diversity of Living Things' unit. Students' intelligence types were also examined. There were two randomly-selected classes of 35 students of between 9 and 10 years old. The experimental group was instructed through Multiple Intelligence strategies while the control gro...
Improving achievement through problem-based learning Sungur, Semra; Öztekin, Ceren; Geban, Ömer (Informa UK Limited, 2006-09-01) In this study, the effect of problem-based learning on students' academic achievement and performance skills in a unit on the human excretory system was investigated. Sixty-one 10th grade students, from two full classes instructed by the same biology teacher, were involved in the study. Classes were randomly assigned as either the experimental or the control group and were pre- and post-tested to determine their academic achievement and performance skills before and after the treatment. The experimental gro...
Exploring representation of nature of science aspects in science textbooks Yamak, Yeliz; Çakıroğlu, Jale; Department of Elementary Science and Mathematics Education (2009) The aim of this study was to examine middle school science textbooks according to some criteria in terms of nature of science (NOS). A total of three middle school science textbooks in 6th, 7th and 8th grade and two biology units were analyzed in each textbook. In the 6th grade science textbooks, “Reproduction, Development and Growth in Living Beings”and “Systems in Our Body” units, in the 7th grade science textbook, “Systems in Our Body” and “Human and Environment” units, in the 8th grade science textbook,...
Using the conceptual change instruction to improve learning Alparslan, C; Öztekin, Ceren; Geban, Ömer (Informa UK Limited, 2003-06-01) This study investigated the effect of conceptual change instruction on Grade 11 students' (aged 16 - 17 years) understanding of respiration. To first determine students' misconceptions, ten Grade 11 students were interviewed and data obtained from these interviews and related literature was used to develop the Respiration Concept Test used in the next stage of the research. The test was administered to a total of 68 Grade 11 students in two classes of an urban high school. The experimental group consisted o...

Citation Formats

E. Yesilyurt, C. Öztekin, J. Çakıroğlu, and H. Deniz, “Novice and experienced science teachers’ conceptual knowledge of evolutionary theory within the context of micro-and macroevolution,” Journal of Biological Education, pp. 0–0, 2019, Accessed: 00, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://hdl.handle.net/11511/35453.