Different evolution acceptance instruments lead to different research findings

M. Elizabeth Barnes,Sara E. Brownell,Hayley M. Dunlop,Yi Zheng,Emily A. Holt

doi:10.1186/s12052-019-0096-z

M. Elizabeth Barnes, Sara E. Brownell + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12052-019-0096-z

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Abstract

BackgroundDespite widespread concern about the differential measurement of evolution acceptance among researchers, no one has systematically explored how instrument choice can impact research results and conclusions in evolution education studies. In this study, we administered six evolution acceptance instruments in a single survey to students in undergraduate biology courses at universities in Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. We conducted separate analyses with the same students for the six different evolution acceptance instruments to understand how different results and conclusions may arise based on different evolution acceptance instruments used.ResultsWe found statistically significant differences in levels of evolution acceptance across the three student populations when using a human evolution acceptance instrument, but not when using a microevolution acceptance instrument. Further, significance/effect sizes of variables associated with evolution acceptance differed beyond sampling variation depending on the evolution acceptance instrument used. The results of analyses using different evolution acceptance instruments were most often dissimilar when examining the effect of evolution understanding and identifying as Protestant/Mormon on evolution acceptance.ConclusionsWe found that different instruments used to measure evolution acceptance sometimes led to different research results and conclusions. The extent to which variables predicted evolution acceptance was dependent on the instrument used to measure acceptance, which has the potential to explain over 30 years of conflicting research on the relationship between evolution acceptance and understanding. These results indicate that before researchers may be able to determine how to best improve evolution acceptance, the evolution education community may need to articulate a consistent definition of evolution acceptance and identify a singular valid and reliable instrument to quantify evolution acceptance so results can be compared across studies.

Highlights

Decades of research has resulted in little consensus on which factors are most important for student evolution acceptance (Barnes et al 2017; Mead et al 2018; Smith 2009a) and how to best increase evolution acceptance (Barnes and Brownell 2017; Mead et al 2018)
What best predicts evolution acceptance is variable across studies; religiosity, evolution understanding, and Nature of Science (NOS) understanding have each been reported as the biggest predictors for evolution acceptance in different studies (Carter and Wiles 2014; Dunk et al 2017; Glaze et al 2014; Mead et al 2018; Weisberg et al 2018)
We found that in studies in which researchers used the Measure of Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution (MATE) to measure evolution acceptance, researchers consistently found a positive relationship between acceptance and understanding (Rutledge and Warden 2000; Trani 2004); no studies to our knowledge that use the MATE have ever reported an insignificant relationship between evolution acceptance and understanding

Summary

Introduction

Decades of research has resulted in little consensus on which factors are most important for student evolution acceptance (Barnes et al 2017; Mead et al 2018; Smith 2009a) and how to best increase evolution acceptance (Barnes and Brownell 2017; Mead et al 2018). What best predicts evolution acceptance is variable across studies; religiosity, evolution understanding, and Nature of Science (NOS) understanding have each been reported as the biggest predictors for evolution acceptance in different studies (Carter and Wiles 2014; Dunk et al 2017; Glaze et al 2014; Mead et al 2018; Weisberg et al 2018) This lack of overall consensus on the relationships between evolution acceptance and other variables could be one reason why we have seen so little change in evolution acceptance in the United States for 30 years. How can educators determine the best methods for increasing evolution acceptance if the research community has not reached consensus on how variables relate to evolution acceptance?

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