English

Joy Coleman,Edith Dempster,Michèle Stears

doi:10.15700/saje.v35n2a1079

English

Joy Coleman, Edith Dempster + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v35n2a1079

Copy DOI

Abstract

The focus of this study was student teachers at a South African university enrolled in a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) programme and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), respectively. The purpose of this study was to explore students’ understanding and acceptance of evolution and beliefs about the nature of science (NOS), and to discover if these understandings and acceptances changed with the level of their studies. In so doing, we wished to determine if there is a relationship between their understanding of evolution and the NOS, and their level of acceptance of evolution. The study is located within a quantitative framework. Questionnaires were administered to pre-service teachers, who were enrolled in the School of Education. All participants had chosen Biology as their teaching specialisation. Three instruments were included in the questionnaires. The findings revealed that students in the B.Ed. programme have a poorer understanding of evolution and NOS than the graduate group (PGCE), and that there is no significant difference in understanding between different levels within the B.Ed. group. A further significant finding was that acceptance of evolution is independent of changes in conceptual understanding of evolution and independent of changes in beliefs about the NOS.

Highlights

Introduction and BackgroundDobzhansky (1973) believed that the process of evolution is fundamental to an understanding of Biology, as it allows scientists to understand both past and present observations within an explanatory framework
This is in accordance with the research conducted by Mpeta et al (2014), who found that there was a moderate acceptance of evolution by learners in the Limpopo province of South Africa; but contrary to the findings of Peker, Comert and Kence (2010), who report low levels of acceptance of students in Turkey
Schröder (2013) is of the view that low levels of acceptance of evolution may be interpreted as resistance to change, regardless of increase in knowledge

Summary

Introduction

Introduction and BackgroundDobzhansky (1973) believed that the process of evolution is fundamental to an understanding of Biology, as it allows scientists to understand both past and present observations within an explanatory framework. Many teachers in other African and Asian countries as well as the United States of America (USA), (Clément, 2013; Lovely & Kondrick, 2008; Mpeta, De Villiers & Fraser, 2014; Trani, 2004) have experienced problems teaching evolution. These problems include: a lack of understanding of the concept, and the ability to teach the topic competently and problems with regard to the acceptance of evolution as the main organising principle in Biology, due to the fact that many people believe it contradicts their religious beliefs.

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion