Factors Influencing Conceptual Change in Evolution: A Longitudinal, Multicase Study.

A high school Biology II classroom was observed daily in order to study students\u27 conceptual change in evolution of life. The conceptual frameworks of four student participants were documented and the patterns of conceptual change were studied closely throughout the full school year. Data collected included open-ended and structured individual interviews, student journals, daily classroom observations, field notes, and pre-and posttests. All 68 student interviews (17 per student) were recorded, transcribed, coded, and sorted to find patterns of conceptual change. Additional interviews were conducted with the teacher, parents, principal, and high school counselor. The researchers\u27 interpretations were shared with the student participants and teacher to ensure that the voices of all research participants were heard. The finding of this multicase study of conceptual change include: (1) Conceptual change about evolution of life can occur in one of three patterns: (a) holistic, (b) fragmented and gradual, and (c) dual constructions. (2) Conceptual change can occur with little corresponding change in belief. The Darwinian theory of the evolution of life, in its modern form, can be understood but not accepted. (3) The most influential factor inhibiting conceptual change toward a more scientific framework is not belief, but the learner\u27s feelings of disturbance and conflict as learning occurs. (4) Certain critical issues, called threshold questions in this study, seem to be central to conceptual change. An example threshold question is How could two different species stem from one original species? (5) Conceptual change is often based upon the idiosyncratic, extra-logical assessment of competing conceptions. (6) Often, the change of one conception allows a sequence of changes to occur in the learner\u27s overall conceptual framework. Overall, this study demonstrates that many conceptions in this area are closely interwoven, so that a change in one conception requires a gradual blending and modification of related conceptions. (7) The actions of a learner\u27s conceptual ecology are found to vary with each individual. The participant\u27s orientation toward academic work, epistemological approach to scientific knowledge, belief in evolutionary theory, and approach to scientific topics play integrated roles in controlling the learning that may occur

Why are we doing this? Preservice Science Teachers' Interpretations of the Role of Open Inquiry in Understanding Teaching

Abstract Echoing the current emphasis on examining changes in teacher beliefs, combined with the central role of inquiry in reform, this article argues that science education research experiences should hold promise in shaping preservice teachers' beliefs about the role of inquiry in understanding classroom science teaching. The aim of this research was to explore the beliefs of preservice teachers that shaped their interpretations of and actions within open inquiry in science teaching. In this research three prominent beliefs emerged as central in shaping the participants' interpretations: division of research and teaching, disdain for ambiguity and primacy of the individual. In this research we came to understand that these beliefs played such a central role in shaping participants' interpretations of their experiences that the act of researching science teaching was not recognised nor valued, as they often left this experience asking, 'Why are we doing this?' Keywords: Preservice Science Teachers, Open Inquiry, Teaching Beliefs, Educational Reform This study is about preservice science teachers' reactions to open-ended inquiry, and what these reactions reveal of their beliefs about science teaching and learning. We studied preservice science teachers engaged in a semester long openended inquiry project in an attempt to learn their reactions to the experience. Their answers, in turn, provided us with a window of insight into preservice science teachers' belief systems. We subscribe to Alan Journal of Institutional Given the emphasis that current research places on examining changes in teachers' beliefs and the central role that inquiry plays in current American and international science education reforms efforts (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989Science, , 1993 National Research Council, 1996 many science educators have seen a need to include preservice teachers in science research experiences. In part, this is in the hope that such experiences and practices might shape not only their understanding of inquiry and its role in teaching but also shape their beliefs about the importance of inquiry As an example of this call regarding inquiry experiences, Windschitl Mindful of In her review of the educational literature on the nature of preservice teachers' beliefs, Just as science research experiences seem to hold promise in shaping students' understandings of the role of inquiry in the science classroom, it seems that science education research experiences and, as suggested by Echoing the importance of reflection in science education, if we look at the broader literature on teacher education, the notion of a reflective practitioner (Schon, 1987) resonates with many. As teachers/educators we are often compelled to help students develop a reflective stance toward their practice in order that they continually refine what they do in their professional lives. Reflection can be a critically important tool for preservice teachers to assist them to improve their practice It has been theorised that novice science teachers need to reflect upon their practices in order to develop Classroom inquiries seem to be ideal vehicles for preservice science teachers, both for learning about inquiry as a process and for learning to reflect upon the classroom settings. Thus, this study intends to explore the beliefs of preservice science teachers that shape their interpretations and actions with open inquiries to learn how to teach science through inquiry. Action research has gained increasing popularity in preservice and inservice teacher preparation programs Methods The settings We conducted this research in the fall of 2003, in the context of a science teaching methods course at a large research university in the south-eastern United States. As this study involved preservice science teachers engaging in collaborative action research in classrooms, a significant portion of the context of the study was the K-12 school in which the preservice teachers worked toward their preservice field experiences. The school site involved in the research is a developmental research school associated with the university. Journal of Institutional 27 The school The K-12 school has approximately 1600 students. Its student selection process is carefully crafted to represent a cross-section of the demographics of the community, including the use of selection factors such as parents' level of education, economic class, and ethnicity. The free and reduced lunch program 1 supports approximately 11% of the students, and approximately 30% of their high school students plan on completing a university education after graduation. At the time of the study, the student body was composed of 60% European-American, 25% AfricanAmerican, 8% Hispanic, 4% Asian and 0.5% Native American students, a close reflection of the population of the local community. Participants Due to the collaborative nature of the research projects that form the context of this course, there were three different groups of participants in the research: preservice teachers and researchers (graduate students and the course instructor), and participating teachers. Preservice teachers were the focal point of our study as described in this article. The primary participants that shaped the entire research were twelve preservice teachers who were students in a methods course and who voluntarily participated in the research. Preservice teachers The twelve preservice teachers participating in the action research course in this study were enrolled as full-time students. Eleven were European-Americans and one was a native of Africa; there equal numbers of males and females in the study cohort. Most of the students were in their early twenties, and for 10 students the course was the last of three science methods courses required before beginning their student teaching. These 10 had completed a number of prior courses together and were quite familiar with one another as students within the two previous science teaching methods courses. The remaining two students took this course out of sequence, and this represented their first methods course. All of the preservice teachers were middle-or high-school teacher candidates from a variety of the science disciplines, and all were nearing completion of their science education coursework requirements. Practicing teachers The main role of the practicing teachers was to communicate with the preservice teachers and provide help and space for these preservice teachers' inquiries. The two practicing teachers who participated in this study were both veteran teachers who had taught a variety of high school science courses. Both were European-American, one was male, and one was female. The male teacher had been teaching for 26 years and specifically at that school for 13 years, while the female teacher had been teaching for 13 years and at the school for three years. The male teacher was the chairperson of the science department at the laboratory school. His areas of focus were alternative assessment and portfolio assessment. At the time of the study, he was teaching 10th grade chemistry

Acknowledging the Religious Beliefs Students Bring Into the Science Classroom: Using the Bounded Nature of Science

Scientific knowledge often appears to contradict many students’ religious beliefs. Indeed, the assumptions of science appear contradictory to the metaphysical claims of many religions. This conflict is most evident in discussions of biological evolution. Teachers, in attempts to limit the controversy, often avoid this topic or teach it superficially. Recently, there has been a political effort to teach to the controversy—which some see as a way of introducing religious explanations for biological diversity into science classrooms. Many science educators reject this approach, insisting that teachers limit classroom discussions to science alone. This science only approach leaves the negotiation of alternative knowledge frameworks to students, who are often ill-prepared for such epistemological comparisons. To support students’ understanding of science while maintaining their religious commitments, this article explores the utility of emphasizing the boundaries of scientific knowledge and the need to support students in their comparison of contradictory knowledge frameworks

What Is Value Of Reform-Oriented In-Service Teacher Development Attempts On Inquiry Teaching For Pedagogically Discontented Science Teachers? An Expectancy-Value Perspective

In this study we investigated the value of reform-oriented inservice teacher development attempts about inquiry-based teaching, focusing on those teachers that experience some degree of pedagogical discontentment. For this purpose we used case study approach to research the problem in detail and we purposively selected three science teachers who experienced moderate level pedagogical discontentment. Six means of data collection were employed; four questionnaires and two interviews. Inductive qualitative data analysis and cross-case analysis were employed. The findings showed two of the participants found graduate coursework as effective, useful, interesting, important and cost-effective (effort and time) for improving teaching ability regarding inquiry-based teaching. However one of the participants suggested the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey programs as effective, interesting and useful attempts. For cost factor the participants underlined importance of long-term benefits of these attempts. One of the cases stated that scientific education congress, introduction meetings, on-line portals of Ministry of Education and written documents are cost-effective, but such efforts are not effective in engaging teachers in considering inquiry.WoSScopu

An Intentional Approach to Teaching Evolution

Evolution education has been hampered by two conditions. The first is the perception that there is no need to understand anything beyond the short-term processes of evolution (microevolution) to be a functional citizen. The second is the overwhelming focus on microevolution in the biology curriculum — if evolution is taught, typically only microevolution is addressed. This chapter begins our chapter by building a case for the importance of student understanding of both micro- and macroevolution. Following this discussion, the chapter offers a description of a course designed using the findings of a wide body of research (cognitive science, nature of science, evolution education) that employs an intentional conceptual change approach to the learning of both micro and macroevolutionary concepts

Examining the Interaction of Acceptance and Understanding: How Does the Relationship Change with a Focus on Macroevolution?

The goal of this research was to illuminate the relationship between students’ acceptance and understanding of macroevolution. Our research questions were: (1) Is there a relationship between knowledge of macroevolution and acceptance of the theory of evolution?; (2) Is there a relationship between the amount of college level biology course work and acceptance of evolutionary theory and knowledge of macroevolution?; and (3) Can college student acceptance of the theory of evolution and knowledge of macroevolution change over the course of a semester? The research participants included 667 students from a first-semester biology course and 74 students from the evolutionary biology course. Data were collected using both the MATE (a measure of the acceptance of evolutionary theory) and the MUM (a measure of understanding of macroevolution). Pre-instruction data were obtained for the introductory biology course, and pre- and post-data were obtained for the evolutionary biology course. Analysis revealed acceptance of evolution (as measured by the MATE) was correlated to understanding of macroevolution, and the number of biology courses was significantly correlated to acceptance and knowledge of macroevolution. Finally, there was a statistically significant change in students’ understanding of macroevolution and acceptance of evolution after the one-semester evolutionary biology course. Significance of these findings is discussed

Development and Preliminary Evaluation of the Measure of Understanding of Macroevolution: Introducing the MUM

The challenges in teaching and learning of biological evolution continue to be documented (NAS, 2008). Developers of science standards continue their work to increase emphasis on evolution. Although gains have been made, many K-12 science curricula focus on microevolution (i.e., natural selection, genetic drift), and a more limited effort is in place to provide exposure to macroevolution (i.e., speciation). Many of the public\u27s fundamental questions concerning evolution actually stem from macroevolutionary changes. This research involved the development and psychometric evaluation of the Measure of Understanding of Macroevolution (MUM), an assessment of college undergraduate understanding of the scientific portrayal of macroevolution. The MUM comprises 27 multiple-choice items and 1 free-response item. The authors achieved content validity based on feedback from professional biologists and evolution educators. The MUM was field tested with 3 unique cohorts of undergraduate students (N = 795). The validity and reliability analyses indicate that the MUM effectively, consistently, and accurately measures students\u27 understanding of macroevolution

A More Fine-Grained Measure of Students\u27 Acceptance of Evolution: Development of the Inventory of Student Evolution Acceptance—I-SEA

The potential influences of affective perceptions on cognitive engagement in learning, particularly with emotionally charged topics such as evolution, provide justification for acknowledging and assessing learners\u27 attitudes toward content. One approach to determining students\u27 attitudes toward a construct is to explicitly ask them to what degree they accept the related content. This was the approach we took as we developed the Inventory of Student Evolution Acceptance. Our goal was to make a finer-grained instrument that would assess acceptance on three evolution subscales: microevolution, macroevolution, and human evolution. Further, we sought to not conflate understanding with acceptance of the constructs. We began our instrument development with a series of interviews and open-ended questionnaires to determine students\u27 perceptions of evolution acceptance. Based on the responses we developed and field tested a 49-item Likert scale instrument with stems distributed across our three targeted subscales. Using the data from our field test, we reduced the instrument to 24 items evenly distributed across the three subscales, and the revised instrument was again field tested with high school and undergraduate college students. The final instrument has an internal reliability of Cronbach\u27s alpha of 0.96 and the items loaded onto three components that reflect documented evolution acceptance conditions. The instrument development, implications, and applications are discussed

Teaching science to every child : using culture as a starting point

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