A systematic classification of student misconceptions in biological evolution

Abstract

The paper considers student understandings of particular aspects of biological evolution from the perspective of misconceptions. Although lists of misconceptions and possible categories have been proposed in educational research studies, individual misconceptions have not been categorised systematically. This paper therefore explores student misconceptions in biological evolution in greater detail. It synthesises existing categorisation schemes for misconceptions and categorise each misconception within a synthesised scheme. According of this new scheme, student misconceptions in biological evolution can be systematically classified into five groups: common sense, content-based, NOS-based (misconceptions related to the nature of science), non-scientific and vernacular misconceptions. This categorisation serves as an organisational scheme for future research on student misconceptions in evolutionary theory, providing both fundamental and analytical frameworks for researchers interested in biology education

Keywords

• misconceptions, evolution, classification, biology education

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