Undergraduate Students' Attitudes Towards The Theory of Evolution

Yıl 2009, Cilt: 8 Sayı: 3, 820 - 842, 26.06.2009

Zeki Apaydın Hikmet Sürmeli

Öz

The present study aims at investigating the attitudes of undergraduate students towards the theory of
evolution (TOE). Even though the body of literature related TOE is abundant, there is limited conducted research in
Turkey.The independent variables used in the present study are as follows: faculty, programme, graduated high
school, evolution lesson, lesson including evolution, activity related to evolution, educational level of mother,
educational level of father, participants’ income, participants’ families income, and the term described by participants’
themselves. The total number of participants is 849 from two universities in Turkey. To measure of students’ attitudes
towards TOE , Rutledge & Sadler’s (2007) survey is used. The reliability of scale (Cronbach ?) is .80.The results
revealed that depending on faculty, evolution lesson, programme, the term described by participants’ themselves,
educational level of mother, educational level of father and participants’ income variables, students scores change
statistically significant at the level of .05.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Teaching about evolution, nature of science, the attitudes of university students toward the theory of evolution, constructivism

Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Evrim Teorisine Yönelik Tutumları

Öz

Bu çalışmanın amacı, lisans öğrencilerinin evrim teorisine yönelik tutumlarını ortaya çıkarmak . Dünya alan yazında evrim teorisine dönük öğrenci olmak için çok sayıda çalışma varken; ülkemizde evrim öğretimi uygulama, evrim teorisine yönlendirmek. Çalışmak Marmara Bölgesi ve Çevre Bölgesi arası 849 öğrenci katılmış olup bağımsız değişken halde, bölüm, lise, evrim dersi, evrim konulu ders, evrim ile ilgili bir etkinlik, anne ve baba eğitim düzeyi, kendilerine ve ailelerine ait değerler. Öğrencilerin tutumlarını ölçmek için Rutledge ve Sadler (2007) tarafından değerlendirildi. Ölçeğin güvenirlik katsayısı (Cronbach a) .80'dir. Çalışmanın amacı fakülte, evrim dersi, bölüm, adresleme, anne eğitimi seviyesi, baba eğitimi seviyesi ve. tasarrufu puanlarda istatisitiksel olarak anlam farklılıklar bulunmuştur (p <0.05).

Anahtar Kelimeler

Evrim öğretimi, bilimin doğası, üniversite öğrencilerinin evrim teorisine yönelik tutumları, yapılandırmacı yaklaşım

Kaynakça

• A Kansas’s Guide to Science. (2000). Lawrance: University of Kansas, Educational Series 15, Kansas Geological Survey.
• Alles, D. (2001). Using evolution as the framework for teaching biology. The American Biology Teacher, 63(1), 20-24.
• Alters, B., J. and Nelson, C., E. (2002). Perspective: Teaching evolution in higher education. Evolution, 56(10), 1891-1901.
• American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1989). Science for all Americans: Project 2061.
• Newyork: Oxford University Press.
• American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1993). Benchmarks for science literacy. Newyork: Oxford University Press.
• American Association of University Women. (1992). How schools shortchange girls: A study of major findings on girls and education. Washington , DC: AAUW Educational Foundation, The Wellesley College Center for Research on Women.
• Anderson, D. L., Fisher, K.M., & Norman, G.J. (2002). Development and evaluation of the conceptual inventory of natural selection. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39, 952-978.
• Asghar, A., Wiles, J. R., & Alters. B. (2007). Canadian pre-service elementary teachers’ conceptions of biological evolution and evolution education. Mcgill Journal of Education. 42 (2), 189-209.
• AydHn, H. (2009) Eski yunan’da islam n klasik ça na: neden kavram ve nedensellik. stanbul: Bilim ve Gelecek YayHnlarH.
• Baker, D. R. & Piburn, M. D. (1997). Constructing science in middle and secondary school classrooms. Needham Heights, MA : Allyn & Bacon.
• Batuhan, H. (1996). Bilim ve Harlatanl k. stanbul: YKY.
• Behe, M. (1996). Darwin’s black box: The biochemical challenge to evolution. New York: The Free Press.
• Bergman, J. (1979). Attitude of university students toward the teaching of creation and evolution in the schools. Origins, 6, 64-66.
• Bishop, B. A. & Anderson, C. W. (1990). Student conceptions of natural selection and its role in evolution. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 27, 415-427.
• Blackwell, W. H., Powell, M. J., & Dukes, G. H. (2003). The problem of student acceptance of evolution. Journal of Biological Education, 37 (2), 58-67.
• Bowler, P. J. (1985). Scientific attitudes to Darwinism in Britain and America. In D. Kohn (Ed.), The Darwinian heritage (pp. 641-681). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
• Brem, S. K., Ranney, M. & Shindel, J. (2002). Perceived consequences of evolution: College students percieve negative personal and social impact in evolutionary theory. Science Education, 20, 1-26.
• Clores, M. & Limjap, A. (2006). Diversity of students’ beliefs about biological evolution. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 26 (1), 65-77.
• Cobern, W. W. (1994). Belief, understanding, and the teaching of evolution. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 31, 583-590.
• Crawford, B. A., Zembal-Saul, C., Munford, D., & Friedrichsen, P. (2005). Confronting prospective teachers’ ideas of evolution and scientific inquiry using tecnology and inquiry-based tasks. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 42 (6), 613-637.
• Czerniak, C. & Chiarelott, L. (1984). Science anxiety: An investigation of science achievement, sex and grade level factors .(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 243 672).
• Çetinkaya, H. (2006). Evrim, bilim ve e itim üzerine. Ege E itim Dergisi. 7 (1), 1-21.
• Dagher, Z. R. & BouJaoude, S. (1997). Scientific views and religious beliefs of college students: The case of biological evolution. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 34, 583-590.
• Dagher, Z. R., Brickhouse, N., Shipman, H., & Letts, W. (2004). How some college students represent their understanding of scientific theories. International Journal of Science Education, 26, 735-755.
• Dagher, Z. R. & BouJaoude, S. (2005). Students’ perceptions of the nature of evolutionary theory. Science Education, 89, 378-391.
• Delgado, A. M. (2002). Radical constructivism: Between realism and solipsism. Science Education. 86, 840-855.
• Demski, W. A. (1999). Intelligent design: The bridge between science & theology. Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press.
• Deniz, H., Donnelly, L., & Yilmaz, I. (2008). Exploring the factors related to acceptance of evolutionary theory amaong turkish preservice biology teachers: Toward a more informative conceptual ecology for biological evolution. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 45, (4), 420-443.
• Dobzhansky, T. (1973). Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution. The American Biology Teachers, 35, 125-129.
• Elstgeest, J. (1985). The right question at the right time. In Harlen, W. (Ed.). Primary science: Taking the plunge. London: Heinemann Educational Books Ltd.
• Fleer, M. & Hardy T. (2001). Science for Children: Developing a personal approach to teaching. Australia: Prentice Hall.
• Gould, T. (1982). Darwinism and the expansion of evolutionary theory. Science, 216, 380-387.
• Greene, E. D. (1990). The logic of university students’ misanderstanding of natural selection. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 27 (9), 875-885.
• Hull, D. L. (1973). Darwin and his critics: The reception of Darwin’s theory of evolution by the scientific community. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
• Ingram, E. L. & Nelson C. E. (2006). Relationship between achivement and student’s acceptance of evolution or creation in an upper-level evolution course. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 43 (1), 7-24.
• Jackson, D. F. (2000). Shifting the relationship between personal and professional beliefs and practices with regard to evolution and religion: Three years of feedback from prospective middle school secience teachers. Paper presented of the meeting of the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, New Orleans, LA.
• Jenson, M. S. & Finley, F. N. (1996). Changes in students’ understandings of evolution resulting from different curricular and instructional strategies. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 33 (8), 879-900.
• Kahle, J. B. (1983). The disadvanteged majority: Science education for women. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 242 561).
• Lawson, A. E. & Weser, J. (1990). The rejections of nonscientific beliefs about life: Effects of instruction and reasoning skills. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 27, 589-606.
• Lawson, A. E. & Worsnop, W. A. (1992). Learning about evolution and rejecting a belief special creation: Effects of reflective reasoning skill, prior knowledge, prior belief and religious commitment. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 29 (2), 143-166.
• Lawson, A. E. (1995). Science teaching of the development thinking. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
• Lawson, A. E. (1999). A scientific approach to teaching about evolution and special creation. American Biology Teacher, 61, 266-274.
• Lord, T. and S. Marino. (1993). How university students view the theory of evolution. Journal of College Science Teaching, 22:353–357.
• Mayr, E. (1991). One long argument: Charles Darwin and the genesis of modern evolutionary thought. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
• Mayr, E. (1997). This is biology: The science of the living world. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UniversityPress.
• Meadows, L., Doster, E., & Jackson, D., F. (2000). Managing the conflict between evolution and religion. American Biology Teacher, 62, 102-107.
• Millar, R. (1989). Constructive criticism. International Journal of Science Education, 11, 587-596.
• Moore, R., Mitchell, G., Bally, R., Inglis, M., Day, J., & Jacobs, D. (2002). Undergraduates’ understanding of evolution: Ascriptions of agency as a problem for student learning. Journal of Biological Education, 36 (2), 65-71.
• National Research Council. (1996). Teaching about evolution and the nature of science. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
• National Research Council. (1998). National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
• Nelson, C. E. & Skehan, J. W. (2000). Effective strategies for teaching evolution and other controversial topics. In The creation controversy and the science classroom, (pp. 19-50). Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.
• Norris, S. & Phillips, L. (1994). Interpreting pragmatic meaning when reading popular reports of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 31, 947-967.
• Palmer, D. H. (1999). Exploring the link between students’ scientific and nonscientific conceptions. Science Education, 83, 639-653.
• Palmquist, S. & Crowley, K. (2007). From teachers to testers: How parents talk to novice and expert children. Science Education, 91(5), 783 – 804.
• Passmore, C. & Stewart, J. (2002). A modeling approach to teaching evolutionary biology in high schools. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39 (3), 185-204.
• Rudolph, J. L. & Stewart J. (1998). Evolution and the nature of science: On the historical discord and its implications for education. Journal of Research In Science Teaching, 35 (10), 1069-1089.
• Rutledge, M.L., Sadler, K.C. (2007). Reliability of the measure of acceptance of the theory of Evolution (MATE) instrument with university students. The American Biology Teacher, 69(6), 332-335.
• Scharmann, L. C. (1990). Enhancing and understanding of the premises of evolutionary theory: The influence of a diversyfied instructional strategy. School Science Mathematics, 90, 91-100.
• Scharmann, L. C. (1993). Teaching evolution: Designing succesful instruction. The American Biology Teacher, 60 (1), 42-45.
• Schibeci, R. A. & Riley, J.P., II. (1986). Influence of students’ background and perceptions on science attitudes and achievement. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 23, 177-187.
• Settlage, Jr. J. (1994). Conceptions of natural selection: A snapshot of the sense making process. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 31 (5), 449-457.
• Sinatra, G. M., Southerland, S. A., McConaughy, F., & Demastes, J., W. (2003). Intentions and beliefs in students anderstanding and acceptance of biological evolution. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 40, 510-528.
• Sinclair, A., Pendarvis, M. P., & Baldwin, B. (1997). The relationship between college zoology students’ beliefs about evolutionary theory and religion. Journal of Research and Development in Education, 30 (2), 118-125.
• Sipahi, B., Yurtkoru, E.S., Çinko, M. (2006). Sosyal bilimlerde SPSS’le veri analizi. stanbul: Beta BasHm.
• Smith, M. U. (1994). Counterpoint: Belief, understanding, and the teaching of evolution. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 31, 591-597.
• Smith, M. U., Siegel, H., & McInerney, J. D. (1995). Foundational issues in evolution education. Science & Education, 4, 23-46.
• Soderberg, P. (2003). An examination of problem-based teaching and learning in population genetics and evolution using evolve, a computer simulation. International Journal of Science Education, 25 (1), 35-55.
• Somel, N. Ö. Türkiye’de biyolojik evrim kuramH e itiminin tarihsel ve sosyolojik bir de erlendirmesi http://www.biyolojiegitim.yyu.edu.tr/ders/ev/sem/evrb/16.pdf indirilmiKtir.
• adresinden 09.10.2008 tarihinde
• Southerland, S. A. (2000). Epistemic universalism and the shortcomings of curricular multicultural science education. Science Education, 9, 289-307.
• Southerland, S. A., Abrams, E., Cummis, C. L., & Anselmo, J. (2001). Understanding students’ explanations of biological phenonema: Conceptual frameworks or P-Prims. Science Education, 85, 328-348.
• Southerland, S. A., Sinatra, G. M., & Matthews, M. (2001). Belief, knowledge, and science education. Educational Psychology Review, 13, 325-351.
• Stern, L. (2004). Effective assessment: probing students’ understanding of natural selection. Journal of Biological Education, 39(1), 12-17.
• Stewart, J. & Rudolph, H. (2001). Considering the nature of scientific problems when designing science curricula. Science Education, 85, 207-222.
• TaKkHn, Ö., Çobano lu, E. O., ApaydHn, Z., Çobano lu, . H., YHlmaz, Wahin, Birgül. (2006). Lisans Ö rencilerinin Kuram (Teori) Kavram n Alg lay "lar . XV. Ulusal E itim Bilimleri Kongresi’nde sunulan poster. Mu la Üniversitesi, Mu la.
• Winslow, M. (2008). Evolution and personal religious belief: Christian biology-related majors' search for reconciliation at a Christian university. Ph.D. dissertation, Kansas State University, United States, Kansas. Retrieved September 30, 2009, from Dissertations & Theses: Full Text.(Publication No. AAT 3310836).
• Woods, C. S. & Scharmann, L. C. (2001). High school students’ perceptions of evolutionary theory. Electronic Journal of Science Education, 6(2). http://unr.edu/homepage/crowther/ejse/woodsetal.html indirilmiKtir.
• adresinden 18 Ocak 2006 tarihinde