Undergraduates (n=25) participated in a study designed to describe and evaluate the use of concept mapping in teaching a college course on evolution; determine whether students' concept maps reveal "critical junctures" in learning as the course unfolds; and assess the impact of concept mapping on students' study practices and on…

Semistructured interviews with 15 masters-level biology students revealed that most proposed deterministic explanations of evolutionary processes, ignored the role of chance, seemed unaware of debates over deterministic versus probabilistic models of evolution, and confused evolutionary theory (a model) with the actual complex processes it…

Researchers administered surveys to college zoology students prior to, and immediately following a study of evolutionary theory, to assess their understanding and acceptance of evidence supporting the theory. Results showed students had many misconceptions about the theory. Their beliefs interfered with their ability to objectively view scientific…

Ability of five cognitive characteristics to predict students' (N=96) achievement of evolution and natural selection concepts was measured. Results, among others, indicate that disembedding ability, prior knowledge, and evolutionary belief were significantly related to achievement while developmental level and mental capacity were not. (JN)