Although students "learn" (i.e., hear about) the components of evolution by natural selection in high school biology courses, few of them truly understand or remember them. Evolution by natural selection, although seemingly simple, requires that several conditions be met. The trait of concern must exhibit variation within the population; this…

The purpose of this study was to determine the beliefs about biological evolution held by college freshman students in one Catholic university in the Philippines. After 4 weeks of constructivist-inspired instruction, interviews and journal entries revealed that the students have diverse beliefs about the theory of evolution. They posited…

This study was designed to investigate the influence of a diversified instructional strategy to overcome misconceptions held by freshmen undergraduate students with respect to the nature of a scientific theory. The theory of evolution was selected because it is the most significant unifying theme within the discipline of biology. Two classes were…

Reports on a process which allows active study of mutating the characteristics of a population of organisms. States that the program, written in C, should run on a MS/DOS system with 640K; CGA is required for graphics output. Describes implementation procedures and two examples using the program. (RT)

Urges biology teachers to discuss creationism in classrooms, pointing out why it is not science. Indicates that such action would be farsighted recognition of and response to a genuine educational need in society. Topics addressed include scope of science education, the creation movement, censorship, and suggestions for implementing creationism in…

Presents a model for teaching the principles of evolution. The model presents three major factors that direct changes and affect an individual's fitness. Uses and adaptations of the model are suggested. (Author/SA)

Reviewed is some of the experimental evidence for apostatic selection from work with artificial prey. Guidelines for further experiments are suggested including experimental design, analysis, variables, and selection in the wild. (Author/CW)

A rationale is presented for the use of inquiry activities in the biology classroom when teaching the concept of evolution. An annotated list of evolution laboratory activities from 18 nontextbook sources is included. Each annotation includes the title, source, major evolutionary concepts, and a brief description. (KR)

This study explores pre-service elementary school teachers' understandings of evolutionary science and their feelings and concerns about teaching evolution in Canadian elementary schools. Data were collected through a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Most participants reported acceptance of evolution as a scientifically factual…

Although many research studies report students' Lamarckian misconceptions, only a few studies present learning and teaching strategies that focus on the successful development of the concept of natural selection. The learning and teaching strategy for upper secondary students (aged 15-16) presented in this study conducted in The Netherlands is…

This laboratory exercise introduces students to a fundamental tool in evolutionary biology--phylogenetic inference. Students are required to create a data set via observation and through mining preexisting data sets. These student data sets are then used to develop and compare competing hypotheses of vertebrate phylogeny. The exercise uses readily…

This study incorporated classroom observations and taped interviews designed to reveal what each teacher believed about such matters as the nature of science and knowledge, the nature and purpose of education in general and science education in particular, and basic beliefs regarding God and purpose in life. Classroom practices of the…

Suggests instructional strategies for biology teachers confronted with creationism in the classroom and ways of dealing with the literal view of the public regarding the Bible. Supporting documentation (such as Christian ideas supporting scientific spirit and inquiry and definitions of the earth) is included in appendices. (JN)

Presents a method for teaching high school students about evolution at the genus level as well as at higher taxons. Activities for a laboratory project and laboratory techniques are described. (SA)

Examines three anecdotal cases of the teaching of evolution theory in an exploration of the best approaches for teaching about evolution. Three instructional options are presented: (1) readings in natural history, (2) commercially prepared activities, and (3) the use of small-group (peer) discussions. (LZ)