Evolution: Education and Outreach (Nov 2024)

Fossils, DNA, and Nothing: evidence of evolutionary biology university students find compelling

  • Sam Skrob-Martin,
  • Joseph Travis,
  • Sherry A. Southerland

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12052-024-00212-1
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 1
pp. 1 – 16

Abstract

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Abstract Background Developing evolutionary literacy is an important component of post-secondary students’ education and is a primary goal for evolution educators. However, as obstacles exist to students’ acceptance of evolution, more information needs to be obtained about what type of evidence students find compelling (or do not) that supports evolution to explain the diversity of life on Earth. Using the lens of conceptual ecologies, this study aimed to determine what lines of evidence senior university biology students found compelling. We examined six semesters of Pre-Post survey data taken at the beginning and end of the semester from 2014 to 2021 to categorize the types of evidence students claimed to find compelling. Results We identified seven categories of evidence that senior university biology students found compelling: New from Old, Comparative Biology, Structural Homology, Demonstration of Natural Section, Adaptation, Molecular Biology, and Not Convinced. A Chi-Square test of Independence indicated a significant difference in the categories that were most frequently discussed between the Pre- and Post surveys. Demonstration of Natural Selection had the highest percentage of student responses in the Pre-survey, while Molecular Biology ranked the highest in the Post. We parsed out the particular types of evidence nested within the Molecular Biology category to see which students found more compelling in the Post-survey. We also found that participation in a one-semester course decreased the percentage of students who answered Not Convinced from Pre to Post every semester. Conclusions Results from this study can offer suggestions for evolution education, such as including more examples of Molecular Biology evolution, as students found this category most compelling in the Post-survey. These types of examples can be used throughout evolution courses or focused on more deeply to support student understanding.

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