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Practitioner Research Improved My Students’ Understanding of Evolution by Natural Selection in an Introductory Biology Course

Many undergraduates are challenged in their understanding of evolutionary biology because they harbor deeply held misconceptions about basic evolutionary concepts that are highly resistant to instruction. This paper presents results of eight years of practitioner research to improve my teaching and my students’ learning of evolution in an introductory biology course at Widener University. Since 2000, I have been using pre-, mid-, and post-course tests to assess students’ understanding of evolution by natural selection. For fall 2006, I made an extensive set of course revisions (both content and pedagogy) in response to results of 2000-2005 assessments. Among these revisions was a novel way of using student pre-test responses to identify and confront my students’ misconceptions about evolution and natural selection. This involved presenting histograms of their pre-test misconceptions in class, rearranging course content to systematically and explicitly confront and displace these misconceptions as “expert” knowledge and ways of knowing were transmitted, and having students reflect upon their learning. Thus, the students’ demonstrated misconceptions drove the course outline and methods of content delivery. Data from fall 2006-2007 indicate significant improvements in understanding of evolution by natural selection. I enjoin that practitioner research methods are highly effective means to articulate and focus research questions, design course interventions, and test hypotheses about the effectiveness of course revisions on student learning.
Associated files
Format
Resource Group TIEE
Resource Group Link https://ecoed.esa.org/index.php?P=SearchResults&F46=TIEE
Primary or BEN resource type
Discipline Specific Core Concepts
Life science discipline (subject)
Keywords practitioner research, evolution, natural selection, misconceptions, formative assessment, pre-post tests, Dino Neck question
Audience
Intended End User Role
Language
Educational Language
Pedagogical Use Category
Pedagogical Use Description The suite of course revisions I instituted in fall 2006 significantly decreased students’ misconceptions and improved their learning about evolution and the process of evolution by natural selection. The revisions included modification of course content and reduction and radical redesign of the presentation modality of this course content. In particular, I used student pre-test responses to estimate class-wide frequencies of misconceptions about evolution and the process of evolution by natural selection. I then presented frequency histograms of their misconceptions directly to them in class, engaged them in reflective discourse to address these misconceptions, and then I rearranged and presented course content to systematically confront, address, and displace these misconceptions as “expert” knowledge and ways of knowing were transmitted. Thus, the students’ demonstrated misconceptions drove the course outline and methods of content delivery.
Aggregation Level
Structure
Url http://tiee.esa.org/vol/v6/research/grant/abstract.html
Full Name of Primary Author Bruce Grant
Primary Author Controlled Name
Primary Author Affiliation Widener University
Chester, PA, 19013
Primary Author email N/A
Added By Id
  • educationintern
Rights Author retains copyrights
License
Publisher
Review type
Drought and Water Ecosystem Services Collection Off
Conservation Targets Under Global Change Collection Off
Big Data Collection Off
Editors Choice No
Resource Status
Date Of Record Submission 2011-03-09
I Agree to EcoEdDL's Copyright Policy & Terms of Use No
Date Of Record Release 2011-03-09 15:14:15
Last Modified By Id
  • educationintern
Date Last Modified 2018-07-25 14:46:28
Release Flag Published

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