Sparks and Darner Gougis - Challenging Pre-Service Teachers; Evolutionary Acceptance in Introductory Biology - GAUISUS - Scholarship on Teaching and Learning at Illinois State University

Challenging Pre-Service Teachers; Evolutionary Acceptance in Introductory Biology

Rachel Sparks
School of Biological Sciences • Illinois State University

Rachel Sparks is pursuing her Master’s degree in Biological Sciences and earned her B.S. in education from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She taught high school science in Ohio prior to coming to Illinois State University, where she works with Dr. Gougis in investigating students’ conceptual change in evolutionary theory. Rachel is specifically interested in how teaching biological concepts through the lens of evolutionary theory fosters student’s conceptual change. She is also passionate about promoting scientific literacy and encouraging students to form conclusions about relevant issues based on scientific evidence, which she is able to do as the graduate student lecturer for BSC 101: Fundamental Concepts of Biology.

Rebekka Darner Gougis
School of Biological Sciences • Illinois State University

Rebekka Darner Gougis is a faculty member in the School of Biological Sciences where she serves as the director of the general education biology course and teaches mammalian biology. Her research interests include conceptual change of evolutionary and ecological concepts and how conceptual knowledge and motivation combine to inform everyday decision-making. Rebekka is also passionate about diversifying the STEM workforce and engages in multiple efforts to foster support for and scientific expertise among women and minorities who are under-represented in STEM fields.

In this study, we examine the efficacy of an instructional intervention on pre-service teachers' acceptance of evolutionary theory. We used diagnostic question clusters with ORCAS (Open-ended questioning, student Responses, Contradictory claims, Assessment of contradictions, and Summary) discourse to elicit students’ prior knowledge and compel evaluation of claims with evidence. Pre-and post-instruction evolutionary acceptance, nature-of-science understanding, and conceptual knowledge about evolution were measured qualitatively and quantitatively, indicating the instructional treatment was effective in fostering acceptance and understanding of evolution. We discuss implications for further research and preparing pre-service teachers for teaching evolution concepts.