Relationships between Epistemological Beliefs and Conceptual Understanding of Evolution by Natural Selection

Autor/inn/en	Baytelman, Andreani; Loizou, Theonitsa; Hadjiconstantinou, Salomi
Titel	Relationships between Epistemological Beliefs and Conceptual Understanding of Evolution by Natural Selection
Quelle	In: Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 13 (2023) 1, S.63-93 (31 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1855-9719
Schlagwörter	Grade 12; High School Seniors; Beliefs; Scientific Concepts; Evolution; High School Students; Foreign Countries; Science Education; Correlation; Concept Formation; Intervention; Inquiry; Program Effectiveness; Attitude Change; Student Attitudes; Cyprus + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? School year 12; 12. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 12; Belief; Glaube; High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Ausland; Naturwissenschaftliche Bildung; Korrelation; Concept learning; Begriffsbildung; Attitudinal change; Einstellungsänderung; Schülerverhalten; Zypern
Abstract	This study researches relationships between 12th-grade students' epistemological beliefs towards science and their conceptual understanding of evolution by natural selection. Forty-two 12th-grade students in a suburban high school in Cyprus, who participated in a biology course, completed measures of their: (1) epistemological beliefs towards science before the intervention of being taught evolution; (2) conceptual understanding of evolution by natural selection after evolution intervention; and (3) epistemological beliefs towards science after evolution intervention. Based on previous research, we hypothesised there would be a significant relationship between students' epistemological beliefs and their conceptual understanding of evolution by natural selection after the evolution intervention. We also hypothesised that inquiry-based intervention on evolution by natural selection would foster students' epistemological beliefs. Our results indicate that participants' initial epistemological beliefs predict very modestly and statistically non-significant learning achievements on conceptual understanding of evolution by natural selection. However, our results show a significant improvement in participants' epistemological beliefs after engagement in an inquiry-based intervention on evolution by natural selection. The educational significance of this and its implications are discussed (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education. University of Ljubljana Kardeljeva plošcad 16. Slovenia. Tel: +386-1-5892-344; e-mail: editors@cepsj.si; Web site: https://ojs.cepsj.si/index.php/cepsj/index
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01