MILLER, B.A.; HOESE, W.J.: Alternative conceptions in evolution: A pilot study using a pre- and post-instruction assessment to detect misconceptions college students have about evolution in introductory biology courses.

Previous research has shown that students in their elementary, secondary, and college years hold misunderstandings about evolution by natural selection. Determination of which alternative concepts students have about evolution will allow teachers to aid students in learning. We investigated the nature of misunderstandings about natural selection in college students in introductory biology courses. We defined a misconception as an incorrect idea/construct that the student had about evolution after receiving instruction. We prepared a multi-part assessment test using a combination of questions based on past research as well as our own novel questions. This assessment included defining natural selection terms, as well as having students justify their choice to passages describing situations about evolution. These assessments were administered to students in introductory biology for majors and sections of biology for future K-12 teachers at California State University, Fullerton. We found that students held both Darwinian and non-Darwinian ideas in the pre- and post- assessments. These non-Darwinian concepts were largely neo-Lamarckian in nature. After instruction more students held Darwinian ideas. There was no decrease in non-Darwinian ideas. Conflicting concepts appeared to coexist in the minds of many students. We detected no significant difference between the biology majors (n=101) and the non-majors (n=23), as evidenced by their pre-instruction scores. Darwinian ideas appear to be able to be learned without the displacement of previously held non-Darwinian concepts. The holding of competing perspectives by students has been documented in previous research.