High School Biology Teachers' Knowledge Structure, Acceptance & Teaching of Evolution

Abstract

volutionary theory is the central and unifying theme of the discipline of biology. Its broad explanatory power allows for the investigation of a wide range of intriguing biological questions and serves as an underlying framework of the discipline. Because of its explanatory and unifying powers, scientific and educational organizations have called for instruction in evolution to be commensurate with its station in biology (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989; National Association of Biology Teachers, 1997; National Academy of Sciences, 1998; National Research Council, 1985; National Science Teachers Association, 1997). Results from several studies, however, suggest that instruction in evolutionary biology at the high school level has been absent, cursory, or fraught with misinformation (Eglin 1983; Johnson 1986; Roelfs 1987; Shankar & Skoog 1993).