An investigation into the attitudes of teachers and learners towards evolution, the conceptual changes that occur when learners are taught evolution, and the factors that influence this conceptual change.

Abstract

Evolution is considered a controversial topic and has been met with much debate, concern

and conflict in its inclusion in the school curriculum. The aim of his investigation was to

determine what conceptual change occurs when learners are taught evolution and what

factors influence this change looking in particular at learners’ conceptual ecologies and the

role that religious beliefs play. The attitudes of the learners, teachers and school community

towards evolution were also investigated. A mixed methods approach was used because it

obtains a fuller picture and provides a deeper understanding of a phenomenon by

combining the strengths of qualitative and quantitative research. Learners were given a pre-and

post-instruction survey and concept mapping task, and a sample of learners were

interviewed post instruction. Results showed that learners made significant conceptual

changes and that religious beliefs are the main contributing factor to learners’ conceptual

ecologies and the conceptual changes that occurred. An overall negative attitude was

initially experienced from learners, but this developed into curiosity and interest. Teachers

had a positive attitude towards teaching evolution. This study also highlights the notion that

conceptual change theory is not sufficient in explaining how all learners learn evolution.

Learners that experience cultural conflict follow various other learning paths explained by

collateral learning. Collateral learning is considered because it more accurately explains how

religious learners learn evolution. Collateral learning puts emphasis on the importance that

learner cultures have in learning and highlights the importance of teaching for cultural

border crossing