Developing Teacher Competencies for Teaching Evolution across the Primary School Curriculum
A Design Study of a Pre-Service Teacher Education Module
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22043705 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Susan Hanisch (0000-0001-8273-6481, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, corresponding author), Dustin Eirdosh (0000-0002-3836-1501, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 8 |
| Pages | 797 |
| Publication date | 2023-08-03 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Education Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/educsci13080797 |
| OpenAlex | W4385543037 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 78 |
Numerous studies indicate that evolutionary concepts can and should be taught at the primary school level. However, teaching evolution in primary school is presumably not yet the norm globally. At the same time, the educational potential of evolutionary concepts lies in their applicability to many curriculum topics in the natural and social sciences. Capitalizing on this potential requires broad teacher content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) about the teaching of evolutionary concepts. However, not much is known regarding ways to develop primary teacher CK and PCK during pre-service training. In this article, we present the iterative design, implementation, and mixed methods formative evaluation (based on a design-based research framework) of a pre-service teacher education module. Its aim was to promote the development of pre-service primary school teacher CK, PCK, as well as motivation and confidence for teaching evolution across the primary school curriculum. Results indicate that pre-service teachers can be supported and motivated to teach evolutionary concepts across various themes in the primary school curriculum through a semester long course. Participants were able to develop core aspects of CK and PCK regarding the teaching of evolutionary concepts in primary school. The resulting module design integrates existing collective PCK on teaching evolution at the primary level as well as novel design considerations and teaching approaches that can be integrated into pre-service teacher education programs. However, challenges remain, particularly regarding the integration of evolutionary concepts in mandated curriculum standards such that the educational potential of evolution can be fully capitalized on by teachers
Curriculum · Formative assessment · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Primary education · Teacher education · Animal and Plant Science Education · Evolution and Science Education · Psychology
A field guide for teaching evolution in the social sciences
Experimental models for testing hypotheses about cumulative cultural evolution
Conducting Educational Design Research
Design Research in Education
Endurance running and the evolution of Homo
Interest, motivation and attitude towards science and technology at K-12 levels
Research on Interest in Science
The multiple roles of cultural transmission experiments in understanding human cultural evolution
Counting in Qualitative Research
Teacher enthusiasm
Nothing in Biology Makes Sense except in the Light of Evolution
Elastic energy storage in the shoulder and the evolution of high-speed throwing in Homo
The Evolutionary Mismatch Hypothesis
Development and evaluation of the knowledge about evolution 2.0 instrument (Kaevo 2.0)
The Simulated Classroom Biology—A simulated classroom environment for capturing the action‐oriented professional knowledge of pre‐service teachers about evolution
Inhibiting intuition
Affective consciousness
Cultural Evolution
The Stag Hunt and the Evolution of Social Structure
Carrying the baton
Teachers' views on understanding evolutionary theory
Barriers to Collective Action
Modeling Natural Variation Through Distribution
Two Key Steps in the Evolution of Human Cooperation
| Highly cited | No |
|---|