2023 Volume 64 Issue 2 Pages 103-121
Teleology and use/disuse theory are two of the most common misconceptions about the mechanism of evolution. To correct these misconceptions and facilitate students in acquiring a proper understanding of the mechanism of evolution, I developed a hands-on teaching material based on real-life phenomena in this study. The teaching material focused on adaptive evolution, in which plant organs that aid in seed dispersal by wind (e.g., pappus) are reduced or lost on islands, and simulated the process of the evolution by mutation and natural selection using a handmade model. We conducted a teaching experiment using the material for college students and verified the effectiveness of the material by comparing their test scores about evolution before and after the practice. The results showed that total test scores on the definition of evolution, including the rejection of some misconceptions, increased significantly after the experiment. The percentage of students describing the evolution of biological traits in terms of mutation and natural selection was also significantly higher than before the experiment. However, there was a limited correction of misconceptions about teleology and use/disuse. Furthermore, the percentage of students who held the misconception that ‘natural selection occurs by chance’ was higher after the practice. The incorporation of structured inquiry and computer simulation may resolve these problems and enhance the teaching effectiveness of this material.
