TURKISH PRESERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS' UNDERSTANDING OF NATURAL SELECTION: SOME PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

Abstract

The present study examined a group of senior pre-service science teachers' conceptual understanding of natural selection through the Conceptual Inventory of Natural Selection (Anderson, Fisher, & Norman, 2002). The findings indicated that participants of this study possessed a moderate level of conceptual understanding of natural selection. Specifically, considering key aspects addressed by the Inventory, participants found to have relatively higher levels of understandings about population stability, natural resources, limited survival, and variation within a population. However, their understanding on variation inheritable, differential survival, biotic potential, and change in a population was limited. Participants also seemed to have inadequate understanding of origin of variation and origin of species. Additionally, they held variety of misconceptions related to each key aspects of natural selection.