Emphasis On Evolution Concepts PDF

DEGREE OF EMPHASIS BY BIOLOGY TEACHERS IN TEACHING
FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF EVOLUTION IN

SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SURIGAO CITY
______________________________________
An Undergraduate Thesis Presented to

The Faculty of College of Teacher Education
SURIGAO EDUCATION CENTER
Surigao City
______________________________________
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN SECONDARY EDUCATION
MAJOR IN SCIENCE
______________________________________
by:
JOSHUA REY P. CENTRO

MARICAR G. CUSTODIO
October 2013
2nd Semester, A.Y. 2013-14
Km. 2, 8400 Surigao City, Philippines
ABSTRACT
The purposes of this study were, first, to measure the degree of emphasis by
biology teachers in teaching fundamental concepts of evolution in secondary schools in
Surigao City; and second, to examine the relationships between the emphasis given by
the teachers and the factors of academic background, personal beliefs, and the availability
of learning materials and time as well as the relationships between emphasis and the
demographic variables.
The data were obtained using a survey questionnaire consisting of 44 items. The
responses were collected from twenty-five (25) secondary teachers handling biology
subject in Surigao City mainland in both public and private schools. The results were
analyzed using Pearson r correlation for the demographic variables and factors affecting
emphasis; and the t-test was used to determine differences between current and chosen
emphasis on the five evolution concepts.
The study revealed that teachers currently only gave some emphasis on evolution
concepts so they discuss each concept in only one lesson. The concept which received the
highest overall emphasis was Diversity of Life and Classification Systems followed by
Natural Selection, Human Evolution, and Evidence of Evolutionary Change while
Speciation received the lowest overall emphasis. Nevertheless, they would like to give
moderate emphasis on these concepts. This was likely due to their knowledge that
evolution is a central and unifying idea in biology and that it answers questions about the
natural world. However, they would like more time to explain the evolution concepts in
class if it was up to them to design the schedule of topics to be covered in the school year.
The teachers with more credit hours in biology and who teach in larger schools
would choose to emphasize evolution concepts more. The teachers in general were
confident in their ability to teach evolution. Learning resource was not a factor for them
because while they use textbooks as their main reference they supplement the information
with sources from the Internet. The researchers recommend that the curriculum should be
structured in a way that evolution concepts are integrated into other concepts in biology
whenever possible.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE i
APPROVAL SHEET ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iii
ABSTRACT iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS vi
LIST OF TABLES viii
LIST OF FIGURES ix
LIST OF APPENDICES x
CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 1
Introduction 1
Review of Related Literature and Research 2
Statement of the Problem 8
Hypotheses 10
Significance of the Study 11
Scope and Limitations of the Study 12
Definition of Terms 13
CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 14
Research Design 14
Participants 14
Research Instrument 14
Data Gathering 17
Data Analysis 17
CHAPTER 3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 18
Demographic Overview 18
Emphasis on Evolution 19
Relationship between Demographic Profile and Emphasis on Evolution 23
Relationship between Factors and Emphasis on Evolution 27
Difference between Current and Chosen Emphasis on Evolution 31
CHAPTER 4 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATION 32
Summary 32
Conclusion 36
Recommendation 37
BIBLIOGRAPHY 38
APPENDICES 40
List of Tables
Table 1. Means and Standard Deviations for
Five Fundamental Concepts of Evolution Current Emphasis 20
Table 2. Means and Standard Deviations for
Five Fundamental Concepts of Evolution Chosen Emphasis 21
Table 3. Ranking of Current Emphasis 21
Table 4. Ranking of Chosen Emphasis 22
Table 5. Ranking of Overall Emphasis 22
Table 6. Pearson r Correlations between Demographic Profile
and Degree of Emphasis 24-26
Table 7. Pearson r Correlations among Influencing Factor
(Academic Background) and Degree of Emphasis 27
(Personal Beliefs) and Degree of Emphasis 29
(Learning Materials and Time) and Degree of Emphasis 30
(Learning Materials and Time) and Degree of Emphasis 31

List of Figures
Figure 1. Schematic Diagram 7

List of Appendices
APPENDIX A Letter to the Biology Teacher 40
APPENDIX B Letter to the Schools Division Superintendents 42
APPENDIX C Letter to the School Principals 45
APPENDIX D Survey Instrument 47-52

CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
In the international scene, there have been many published studies about how the
teaching and learning of evolution are affected by religious beliefs of both teachers and
learners. Research have been conducted to measure the degree to which various teaching
strategies tackle students’ views and succeed in helping students comprehend and accept
the scientific fact of evolution (Alters & Nelson, 2002).
However, in the Philippines, there has not been much research literature regarding
the treatment of evolution in public schools. While the current curriculum does include
evolution, the curriculum itself does not highlight evolution as the central and unifying
theme in biology. Whether this was by design or mere oversight, this study can contribute
information to that can be used to hopefully address this.
The Filipino college students’ beliefs can affect their ability to understand the
theory of evolution and vice-versa (Clores & Bernardo, 2007). This means that it is
crucial for a secondary science teacher of biology to clarify issues regarding evolution
early on, particularly to clear up misconceptions the students may have.
There are no known publicly available researches conducted in the Philippines
about if and how science teachers in the secondary level emphasize the teaching of
evolution. Hence, it is urgent that a research be conducted to examine the factors which
can influence biology teachers in teaching evolution. Clores & Bernardo (2005, 2007)
focused on college students’ understanding of evolution with respect to their beliefs. This
study is about the factors which influence secondary science teachers in inculcating the
scientific mindset that lead to understanding evolution.
Regardless of whether there are national standards that assert and support the
teaching of evolution as a central tenet, some science teachers remain unenthusiastic to
provide comprehensive treatment of evolution in their biology classes. It is a fact that
some biology teachers choose to tone down their approach to a concept as important as
evolution shows that there is a large gap between what is advocated by the scientific
community and practice of teaching evolution. Many reform agenda tend to overlook the
very important role that teachers have in making curricular decisions. Without a doubt,
teachers have the ultimate power in decisions that directly impact students (Lumpe,
Haney, & Czerniak, 2000). The decision to emphasize or to de-emphasize potentially
controversial concepts rests on the teacher.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND RESEARCH
There is perhaps no concept in science that is more controversial than biological
evolution. Since Charles Darwin published the Origin of Species in 1859, evolution has
been met with much opposition because of the potential conflict with many people’s
worldviews. As the years went on, more scientists discovered even more evidence
supporting evolution. It became a well established fact in the scientific community that
evolution happened and is happening. However, there is a gap between scientific
understanding and understanding of the general public about evolution. This is where
science education comes in.

In 1925, John Scopes, a teacher from Dayton, Tennessee, was tried and convicted
for teaching evolution, particularly for including humans as having evolved from earlier
primates. It was illegal at the time in Tennessee to teach evolution in the classroom. The
verdict was later overturned on a technicality. And evolution eventually was taught
without legal barriers from state laws.
A study by Clores & Bernardo (2005) affirmed that culture and religion may
affect students’ learning of evolution. Evolution education research showed that learning
and instruction of the theory of evolution in diverse contexts is not without complications
conceptually and culturally. Students’ cognitive structures may not be accommodating to
the evolutionary concepts because they are inconsistent with their cultural and religious
beliefs. And since some of the students go on to become science teachers, they would
teach evolution but in a manner that would be more biased to their culture instead of the
scientific understanding (Bishop & Anderson, 1990; Brumby, 1984; Cobern, 1994;
Dodick, 2003; Hallden, 1988; Matthews, 2001; Mckeachie, Lin & Strayer, 2002; Smith,
1994).
Clores & Bernardo (2005) noted that the Philippine Elementary Learning
Competencies for Science and Health does not indicate Evolution as a concept to be
studied in the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC). Students first come to study evolution
only upon reaching high school (based on the curriculum available on the website of the
Bureau of Secondary Education) or in college. By this time prior instruction, media,
church or home may have already contributed to students’ perceived conflict between
religion and science regarding evolution.

The subjects in a case study by Clores & Bernardo (2005) have conceptions of
evolution that resembled a continuum tradition from non- or pre-Darwinian to Darwinian.
Even after instruction, some students’ beliefs and concepts are similar to early notions of
evolution, thus they resembled historical thinking. The theories already were abandoned
and discredited seemed to be impressive to them. It is proven once again what appeared
in alternative conception literature that some conceptual development of students
recapitulates significant concept in the history of science.
One of the students’ misconceptions is that man evolved from apes, and this
misconception has several consequences and implications. First, it may suggest that
evolutionary theory was not taught properly, if taught at all, in elementary and high
school; moreover, if ever the theory was taught, it was the origin of this misconception.
Apparently, two major sources of misinformation about evolution are their teachers in
their early science courses and the instructional materials, particularly textbooks (Clores
& Bernardo 2005). Unfortunately, misconceptions about the theory had several
unintended outcomes: diversity of beliefs about evolution. They are impediments for
some students to accept the theory; while for others, they are bases for acceptance of the
theory.
Research suggests that biology teacher preparation programs should place a high
priority on developing a comprehensive understanding of evolution and the nature of
science in their students (Rutledge & Mitchell, 2002). Given the profound role of biology
teachers in determining the quality of instruction, the strong associations between
teachers' academic background and their teaching of evolution may inform efforts to
improve evolutionary biology education. The results of study of Rutledge and Mitchell
(2002) and others suggest that a critical evaluation and modification of the preparatory
programs for biology teachers could serve to improve the teaching of evolution in high
schools.
Evolution-related instruction is influenced by educational standards and a variety
of other factors such as textbooks, the curriculum, and tests. However, the most important
factor in student learning is the teacher (Moore, 2002).
According to E.O. Kose (2010), teacher’s academic background and personal
religious beliefs may be a contributing factor to acceptance of evolution as well as the
teaching of evolution. Teachers who lack an understanding of evolution and the nature of
science may be incapable of making informed decisions of acceptance or rejection of
evolutionary theory, as well as professionally responsible curricular and instructional
decisions regarding the teaching of evolution. There is a correlation between the teachers’
non-acceptance of evolutionary theory and the students’ the rejection of evolutionary
theory.
According to Woods and Scharrmann (2001), if teachers are to be successful in
teaching evolution, they must take into account the students' worldviews as well as their
individual understandings and misconceptions. It is important to know their students their
cultures, personal histories, cognitive abilities, religious beliefs, and scientific
misconceptions. It is also important to address directly the likely cultural/religious
concerns with evolution and to do so early on so as to break down the barriers that keep
many students from hearing what you say (Woods & Scharrmann, 2001). One goal of any
biology teacher should be to attempt to infuse, into existing backgrounds, an
understanding of and openness to consider evolutionary theory.

Biology teachers who have negative attitudes toward the nature and status of the
theory of evolution will inevitably hesitate to teach the theory to their students and will
never be able to inspire students in a subject that is intrinsically difficult to come to grips
with (Irez & Bakanay, 2011). Thinking the significant role of the theory of evolution in
understanding and relating various biological explanations and concepts (Smith, 2010), it
may also be argued that the vast majority of students of such teachers would complete
their education with unclear and unexamined conceptions of the theory of evolution and
understanding of biology.
Many biology teachers are uncomfortable teaching evolution because they feel the
pressure of communities that oppose it, and there are also biology teachers who do not
accept the theory of evolution in the first place and therefore are reluctant to teach it
(Peker, Comert, Kence, 2010).
Research has shown that, many biology teachers avoid teaching about evolution
because they know relatively little about the subject. Other teachers avoid teaching about
evolution because they are creationists (They believe that God created the universe—
including humans and other living things— all at once in the relatively recent past) or are
afraid of reprisals from powerful parents or administrators. The result is sadly
predictable: many students graduate from college with a poor understanding of one of the
most powerful ideas in science. Compounding the problem is the fact that many of these
graduates become teachers. Their poor understandings of biology, combined with state
imposed doubts about the validity of evolution, are powerful incentives for these and
other teachers to discredit, ignore, or do a poor job of teaching evolution (Moore, 2000).
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM
Figure 1. Schematic Diagram

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This study sought to measure the degree of emphasis by biology teachers in
teaching fundamental concepts of evolution in secondary schools in Surigao City.
The study answered the following questions:
1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of:
1.1. Type of school;
1.2. Number of sections handled;
1.3. Years of teaching experience;
1.4. Sex;
1.5. Age group;
1.6. Educational attainment;
1.7. Credit units in biology;
1.8. School size.
2. To what degree do Surigao City biology teachers currently emphasize five
fundamental concepts of evolution such as evidence of evolutionary change, natural
selection as mechanism of evolution, speciation, diversity of life and classification
systems, and human evolution in their classrooms?
3. To what degree would Surigao City biology teachers choose to emphasize five
fundamental concepts of evolution in their classrooms given full academic
freedom?
4. Of the five fundamental concepts (evidence of evolutionary change; natural
selection as mechanism of evolution; speciation; diversity of life and classification

systems; human evolution), which of these are given more emphasis and which are
given less?
5. Are there relationships between Surigao City biology teachers' demographic profile
variables and their current emphasis on the five fundamental concepts of evolution
in their classrooms?
6. Is there a relationship between Surigao City biology teachers' demographic profile
and their chosen emphasis on the five fundamental concepts of evolution in their
classrooms?
7. Is there a relationship between Surigao City biology teachers' academic background
in evolution and their decisions to emphasize the five fundamental concepts of
evolution in their classrooms?
8. Is there are a relationship between Surigao City biology teachers' personal beliefs
and their decisions to emphasize five fundamental concepts of evolution in their
classrooms?
9. Is there a relationship between Surigao City biology teachers' availability of
learning materials and time and their decisions to emphasize five fundamental
concepts of evolution in their classrooms?
10. Is there a significant difference between the emphasis that Surigao City biology
teachers currently place and the level of emphasis that they would choose to place
given full academic freedom in teaching the five fundamental concepts of
evolution?
Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were designed to verify relationships between the
independent and dependent variables in this study and to determine the difference
between current and chosen emphases.
H01: There are no significant relationships between teachers' demographic
profile variables and their current emphases on the five fundamental
concepts of evolution.
H02: There are no significant relationships between teachers' demographic
profile variables and their chosen emphases on the five fundamental
concepts of evolution.
H03: There are no significant relationships between emphases on five
fundamental concepts of evolution and teachers’ academic background.
fundamental concepts of evolution and teachers’ personal beliefs.
fundamental concepts of evolution and teachers’ availability of learning
materials and time.
H06: There is no significant difference between the emphasis that Surigao City
biology teachers currently place and the level of emphasis that they would
choose to place given full academic freedom in teaching the five
fundamental concepts of evolution.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study explores the status of biological evolution in Surigao City secondary
level classrooms by acknowledging the teachers' capability, beliefs, and perceived
influence of various contextual factors into their curricular decision-making processes
(Bandura 1997; Lumpe, 2000; and Helms, 1998). By comparing the emphasis that
teachers place on evolution with the various influential factors, we become aware about
the role that teachers play in the decisions about evolution in science classrooms. To be
specific, this study provides descriptions of the degree of emphasis that teachers give to
evolution compared with the degree of emphasis that they would choose to place on
evolution concepts given no unlimited freedom to make curricular decisions. This key
element describes the relationship between teachers' personal beliefs and how strongly
they feel compelled to present the lessons under the various constraints and regulations
present in biology classrooms.
The purpose of this study is to explore and describe the emphasis on five
fundamental concepts of evolution in biology classrooms in Surigao City with
relationship to teachers' personal capacity beliefs and contextual beliefs about teaching
evolution (Helms, 1998; Lumpe, 2000). There has been no previous publicly available
research in the Philippine setting about factors that may influence teachers in how they
teach evolution. Even if students have their idea about evolution from what they learn in
high school, it turns out a significant number of them may have misunderstood it leading
to misconceptions about how it works. Clores & Bernardo (2005) noted that apparently
the two major sources of misinformation about evolution are their teachers in their early
science courses and the instructional materials, particularly textbooks. In order to better
understand the decisions that teachers make with regard to teaching evolution, this study
explored the biology teachers' beliefs in relationship to their emphasis on evolution.
SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The following are potential limitations for this study.
1. This study is limited from generalization to populations other than Surigao
biology teachers in public and private secondary schools because the sample drew only
from a population of teachers within Surigao City.
2. As with any survey research, there exists a potential for non-response in the
sample selected for research. With a large non-response, the generalizability of the results
is limited.
3. The survey instrument was adapted and modified by the researchers from a
previous study for the purposes of collecting data specific to the Surigao biology teacher
population. Any modified instrument will carry certain inherent challenges to its validity
and reliability.
Definition of Terms
The terminologies utilized in this study are defined in the following statements.
Evolution: “a scientific theory that the various types of animals and plants have their
origin in other preexisting types and that the distinguishable differences are due to
modifications in successive generations”
(Merriam-Webster dictionary)
Emphasis: “special importance, value, or prominence given to something”
(Oxford dictionary)
Factor: “a circumstance, fact, or influence that contributes to a result or outcome”
(Oxford dictionary)
Theory:
a) “a supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something, especially one
based on general principles independent of the thing to be explained”
(Oxford dictionary)
b) “In science, a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world
that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses.”
(National Academy of Sciences)
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6024&page=2
CHAPTER 2
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The research methodology used for this study was based mostly on the previous
research done by Bilica (2001) on the subject of factors influencing teachers when
tackling evolution. This study was intended as an extension of Bilica’s research (2001)
but applied in the Philippine setting with the high school biology teachers in mind. This
was designed to be a descriptive research study using the survey method.
Participants
The population of interest for this study was all secondary biology teachers in
selected public and private schools located in Surigao City. The population of science
teachers within Surigao City is relatively small thereby rendering random sampling
unnecessary, so all teachers handling biology were asked to participate in the survey. The
schools were selected primarily for relative proximity as a few schools were located on
island barangays and could not easily be accessed.
Research Instrument
The instrument used to measure the dependent (criterion) and independent
(predictor) variables for this study was based on Bilica’s study (2001) and adapted and
modified by the researcher to suit the coverage of topics in accordance with the standard
biology curriculum as found on the website of Department of Education - Bureau of
Secondary Education. This study was conducted in the month of October in 2013.
The survey instrument consisted of 44 items and one open response item. The
survey items were organized into four parts on the instrument.
Part 1, Information About You, requested responses to 8 demographic items. The
demographic variables included type of school, number of sections taught, number of
years teaching, sex, age, educational attainment, credit hours of biology completed, and
school population.
Part 2, Emphasis on Evolution, included 20 individual items clustered into five
groups. Each of the clustered groups represented one of five fundamental concepts in
biological evolution. These concepts were derived from the 2010 Secondary Education
Curriculum on Integrative Biology as can be accessed from the Bureau of Secondary
Education website (http://www.bse.ph/index.php/science.html#2yrtg).
The five concepts studied were:
a. evidence of evolutionary change;
b. natural selection as mechanism of evolution;
c. speciation;
d. diversity of life and classification systems;
e. human evolution.
Teachers were asked to report the overall amount of emphasis they placed upon
each of the concepts. Each of these five concepts was further delineated into three
additional supportive concepts and teachers were asked to report the amount of emphasis
they place upon each of these supportive concepts, also. Overall, then, each of the major
concepts were represented by four items.

Part 2 requested two different albeit related types of information about their
classroom emphasis on evolution. The teachers were asked to report on the relative
degree of emphasis that they currently place on each of the seven evolution concepts and
the amount that they would choose to place on specific evolution concepts given
unlimited freedom from regulations or restrictions on their teaching choices. Teachers
recorded their response on two 5-point Likert scales ranging from 1 (no emphasis) to 5
(strong emphasis). The Likert scales used in this study were similar to those used by Ellis
(1983) and Bilica (2001) in a study of the teaching of evolution in three American states.
The use of two separate Likert scales for current and chosen emphasis offered data for the
dependent variables for this study.
Part 3 of the survey instrument, Factors Affecting Your Emphasis, consisted of 15
items on which teachers recorded the influence of specific capacity and context beliefs on
their decisions to emphasize evolution. The 5-point Likert response levels ranged from 1
(strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Each item was grouped into three different
dimensions.
These dimensions were:
A. Academic background;
B. Personal Belief;
C. Learning material and time;
Part 3 was designed so that each dimension would be represented by replies on
three independent items.
The final section, Part 4, was an optional, open-response section in which teacher-
respondents could choose to include any written comments.

Data Gathering
Before the questionnaires were distributed to the respondents, formal letters of
request were served to the Schools Division Superintendents and the School Principals to
ask permission to conduct the study in their jurisdictions and schools, respectively. The
letter provided the facts about the study and the objectives of the researchers in
conducting the study. After due approval, the researchers served each respondent a
formal letter with the survey questionnaire explaining the rationale of the study. Retrieval
was done through the principals and officers-in-charge of each school.
Data Analysis
Pearson r correlation was used in the statistical analyses of the survey results to
find out if there were significant relationships between the emphases on evolution to the
demographic variables and the factors influencing the teachers. A paired sample t-test
was conducted to determine if there were significant differences between current
emphasis and chosen emphasis on the five evolution concepts. Microsoft Office Excel
2007 was used in the computations.

CHAPTER 3
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The purpose of this study was to find out as to what degree secondary teachers
emphasize five fundamental concepts of evolution in their classrooms and as to what
factors which may influence their emphasis.
Demographic Overview
1. What is the profile of the respondents in the study?
The 25 respondents were all the available teachers in Surigao City mainland
handling the biology subject at the time of the survey. These variables include type of
school, number of sections handled, years of teaching experience, sex, age group,
educational attainment, credit hours in biology, and school size.
1.1. Twenty taught in public schools, while three taught in secular private schools
and two in a religious private school.
1.2. Eight respondents handled only one section and another eight handled two
sections. Two handled three sections, three had four sections, and only one
handled five sections.
1.3. Five respondents had 10-12 years of teaching experience, four had 7-9 years,
seven had 4-6 years, and eight had less than three years of experience (one
failed to answer).
1.4. Twenty-three respondents were female and two were male.
1.5. Eleven respondents were between 20-30 years old, another eleven were
between 31-40, two were 41-50, and only one was above 50 years of age.
1.6. Three respondents had doctoral degrees while five had completed their
master’s degree. Eight had bachelor’s degree only while another eight had
bachelor’s degree and some postgraduate units.
1.7.In credit hours of biology, ten respondents had more than 33 credit hours, two
had 27-33 credit hours, three had 20-26 credit hours, one had 13-19 credit
hours, another one had 6-12 credit hours, two had 1-5 credits hours, and one
had zero credit hours (five respondents failed to answer).
1.8. In terms of school population, two respondents taught in schools with less
than 200 students, six taught in schools with 201-400 students, ten in schools
with 401-600 students, one in a school with 601-800 students, and six were in
schools with more than 800 students.
Emphasis on Evolution
Teachers reported their emphases on a 5-point Likert scale on which 1 = no
emphasis and 5 = strong emphasis. These levels were described as follows: (1) level 1
was "no emphasis," or the teacher did not emphasize the concept at all; (2) level 2
represented "little emphasis," meaning that the teacher may have mentioned the concept
briefly or informally during the course; (3) level 3 indicated "some emphasis," or the
teacher emphasized the concept in one lesson during the course; (4) level 4 was
"moderate emphasis," or the teacher emphasized the concept in more than one lesson
during the course; and (5) level 5 was "strong emphasis," or the teacher emphasized the
concept throughout the course.

2. To what degree do Surigao City biology teachers currently emphasize five
fundamental concepts of evolution in their classrooms?
Based on the survey results, the teachers only gave some emphasis on all five
evolution concepts. This means that each concept was taught in only one lesson
throughout the school year. Table 1 shows the means and standard deviations of the
current emphasis.
Table 1. Means and Standard Deviations for Five Fundamental Concepts of Evolution
Current Emphasis (n = 25)
Current Emphasis
Concept M SD
Evidence of Evolution 3.52 1.08
Natural Selection 3.66 0.84
Speciation 3.36 0.96
Diversity of Life 3.90 0.93
Human Evolution 3.48 1.05
3. To what degree would Surigao City biology teachers choose to emphasize five
fundamental concepts of evolution in their classrooms given full academic freedom?
Based on the survey results, the teachers would choose to give moderate emphasis
on all five evolution concepts. This means that the teachers would like to teach each
concept in two lessons or more throughout the school year. Table 2 shows the means and
standard deviations of the chosen emphasis.

Table 2. Means and Standard Deviations for Five Fundamental Concepts of Evolution
Chosen Emphasis (n = 25)
Chosen Emphasis
Concept M SD
Evidence of Evolution 4.07 0.90
Natural Selection 4.25 0.80
Speciation 4.07 0.81
Diversity of Life 4.38 0.74
Human Evolution 4.18 0.79
4. Of the five fundamental concepts, which of these are given more emphasis and
which are given less?
The concept which received the highest current emphasis was Diversity of Life
and Classification Systems, followed by Natural Selection, Evidence of Evolutionary
Change, and Human Evolution. Speciation received the lowest emphasis. Table 3 shows
the ranking of concepts by current emphasis.
Table 3. Ranking of Current Emphasis (n = 25)

Current Emphasis
Rank Concept M SD
1 Diversity of Life 3.90 0.93
2 Natural Selection 3.66 0.84
3 Evidence of Evolution 3.52 1.08
4 Human Evolution 3.48 1.05
5 Speciation 3.36 0.96
The concept which received the highest chosen emphasis was Diversity of Life
and Classification Systems, followed by Natural Selection, Human Evolution, and
Evidence of Evolutionary Change. Speciation again received the lowest emphasis. Table
4 shows the ranking of concepts by current emphasis.
Table 4. Ranking of Chosen Emphasis (n = 25)

Chosen Emphasis
Rank Concept M SD
The concept which received the highest overall emphasis was Diversity of Life
Evidence of Evolutionary Change. Speciation received the lowest overall emphasis.
Table 5 shows the ranking of concepts by overall emphasis.
Table 5. Ranking of Overall Emphasis (n = 25)

Overall Emphasis
Rank Concept M Standard Error
Relationships between Demographic Profile and Emphasis on Evolution
5. and 6. Are there relationships between Surigao City biology teachers'
demographic profile and their current and chosen emphases on the five fundamental
concepts of evolution in their classrooms?
The relationship between the teachers’ demographic profile and their degree of
emphasis was only significant for items 7 (credit hours in biology) and 8 (school
population), and only in the chosen emphasis. The other six items had no significant
relationships, whether in current or chosen emphasis. Table 6 shows the Pearson r
correlation between teachers’ demographic profile to the degree of emphasis.

Table 6. Pearson r Correlations between Demographic Profile

and Degree of Emphasis
1. Type of School
Current Type of Chosen
Emphasis School Emphasis School
Current Chosen
Emphasis 1.000 Emphasis 1.000
School .100 1.000 School .223 1.000
25 sample size 23 sample size
critical value critical value

* ± .396 .05 (two-tail) * ± .413 .05 (two-tail)
** ± .505 .01 (two-tail) ** ± .526 .01 (two-tail)
2. Number of Sections Taught

Current No. of Chosen
Emphasis Sections Emphasis No. of Sections
Current Chosen
No. of No. of
Sections .124 1.000 Sections .234 1.000

* ± .423 .05 (two-tail) * ± .433 .05 (two-tail)
** ± .537 .01 (two-tail) ** ± .549 .01 (two-tail)
3. Number of Years Teaching

Current No. of Years Chosen No. of Years
Emphasis Teaching Emphasis Teaching
Current Chosen
No. of
No. of Years Years
Teaching .094 1.000 Teaching .073 1.000

* ± .404 .05 (two-tail) * ± .423 .05 (two-tail)
** ± .515 .01 (two-tail) ** ± .537 .01 (two-tail)
4. Sex
Current Chosen
Emphasis Sex Emphasis Sex
Current Chosen
Sex -.102 1.000 Sex -.122 1.000

* ± .396 .05 (two-tail) * ± .413 .05 (two-tail)
** ± .505 .01 (two-tail) ** ± .526 .01 (two-tail)
5. Age
Current Chosen
Emphasis Age Emphasis Age
Current Chosen
Age .267 1.000 Age .182 1.000

* ± .396 .05 (two-tail) * ± .413 .05 (two-tail)
** ± .505 .01 (two-tail) ** ± .526 .01 (two-tail)
6. Educational Attainment
Current Educational Chosen Educational
Emphasis Attainment Emphasis Attainment
Current Chosen
Educational Educational
Attainment .090 1.000 Attainment .000 1.000

* ± .404 .05 (two-tail) * ± .423 .05 (two-tail)
** ± .515 .01 (two-tail) ** ± .537 .01 (two-tail)
7. Credit Hours of Biology completed

Current Credit Hours Chosen Credit Hours of
Emphasis of Biology Emphasis Biology
Current Chosen
Credit Credit
Hours of Hours of
Biology .282 1.000 Biology 0.488* 1.000

* ± .444 .05 (two-tail) * ± .468 .05 (two-tail)
** ± .561 .01 (two-tail) ** ± .590 .01 (two-tail)
8. School Population
Current School Chosen School

Emphasis Population Emphasis Population
Current Chosen
School School
Population .198 1.000 Population 0.477* 1.000

* ± .396 .05 (two-tail) * ± .413 .05 (two-tail)
** ± .505 .01 (two-tail) ** ± .526 .01 (two-tail)
Relationships between Factors and Emphasis on Evolution
7. What relationships exist between Surigao City biology teachers' academic
background in evolution and their decisions to emphasize the five fundamental concepts
of evolution in their classrooms?
In the survey, three items under Part 3: Factors Affecting Your Emphasis pertain
to the teachers’ academic background. The resulting percentages were identical though
the respondents’ answers varied for each item. Item 1 was “I am academically well
prepared to teach evolution” where 72% agreed, 8% disagreed, and 20% were undecided.
Item 2 was “I am confident in my ability to teach evolution effectively” where 72%
agreed, 8% disagreed, and 20% were undecided. Item 3 was “I would emphasize
evolution more if I had more information” where 72% agreed, 8% disagreed, and 20%
were undecided.
The relationship between the teachers’ academic background and their degree of
emphasis was only significant for item 2 and only in the current emphasis. The other two
items had no significant relationships, whether in current or chosen emphasis. Table 7
shows the Pearson r correlation between academic background to the degree of emphasis.

(Academic Background) and Degree of Emphasis (n = 25)
Item No. Current Degree of Emphasis Chosen Degree of Emphasis
F1 (A) 0.299 -0.089
F2 (A) 0.491* 0.108
F3 (A) 0.182 0.348
*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
8. What relationships exist between Surigao City biology teachers' personal
beliefs and their decisions to emphasize five fundamental concepts of evolution in
their classrooms?
In the survey, six items under Part 3: Factors Affecting Your Emphasis pertain to
the teachers’ personal belief. Item 4 was “Evolution concepts are supported by scientific
evidence” where 87.5% agreed and 12.5% disagreed. Item 5 was “I sometimes substitute
the words ‘change over time’ for ‘evolution’ to avoid conflicts” where 66.67% agreed,
20.83% disagreed, and 12.5% were undecided.
Item 6 was “Evolution is a central and unifying theme in biology” where 80%
agreed, 8% disagreed, and 12% were undecided. Item 7 was “I do not teach some
concepts, such as human evolution, because they are too controversial” where 32%
agreed, 52% disagreed, and 16% were undecided. Item 8 was “Evolution answers many
questions about the natural world” were 92% agreed, 4% disagreed, and 4% were
undecided. Item 9 was “There are theories other than evolution that better explain the
natural world” where 76% agreed, 8% disagreed, and 16% were undecided.
The relationship between the teachers' personal beliefs and their degree of
emphasis was significant in items 6 and 8, both in current and chosen emphasis. The
other four items had no significant relationships, whether current or chosen emphasis.
Table 8 shows the Pearson r correlation between personal beliefs to the degree of
emphasis.

(Personal Beliefs) and Degree of Emphasis (n = 25)
Current Degree of Emphasis Chosen Degree of Emphasis

F4 (B) -0.015 0.112
F5 (B) 0.345 0.260
F6 (B) 0.498* 0.461*
F7 (B) 0.272 0.210
F8 (B) 0.434* 0.610**
F9 (B) 0.113 0.053
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
9. What relationships exist between Surigao City biology teachers' availability of
learning materials and time and their decisions to emphasize five fundamental concepts
of evolution in their classrooms?
In the survey, six items under Part 3: Factors Affecting Your Emphasis pertain to
the teachers’ availability of learning materials and time. Item 10 was “My textbook
presents sufficient information about evolution” where 48% agreed, 28% disagreed, and
24% were undecided. Item 11 was “In order to teach evolution comprehensively, I must
eliminate other topics” where 24% agreed, 48% disagreed, and 28% were undecided.
Item 12 was “To teach evolution effectively, I must supplement the information in my
textbook” where 88% agreed, 8% disagreed, and 4% were undecided. Item 13 was “I
would like to emphasize evolution more, but there is not enough time available to do so”
where 80% agreed, 16% disagreed, and 4% were undecided. Item 14 was “The textbook
is my primary resource for teaching evolution” where 64% agreed, 28% disagreed, and
8% were undecided. Item 15 was “The number of topics that I need to teach prevents me
from emphasizing evolution more” where 70.83% agreed, 20.83% disagreed, and 8%
were undecided.
The relationship between the teachers’ availability of learning materials and time
and their degree of emphasis was only significant for item 13, and only in the chosen
emphasis. The other five items had no significant relationships, whether in current or
chosen emphasis. Table 9 shows the Pearson r correlation between learning materials and
time to the degree of emphasis.
(Learning Materials and Time) and Degree of Emphasis (n = 25)

Current Degree of Emphasis Chosen Degree of Emphasis
F10 (C) 0.370 0.207
F11 (C) 0.053 0.041
F12 (C) 0.084 0.186
F13 (C) 0.362 0.435*
F14 (C) 0.114 0.165
F15 (C) 0.127 0.018
Difference between Current and Chosen Emphasis on Evolution
10. Is there a significant difference between the emphasis that Surigao City
biology teachers currently place and the level of emphasis that they would choose to
place given full academic freedom in teaching the five fundamental concepts of
evolution?
Since all five concepts had t-stat values greater than the t-critical, the null
hypotheses were rejected for all five concepts and the alternative hypotheses are
accepted. This means that for each of the five concepts, the margin of difference between
the chosen degree and the current degree of emphasis was great enough to be significant.
Table 10 shows the values for the paired sample t-tests.
Table 10. Paired Samples T-tests for Differences in Emphasis within Concept
Paired Samples T-tests for Differences in Emphasis within Concept

Paired Samples Concept t Stat df P(T<=t) t Critical
two-tail two-tail
Current-Chosen Evidence of Evolution 3.81 22 0.001 2.074
Current-Chosen Natural Selection 4.83 22 0.000 2.074
Current-Chosen Speciation 4.01 22 0.001 2.074
Current-Chosen Diversity of Life 3.14 22 0.002 2.074
Current-Chosen Human Evolution 3.11 22 0.005 2.074
CHAPTER 4
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATION
Summary
The purposes of this study were, first, to measure the degree of emphasis by
biology teachers in teaching fundamental concepts of evolution in secondary schools in
Surigao City; and second, to examine the relationships between the emphasis given by
the teachers and the factors of academic background, personal beliefs, and the availability
of learning materials and time as well as the relationships between emphasis and the
demographic variables. The five fundamental concepts were evidence of evolutionary
change, natural selection as mechanism of evolution, speciation, diversity of life and
classification systems, and human evolution. Research hypotheses were developed to
determine the relationship between the dependent variables (degree of emphasis) and the
independent variables (factors affecting emphasis and demographic profile).
The data were obtained using a survey questionnaire consisting of 44 items. The
responses were collected from secondary teachers handling biology subject in Surigao
City mainland in both public and private schools. Thirty survey questionnaires were
distributed to seventeen high schools and only twenty-five teachers responded to the
survey. Random sampling was not employed as it was unnecessary because this was the
totality of secondary teachers in the Surigao City mainland. The statistical analyses used
for interpreting the data included bivariate correlation with Pearson r and t-test for paired
samples.
Twenty taught in public schools, while three taught in secular private schools and
two in a religious private school. Eight respondents handled only one section and another
eight handled two sections. Two handled three sections, three had four sections, and only
one handled five sections.
Five respondents had 10-12 years of teaching experience, four had 7-9 years,
seven had 4-6 years, and eight had less than three years of experience (one failed to
answer). Twenty-three respondents were female and two were male. Eleven respondents
were between 20-30 years old, another eleven were between 31-40, two were 41-50, and
only one was above 50 years of age.
Three respondents had doctoral degrees while five had completed their master’s
degree. Eight had bachelor’s degree only while another eight had bachelor’s degree and
some postgraduate units. In credit hours of biology, ten respondents had more than 33
credit hours, two had 27-33 credit hours, three had 20-26 credit hours, one had 13-19
credit hours, another one had 6-12 credit hours, two had 1-5 credits hours, and one had
zero credit hours (five respondents failed to answer).
In terms of school population, two respondents taught in schools with less than
200 students, six taught in schools with 201-400 students, ten in schools with 401-600
students, one in a school with 601-800 students, and six were in schools with more than
800 students.
Based on the survey results, the teachers currently only gave some emphasis on
all five evolution concepts. This means that each concept was taught in only one lesson
throughout the school year. However, the teachers wanted to give moderate emphasis on
all five evolution concepts. This means that the teachers would like to teach each concept
in two lessons or more throughout the school year if they had more time to do so.
The concept which received the highest overall emphasis was Diversity of Life
Evidence of Evolutionary Change while Speciation received the lowest overall emphasis.
The relationship between the teachers’ demographic profile and their degree of
emphasis was only significant in the number of credit hours in biology and the school
population, and only in the chosen emphasis. This means that the teachers with more
credit hours in biology and who teach in larger schools would choose to emphasize
evolution concepts more. The other six demographic variables had no significant
relationships, whether in current or chosen emphasis.
The relationship between the teachers’ academic background and their degree of
emphasis was only significant for one factor (confidence in teaching evolution) and only
in the current emphasis. The other two academic factors had no significant relationships,
whether in current or chosen emphasis. This means that the teachers were confident in
teaching evolution as related to their current emphasis.
The relationship between the teachers' personal beliefs and their degree of
emphasis was significant in two factors (evolution is central in biology and evolution
answers questions about the natural world), both in current and chosen emphasis. The
other four items had no significant relationships, whether current or chosen emphasis.
This means that the teachers agreed to evolution being central to biology and to it can
answer many questions in the natural world and this correlated to both their current and
chosen emphasis.
The relationship between the teachers’ availability of learning materials and time
and their degree of emphasis was only significant in one factor (more emphasis if given
more time), and only in the chosen emphasis. The other five items had no significant
relationships, whether in current or chosen emphasis. This means that the teachers would
like to give more emphasis to evolution concepts if they had more time to discuss them in
class.
A paired sample t-test was conducted to determine if there were significant
differences between current emphasis and chosen emphasis on the five evolution
concepts. Since all five concepts had t-stat values greater than the t-critical, the null
hypotheses were rejected for all five concepts and the alternative hypotheses are
accepted. This means that for each of the five concepts, the margin of difference between
the chosen degree and the current degree of emphasis was great enough to be significant.
Overall, the study revealed that teachers currently only gave some emphasis on
evolution concepts so they discuss each concept in only one lesson. Nevertheless, they
would like to give moderate emphasis on these concepts because they know that
evolution is a central theme in biology and it answers questions about the natural world
but only if they were given more time to teach them to the students.
Conclusion
The study revealed how much emphasis secondary teachers give on evolution
concepts in their classrooms. According to the results, teachers only give some emphasis
on evolution concepts that they devote only one lesson at the most for each concept. But
they all wanted to give moderate emphasis on these concepts. This was likely due to their
knowledge that evolution is a central and unifying idea in biology. However, they would
like more time to explain the evolution concepts in class if it was up to them to design the
schedule of topics to be covered in the school year. The teachers with more credit hours
in biology and who teach in larger schools would choose to emphasize evolution
concepts more. The teachers in general were confident in their ability to teach evolution.
Learning resource was not a factor for them because while they use textbooks as their
main reference they supplement the information with sources from the Internet.
Recommendation
The researchers would like to recommend the following:
1. The fundamental concepts of evolution should be given more emphasis than
they currently have. The curriculum should be structured in a way that
evolution concepts are integrated into other concepts in biology whenever
possible.
2. The schedule of topics should be redesigned to include more time for
evolution concepts to be tackled comprehensively.
3. At the time of the study, the Department of Education was in a transition from
the old curriculum to the new K-12 curriculum where biology is no longer a
separate science subject taught in the eighth grade or second year high school
but rather part of general science taught at all levels in the secondary. This
would mean that biology topics can be spread across grade levels and thus
more time can be used to discuss evolution concepts. It would be
advantageous for the teachers to organize the curriculum in such as way that
evolution concepts are simplified for the lower grade levels and later taught
more extensively at each higher grade level. This way the students are primed
to understand evolution because they become familiar with it.
4. More studies like this one should be conducted in other parts of the
Philippines with a wider scope and larger number of respondents to find out if
the degrees of emphasis on evolution concepts are the same.

Bibliography
Alters, Brian J., & Craig E. Nelson (2002). Perspective: Teaching evolution in higher
education. International Journal of Organic Evolution
Bakanay, Çiçek Dilek & Serhat İrez (2011). An Assessment into Pre-Service Biology
Teachers’ Approaches to the Theory of Evolution and Nature of Science
Bandura, Albert (1997). Self efficacy: The exercise of control
Bilica, Kimberly Lynn (2001). Factors which Influence Texas Biology Teachers'
Decisions to Emphasize Fundamental Concepts of Evolution
Bishop, Beth A., & Charles W. Anderson (1990). Student Conceptions of Natural and Its
Role in Evolution. Journal of Research in Science Teaching
Brumby, Margaret N. (1984). Misconceptions about the concept of natural selection

by medical biology majors. Science Education
Clores, Michael A., & Allan Benedict I. Bernardo (2005). Unraveling Beliefs and
Concepts about the Theory of Evolution among Catholic Students in the
Philippines
Clores, Michael A., & Allan Benedict I. Bernardo (2007). Case Studies on the
Interaction between Students’ Understanding and Belief in Learning the Theory
of Evolution
Cobern, William W. (1994). Comment and Criticism: Point: Belief, Understanding,

and the Teaching of Evolution. Journal of Research in Science Teaching
Dodick, Jeff, & Nir Orion (2003). Introducing evolution to non-biology majors using
fossil records. The American Biology Teacher
Fahrenwald, Carl Robert (1999). Biology Teachers' Acceptance and Understanding of

Evolution and the Nature of Science
Hallden, Ola (1988). The evolution of the species: Pupil perspectives and school
perspectives. International Journal of Science Education
Helms, Jenifer V. (1998). Science and Me: Subject Matter and Identity in Secondary
School Science Teachers. Journal of Research in Science Teaching
Kose, Esra Özay (2010). Biology Students’ and Teachers’ Religious Beliefs and
Attitudes towards Theory of Evolution
Lumpe, Andrew T., Jodi J. Haney, & Charlene M. Czerniak, (2000). Assessing
Teachers' Beliefs about Their Science Teaching Context Journal of Research in
Science Teaching
Matthews, Dorothy (2001). Effect of a curriculum containing creation stories on

attitudes about evolution. The American Biology Teacher
McKeachie, Wilbert J., Yi-Guang Lin, & James Strayer (2002). Creationist vs.
evolutionary beliefs: Effects on learning biology. The American Biology
Teacher
Moore, Randy (2000). The revival of creationism in the United States. Journal of
Biological Education
Moore, Randy (2002). Teaching Evolution: Do State Standards Matter? BioScience
Osif, Bonnie Anne (1997). Evolution and Religious Beliefs: A Survey of Pennsylvania
High School Teachers. American Biology Teacher
Peker, Deniz, Gulsum Gul Comert, & Aykut Kence (2010). Three Decades of Anti-
evolution Campaign and its Results: Turkish Undergraduates’ Acceptance and
Understanding of the Biological Evolution Theory. Science & Education
Rutledge, Michael L. & Melissa A. Warden (1999). The development and validation
of the measure of acceptance of the theory of evolution instrument. School
Science and Mathematics
Rutledge, Michael L., & Melissa A. Mitchell (2002). High school biology teachers’
knowledge structure, acceptance and teaching of evolution. The American
Biology Teacher
Skoog, Gerald D. (1979). Topic of Evolution in Secondary School Biology Textbooks:

1900-1977. Science Education
Skoog, Gerald D. (1984). The Coverage of Evolution in High School Biology

Textbooks Published in the 1980s. Science Education
Smith, Mike U. (1994). Comment and Criticism: Counterpoint: Belief, Understanding,

and the Teaching of Evolution. Journal of Research in Science Teaching
Smith, Mike U. (2010). Current Status of Research in Teaching and Learning

Evolution: II. Pedagogical Issues. Science & Education
Woods, C. Sheldon, & Lawrence C. Scharmann (2001). High School Students'

Perceptions of Evolutionary Theory. Electronic Journal of Science Education
APPENDIX A
LETTER TO THE BIOLOGY TEACHER

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION

Date: September 30, 2013
Dear Biology Teacher,
Good day and mabuhay!
The undersigned are students in the Surigao Education Center - College of

Teacher Education currently enrolled in Research 2. The title of our study is “Degree of
Emphasis by Biology Teachers in Teaching Fundamental Concepts of Evolution in
Secondary Schools in Surigao City” and this questionnaire is designed to collect
information about your thoughts regarding the teaching of evolution. We would
appreciate it very much if you would contribute to this study by completing the enclosed
questionnaire.
Our survey aims to contribute to science education in our city and across the
country. Evolution remains a controversial topic for many people, and science teachers
are often at the forefront of the debate. The results from this survey will be used to
describe the beliefs of Surigao City biology teachers with regard to teaching evolution. It
will also provide some background to understand what factors influence teachers'
choices. Your contributions to this survey are very important.
We would like your honest answers to the questions and your response will
remain anonymous. Your completion and return of the questionnaire will be taken as
evidence of your willingness to participate in this study and your consent to have the
information used for purposes of this study. Because a high response rate enhances the
value of this research, your immediate participation in this study is important and
appreciated.
If you have questions concerning the research or your participation in the study,
please write your comments on the space provided in the survey questionnaire. We
welcome your ideas. Thank you in advance for your participation.
Sincerely,
Joshua Rey P. Centro Maricar G. Custodio
Researcher Researcher
Noted:
Lovella C. Condeza, M.Bio Zaldy P. Beloy, Ph.D.
Research Adviser Research Instructor
Zaldy P. Beloy, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Teacher Education
APPENDIX D
SURVEY INSTRUMENT
PART 1: INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
1. Describe your school. [] public [] private, secular [] private, religious
2. How many sections of biology are you currently teaching? ________________
3. For how many years have you been teaching biology? ___________________
4. Sex: [] female [] male
5. What is your age? []21-30 []31-40 []41-50 []51+
6. What is the highest degree that you currently hold?

[] bachelor's degree [] master's degree [] doctoral degree
[] bachelor's degree plus units [] master's degree plus units
7. Approximately how many graduate and undergraduate credit hours of biology

have you completed?
[] 0 [] 13- 19
[] 1 - 5 [] 20 - 26 [] more than 33
[] 6-12 [] 27-33
8. What is the approximate student enrollment at your high school?

[] under 200
[] 201-400
[] 401-600
[] 601-800
[] more than 800
9. What textbooks and other learning materials do you use in your biology
classroom? (Please include name of the author and date of publication if
possible.)
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Part 2: EMPHASIS ON EVOLUTION
In Column A, circle the amount of emphasis that you CURRENTLY have given (or will
give) to each concept in your biology classroom. In Column B, circle the amount of
emphasis you would CHOOSE to place on each concept, given unlimited freedom to
decide about your curriculum.
Please respond to the items based upon your biology classes.
1 – No emphasis – I do not emphasize this concept at all
2 – Little emphasis – I may mention this concept briefly or informally during the course.
3 – Some emphasis – I emphasize this concept in one lesson during the course.
4 – Moderate emphasis – I emphasize this concept in more than one lesson during the
course.
5 – Strong emphasis – I emphasize this concept throughout the course.
Item Column A Column B

Note: Items are adapted from How much emphasis do Given unrestricted
the 2010 Secondary Education you (or will you) academic freedom, how
Curriculum Integrative currently give to these much emphasis would
Biology as found in the concepts during the you choose to give these
Bureau of Secondary school year in your concepts in your biology
Education website. biology class class?
1) Evidence of evolutionary 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
change
a) Geological Evidence 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
(Age of the Earth,
Fossil Record)
b) Biomolecular 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Evidence (DNA,
RNA, Genetics)
c) Anatomic & 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
behavioral evidence
2) Natural selection as 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
mechanism of evolution
a) Genetic variation 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
(mutation,
recombination)
b) Environmental 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
selection
c) Differential 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
reproduction in genetic
inheritance
3) Speciation 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
a) Defining species 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
b) Reproductive and
geographic isolation 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
c) New species evolve 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

from older species
4) Diversity of life and 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
classification systems
a) Diversity as a product 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
of evolution
b) Classification systems 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
c) Adaptation 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
5) Human evolution 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
a) Common ancestry of
humans and other 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
primates
b) Early hominids 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
(Australopithecus,
Homo sp.)
c) Modern humans 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
evolved recently
Part 3: FACTORS AFFECTING YOUR EMPHASIS
This part of the survey is intended to collect your thoughts on the factors that affect your
decision's about teaching evolution. Please answer the questions honestly, as your
responses will remain anonymous.
A - Academic background
B - Personal Belief
C - Learning material
Please use this scale when responding:
1 – Strongly Disagree
2 – Disagree
3 – Undecided or Don’t Know
4 – Agree
5 – Strongly Agree
Items Response
1) I am academically well prepared to 1 2 3 4 5
teach evolution. (A)
2) I am confident in my ability to teach 1 2 3 4 5
evolution effectively. (A)
3) I would emphasize evolution more if I 1 2 3 4 5
had more information. (A)
4) Evolution concepts are supported by 1 2 3 4 5
scientific evidence. (B)
5) I sometimes substitute the words 1 2 3 4 5
“change over time” for “evolution” to
avoid conflicts. (B)
6) Evolution is a central and unifying 1 2 3 4 5
theme in biology. (B)
7) I do not teach some concepts, such as 1 2 3 4 5
human evolution, because they are too
controversial. (B)
8) Evolution answers many questions 1 2 3 4 5
about the natural world. (B)
9) There are theories other than 1 2 3 4 5
evolution that better explain the
natural world. (B)
10) My textbook presents sufficient 1 2 3 4 5
information about evolution. (C)
11) In order to teach evolution 1 2 3 4 5

comprehensively, I must eliminate
other topics. (C)
12) To teach evolution effectively, I must 1 2 3 4 5
supplement the information in my
textbook. (C)
13) I would like to emphasize evolution 1 2 3 4 5
more, but there is not enough time
available to do so. (C)
14) The textbook is my primary resources 1 2 3 4 5
for teaching evolution. (C)
15) The number of topics that I need to 1 2 3 4 5
teach prevents me from emphasizing
evolution more. (C)
PART 4: COMMENTS (optional)
We invite you to offer any comment regarding this study to emphasize teaching of evolution.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Emphasis On Evolution Concepts PDF

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Originaltitel

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Emphasis On Evolution Concepts PDF

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

DEGREE OF EMPHASIS BY BIOLOGY TEACHERS IN TEACHING

FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF EVOLUTION IN

An Undergraduate Thesis Presented to

JOSHUA REY P. CENTRO

biology teachers in teaching fundamental concepts of evolution in secondary schools in

emphasis on the five evolution concepts.

Natural Selection, Human Evolution, and Evidence of Evolutionary Change while

LIST OF TABLES viii

CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 1

Review of Related Literature and Research 2

Statement of the Problem 8

Significance of the Study 11

Scope and Limitations of the Study 12

CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 14

CHAPTER 3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 18

Relationship between Demographic Profile and Emphasis on Evolution 23

Relationship between Factors and Emphasis on Evolution 27

Difference between Current and Chosen Emphasis on Evolution 31

CHAPTER 4 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATION 32

Table 1. Means and Standard Deviations for

Five Fundamental Concepts of Evolution Current Emphasis 20

Table 2. Means and Standard Deviations for

Five Fundamental Concepts of Evolution Chosen Emphasis 21

Table 3. Ranking of Current Emphasis 21

Table 4. Ranking of Chosen Emphasis 22

Table 5. Ranking of Overall Emphasis 22

Table 6. Pearson r Correlations between Demographic Profile

and Degree of Emphasis 24-26

Table 7. Pearson r Correlations among Influencing Factor

(Academic Background) and Degree of Emphasis 27

Table 8. Pearson r Correlations among Influencing Factor

(Personal Beliefs) and Degree of Emphasis 29

Table 9. Pearson r Correlations among Influencing Factor

(Learning Materials and Time) and Degree of Emphasis 30

Table 10. Pearson r Correlations among Influencing Factor

(Learning Materials and Time) and Degree of Emphasis 31

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram 7

APPENDIX A Letter to the Biology Teacher 40

APPENDIX B Letter to the Schools Division Superintendents 42

APPENDIX C Letter to the School Principals 45

APPENDIX D Survey Instrument 47-52

THE PROBLEM AND REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

the scientific fact of evolution (Alters & Nelson, 2002).

information to that can be used to hopefully address this.

early on, particularly to clear up misconceptions the students may have.

There are no known publicly available researches conducted in the Philippines

scientific mindset that lead to understanding evolution.

teaching of evolution as a central tenet, some science teachers remain unenthusiastic to

provide comprehensive treatment of evolution in their biology classes. It is a fact that

Haney, & Czerniak, 2000). The decision to emphasize or to de-emphasize potentially

controversial concepts rests on the teacher.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND RESEARCH

There is perhaps no concept in science that is more controversial than biological

evolution happened and is happening. However, there is a gap between scientific

science education comes in.

without legal barriers from state laws.

conceptually and culturally. Students’ cognitive structures may not be accommodating to

Bureau of Secondary Education) or in college. By this time prior instruction, media,

religion and science regarding evolution.

evolution that resembled a continuum tradition from non- or pre-Darwinian to Darwinian.

in alternative conception literature that some conceptual development of students

recapitulates significant concept in the history of science.

priority on developing a comprehensive understanding of evolution and the nature of