Evolution in the Spanish Primary Education Autonomic Curricula and Textbooks - A Geographic Analysis

Oct 15, 2026

Evolution in Spanish primary education is examined through a geographic lens by analyzing both autonomous curricula and eighteen primary education textbooks in natural and social sciences. The study searches for key evolution-related concepts—evolution, inheritance, selection, adaptation, and biodiversity—in curricular documents and textbook activities. It evaluates presence and treatment using two dimensions: characterisation and scientific skills. Results highlight significant gaps, with activities often prioritizing basic cognitive skills over more demanding competencies tied to scientific competence.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Keywords and Objectives

Curriculum and Textbook Analysis

Concept Search in Autonomic Curricula

Concept Search in Textbook Activities

Evaluation Dimensions: Characterisation and Scientific Skills

Gaps in Addressing Evolution

doi: [https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1487](https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1487) Evolution in the Spanish Primary Education Autonomic Curricula and Textbooks. A Geographic Analysis Mª Arritokieta Ortuzar Iragorri*1 and Teresa Zamalloa2 • Evolution by natural selection is a theory that constitutes a powerful paradigm capable of conveying the teaching-learning of multiple concepts in biology. However, it has been controversial from its formulation to the present, which also affects education. For instance, while some of the basic curricula of primary education in Europe are arranged around the concepts that are considered necessary for structuring the scientific model of evolution (i.e., Sweden), other curricula do not contemplate such concepts. The last is the case of the basic curriculum of primary education in Spain. However, in Spain, on the basis of such a curriculum, there are 17 different primary education curricula corresponding to each of the autonomous communities of the state. The objective of this work is to state a detailed geographical picture of the presence of the concepts necessary to articulate the model of evolution through the analysis of the autonomic curricula of Spain. With such an aim, words that represent such concepts (evolution, inheritance, selection, adaptation and biodiversity, etc.) have been searched for in the natural sciences and social sciences areas of the autonomous curricula of primary education. Furthermore, a search for such evolution-related concepts has also been performed in the activities of eighteen Spanish primary education textbooks on natural and social science subjects. For this purpose, two aspects were considered: characterisation and scientific skills. Both the autonomous curricula of primary education and the textbooks hold important gaps when addressing evolution. The texts include activities that prioritise basic cognitive skills over the more demanding ones associated with scientific competence. Keywords: primary education, autonomic curricula, progression, evolution model, textbooks 1 *Corresponding Author. Faculty of Education of Bilbao at University of the Basque Country, Spain; [arritxu.ortuzar@ehu.eus](arritxu.ortuzar@ehu.eus). 2 Faculty of Education of Bilbao at University of the Basque Country, Spain. Razvoj avtonomnih učnih načrtov in učbenikov v španskem osnovnošolskem izobraževanju – geografska analiza Mª Arritokieta Ortuzar Iragorri in Teresa Zamalloa • Evolucija z naravno selekcijo je teorija, ki predstavlja močno paradigmo, sposobno transfera poučevanja – učenja več konceptov v biologiji. Prav od svoje formulacije in vse do danes pa ostaja sporna, kar vpliva tudi naizobraževanje. Medtem ko so na primer nekateri osnovni učni načrtiosnovnošolskega izobraževanja (OI) v Evropi urejeni okrog konceptov, za katere se predvideva, da so bistveni za osnovanje znanstvenega modela evolucije ([tj. na](tj. na) Švedskem), drugi tega niti približno ne odražajo. Zadnji tak primer za OI prihaja iz Španije. Tam na podlagi takega učnega načrta obstaja 17 različnih učnih načrtov, ki ustrezajo vsaki izmedavtonomnih skupnosti države. Cilj te raziskave je podati podrobno geografsko sliko prisotnosti konceptov, potrebnih za artikulacijo modelaevolucije z analizo avtonomnih učnih načrtov Španije. S tem v mislih so bile besede, ki se sklicujejo ne te koncepte (evolucija, dedovanje, izbor, prilagoditev, biodiverziteta itn.), raziskane v sklopu naravoslovnih in družboslovnih znanosti znotraj avtonomnih učnih načrtov osnovnošolskega izobraževanja. Nadalje, lociranje tovrstnih konceptov je bilo opravljeno tudi z analizami 18 španskih osnovnošolskih učbenikov s področij naravoslovja in družboslovja. V ta namen sta bila upoštevana dvavidika: karakterizacija in znanstvena znanja. Tako avtonomni učni načrt primarnega izobraževanja kot učbeniki vsebujejo bistvene pomanjkljivosti, vrzeli pri obravnavanju evolucije. Besedila vključujejo dejavnosti, ki dajejo prednost osnovnim kog

FAQs

What is the study’s main objective?

To provide a detailed geographical picture of the presence of evolution-related concepts by analyzing Spain’s autonomous primary education curricula and related textbook content.

Which materials are analyzed in this work?

The autonomous curricula for primary education and eighteen Spanish primary education textbooks covering natural and social science subjects.

How are evolution-related concepts assessed?

The work searches for words representing key concepts (such as evolution, inheritance, selection, adaptation, and biodiversity) and evaluates them using two dimensions: characterisation and scientific skills.

What gaps are identified regarding evolution education?

Both curricula and textbooks show important gaps, and activities tend to prioritize basic cognitive skills instead of the more demanding ones associated with scientific competence.

Oct 15, 2026

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