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Such reasoning conflicts with Darwinian evolution, where natural selection explains how advantageous traits spread through changes in gene frequencies. This study evaluates evolutionary conceptions across non-science majors, freshman biology/environmental science majors, and upper-level biology majors, before and after instruction. Instruction using historical context and avoiding teleological language improved student understanding.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/influences-of-teleological-and-lamarckian-thinking-on-student-understanding-of-natural-selection-research-findings/595407/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/influences-of-teleological-and-lamarckian-thinking-on-student-understanding-of-natural-selection-research-findings/595407.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Blitz","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":34},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"Which student groups were assessed in the study?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"The study assessed evolutionary conceptions among non-science majors, freshman biology/environmental science majors, and upper-level biology majors.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What misconceptions about natural selection are discussed in the article?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Misconceptions include attributing trait changes to use/disuse, goal- or need-directed processes, or overlooking variation and differences in reproductive success.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How did the instructional approach affect student understanding?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Instruction incorporating historical context and avoiding teleological language improved students’ understanding of Darwin’s concept of natural selection.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},595407,1792597583,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":34,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":39,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":46,"preview_page_count":4},24464137899374,"https://us-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_3d24733baf745e90a7e4bdd5f77d97b2","Influences of Teleological and Lamarckian Thinking on Student Understanding of Natural Selection  \nShawn K. Stover, Michelle L. Mabry  \nDepartment of Biology and Environmental Science, Davis & Elkins College  \n100 Campus Drive, Elkins, WV 26241 E-mail: [stovers@davisandelkins.edu](stovers@davisandelkins.edu), [mabrym@davisandelkins.edu](mabrym@davisandelkins.edu)  \nAbstract: Previous research has demonstrated creationist, Lamarckian, and teleological reasoning in high school and college students. These lines of thinking conflict with the Darwinian notion of natural selection, which serves as the primary catalyst for biological evolution. The current study assessed evolutionary conceptions in non-science majors, freshman biology/environmental science majors, and upper-level biology majors at a small liberal arts college. Results indicate that, prior to instruction, both non-science majors and upper-level biology majors appear to rely heavily on teleological reasoning to explain changes in gene frequencies over time. Instruction that incorporated historical context and avoided teleological language improved student understanding of Darwin’s concept of natural selection.  \nKeywords: creationism, Lamarck, teleology, natural selection  \nIntroduction  \nThe concept of evolution by natural selection is central to understanding biology. While the proximate, or functional, aspects of biological inquiry can be utilized to explain “how” a macromolecule, organ, or individual performs, an ultimate, or evolutionary, way of thinking is necessary to investigate and understand “why.” The theory of evolution provides a unifying framework within which many diverse concepts are integrated and explained.  \nBiological evolution can be defined as changes in the gene pool of a population over time or, as Darwin described it, descent with modification. The concept of natural selection provides a mechanism to explain the evolutionary process and is based on two suppositions: 1) there is considerable variation among individuals within a population, and 2) some variations are advantageous in terms of survival. Individuals possessing these advantageous characteristics are more likely to survive and successfully reproduce. Eventually, organisms possessing the favorable characteristics make up a greater proportion of the population.  \nStudies of high school (Settlage, 1994; Demastes et al., 1995), college (Bishop and Anderson, 1990; Anderson et al., 2002), and medical school (Brumby, 1984) populations indicate that misconceptions concerning natural selection are quite prevalent. Student misunderstandings about the mechanism of biological evolution often stem from common erroneous assumptions: 1) changes in traits are attributed to use or disuse of anatomical features, 2) changes in traits are attributed to a goal-or needdirected process, and/or 3) no role is assigned to  \nvariation within populations or differences in reproductive success. A poor understanding of the basic concepts of genetics, as well as an inability to distinguish adaptation at species and individual levels, may be partly responsible for these misconceptions (Hallden, 1988) .  \nIn 1809, 50 years before Darwin described the process of natural selection, French zoologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed la marche de la nature, a single straight line of evolutionary progress. Lamarck’s explanation of species-specific adaptations to local environments was based on the strengthening of body parts through repeated use, or their weakening as a response to disuse. These acquired traits, according to Lamarck, could be passed on to the next generation. Although it is now well established that acquired characteristics are not inherited and do not contribute to biological evolution, students commonly use a Lamarckian approach to explain changes in organisms over time (Settlage, 1994; Crow, 2004) .  \nThe Greek word telos means end or goal. Teleological means end-or goal-directed. A teleological, or goal-","cbCailTRVVL2Mxfg","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCailTRVVL2Mxfg","pdf",144311,"English","# Introduction\n## Evolution by natural selection as a core biological framework\n## Definitions and mechanisms of natural selection\n## Prevalence of misconceptions in education\n## Lamarckian explanations and acquired characteristics\n## Teleological reasoning and its impact on understanding\n## Research on students’ Darwinian problem solving\n# Study background and instructional implications","[{\"question\":\"Which student groups were assessed in the study?\",\"answer\":\"The study assessed evolutionary conceptions among non-science majors, freshman biology/environmental science majors, and upper-level biology majors.\"},{\"question\":\"What misconceptions about natural selection are discussed in the article?\",\"answer\":\"Misconceptions include attributing trait changes to use/disuse, goal- or need-directed processes, or overlooking variation and differences in reproductive success.\"},{\"question\":\"How did the instructional approach affect student understanding?\",\"answer\":\"Instruction incorporating historical context and avoiding teleological language improved students’ understanding of Darwin’s concept of natural selection.\"}]","Influences of Teleological and Lamarckian Thinking on Student Understanding of Natural Selection - Research Findings | PDF",1792081083]