Relationships between Epistemological Beliefs and Conceptual Understanding of Evolution by Natural Selection - inquiry-based teaching and learning

Oct 15, 2026

The study examines how 12th-grade students’ epistemological beliefs toward science relate to their conceptual understanding of evolution by natural selection. Forty-two students in Cyprus, after completing pre-intervention epistemological measures, completed post-intervention conceptual understanding assessments and repeated epistemological beliefs measures. Initial beliefs predicted only very modest, non-significant learning gains. After an inquiry-based intervention on natural selection, epistemological beliefs improved significantly, and educational implications are discussed.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages31

Reading Time1 h 18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Evolution by natural selection as a central biology theory

Natural selection’s role and broader relevance

Misconceptions and learning difficulties

doi: 10.26529/cepsj.1484 Relationships between Epistemological Beliefs and Conceptual Understanding of Evolution by Natural Selection Andreani Baytelman*1, Theonitsa Loizou2 and Salomi Hadjiconstantinou3 • This study researches relationships between 12th-grade students’ epistemological beliefs towards science and their conceptual understanding of evolution by natural selection. Forty-two 12th-grade students in a suburban high school in Cyprus, who participated in a biology course, completed measures of their: (a) epistemological beliefs towards science before the intervention of being taught evolution (b) conceptual understanding of evolution by natural selection after evolution intervention,(c) epistemological beliefs towards science after evolution intervention. Based on previous research, we hypothesised there would be a significant relationship between students’ epistemological beliefs and their conceptual understanding of evolution by natural selection after the evolution intervention. We also hypothesised that inquiry-based intervention on evolution by natural selection would foster students’ epistemological beliefs. Our results indicate that participants’ initial epistemological beliefs predict very modestly and statistically non-significant learning achievements on conceptual understanding of evolution by natural selection. However, our results show a significant improvement in participants’ epistemological beliefs after engagement in an inquiry-based intervention on evolution by natural selection. The educational significance of this and its implications are discussed. Keywords: conceptual understanding; epistemological beliefs; evolution by natural selection; inquiry-based teaching and learning, students 1 *Corresponding Author. Department of Education at University of Cyprus, Cyprus; [baytel@ucy.ac.cy](baytel@ucy.ac.cy). 2 Lykeio Paralimniou, Cyprus. 3 Paralimni high school, Famagusta, Cyprus. 64 relationships between epistemological beliefs and conceptual understanding ... Razmerja med epistemološkimi verjetji in pojmovnim razumevanjem evolucije z naravno selekcijo Andreani Baytelman, Theonitsa Loizou in Salomi Hadjiconstantinou • Študija se usmerja na odnose med epistemološkimi verjetji srednješolcev 12. razreda do znanosti in njihovim pojmovnim razumevanjem evolucije z naravno selekcijo. 42 srednješolcev 12. razreda primestne srednje šole na Cipru, ki so sodelovali pri pouku biologije, je opravilo meritve: a) epistemoloških verjetij do znanosti pred predstavitvijo evolucije; b) pojmovnega razumevanja evolucije z naravno selekcijo po intervencijievolucije; c) epistemološka verjetja do znanosti po intervenciji evolucije. Na podlagi prejšnjih raziskav smo domnevali, da obstaja pomembna povezava med epistemološkimi verjetji srednješolcev in njihovim pojmovnim razumevanjem evolucije z naravno selekcijo po vpeljavievolucije. Prav tako smo predpostavljali, da bi tovrstna intervencija natemo evolucije z naravno selekcijo, ki temelji na raziskovanju, spodbudila epistemološka verjetja srednješolcev. Izsledki kažejo, da izhodiščna epistemološka verjetja udeležencev napovedujejo zanemarljive in statistično nepomembne učne dosežke o pojmovnem razumevanju evolucijez naravno selekcijo, vendar pa naši izsledki dokazujejo znatno izboljšanje epistemoloških prepričanj udeležencev po izvedeni intervenciji, ki temelji na raziskavah o evoluciji z naravno selekcijo. Nazadnje se v prispevku razpravlja o izobraževalnem pomenu omenjenega in pripadajočih posledicah. Ključne besede: pojmovno razumevanje, epistemološka verjetja, evolucija z naravno selekcijo, poučevanje in učenje na podlagipoizvedovanja, srednješolci Introduction Evolution by natural selection is the central and overarching theory in biology. Educating students about evolution by natural selection is vitally important because it is one of the most consistent and unifying theories, capable of explaining a large number of natural phenomena at diff

FAQs

How many 12th-grade students participated and where was the study conducted?

Forty-two 12th-grade students participated in a suburban high school in Cyprus.

What were the measures collected before and after the intervention?

Students completed measures of epistemological beliefs toward science before being taught evolution, then assessed conceptual understanding of evolution by natural selection and epistemological beliefs after the intervention.

What impact did the inquiry-based intervention have on students’ epistemological beliefs?

Epistemological beliefs showed a significant improvement after engagement in an inquiry-based intervention on evolution by natural selection.

Oct 15, 2026

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