Opinions of Teachers and Students on the Current Practice of Teaching and Learning of Evolution Concepts

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the opinions of teachers and students on the practice of teaching and learning of evolution concepts in the 2003 academic year. Three teachers from three schools in Bangkok and Nontaburi were interviewed about their use of curriculum, textbook, teaching methods, assessment techniques in teaching evolution, problem of teaching and learning, and how they prepared themselves for teaching evolution concepts in science education reform era. The students of these teachers, 253 in total, were asked to fill in a questionnaire asking them to reflect on their learning resources, teachers' teaching methods, the topics that they did not understand, and their satisfaction on the teaching activities. The results indicated that the teachers used lecturing and assigning students to write a report as the main teaching method for all topics of evolution. They did not integrate the knowledge on genetics, biodiversity, and nature of science in their teaching. They had been using the former curriculum and textbooks without changing, improving, and applying the material to fit the requirement of National Science Content Standards. The students found their teachers' teaching methods boring and did not stimulate their learning. They wanted the learning activities to be more fun, challenging, and cooperative. The most difficult topic of evolution for the students was the application of theory of evolution to explain the natural phenomena.