"Professor, o que é evolução?": a estrutura conceitual sobre a teoria da evolução em professores de ensino médio

Abstract

Theory of evolution is considered the unifying theme of Biology. Its influence is so wide that it must be taught since elementary school. Without this knowledge, Biology would be just an amount of facts and phenomena. Evolution is the process in which hereditary characters change in life beings. Therefore, evolutionary biology researches the mechanisms of this process. Such mechanisms do not work in a directed way or by providence, in other words, in Evolution there is no determined sense. Many researchers have said that Biological Evolution is the most misunderstood in social and scholar contexts. Many teachers have important conceptual deficiencies on the comprehension and teaching of this subject in classroom. Mainly due to problems on initial and continuing training amongst other factors which refers to scholar environment. This study is divided in three sections: the first one is an assessment of general data about teachers (age, gender, education, time on teaching etc.). The second one is an analysis of the concepts of those teachers about five issues on evolutionary theory and how they apply these concepts in simulated assertions. The third section aims to check how these teachers work. Many teachers are young and have little time of teaching. There are great differences between the concepts of each teacher and the answers to the simulated assertions. Most of the teachers has traditional methods regarding teaching itself and learning evaluation. We may conclude that initial and continuing training of teachers is of vital importance for the Biological Evolution to be comprehended and taught. Besides, there must be efficient public policies for the training and development of teacher work in several areas.