Simultaneous Measurement of the Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution at Regionally Distinct Colleges

The Measurement of the Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution (MATE) survey has 20 statements that a respondent evaluates. We transcribed the MATE into an online survey delivered to Introductory Biology students by e-mail. Six items were added at the front of the MATE to capture descriptive demographic information: Gender, ethnicity or race, religious identity, academic major, academic class, and college. The average acceptance score for evolution was 69.6 (s=16.20, N=140) out of a possible 100 points. The three survey items where students were most undecided about evolution were: 1) With few exceptions, organisms on earth came into existence at about the same time, 2) The theory of evolution cannot be tested scientifically, and 3) The theory of evolution cannot be correct since it disagrees with the Biblical account of creation. Statistical analysis found that the overall acceptance of evolution was dependent on the students religious identity or the college that they attended. By using this survey in Introductory Biology, before instruction on evolution, at three different and distant colleges (Mid-Atlantic and Southwest), we identified the evolutionary concepts that our Introductory Biology students have difficulty accepting. This information can then be used to develop a strategy to address student misconceptions.

Simultaneous Measurement of the Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution at Regionally Distinct Colleges Academic Article