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EvoKE

Evolution: Measuring attitudes & understanding across Europe

  

                         

 

Project description

The EU-funded project “Assessment of Attitudes Towards Evolution and Understanding of Evolutionary Processes and Concepts Across Europe” is imbedded in the COST Action 17127 “Building on scientific literacy in evolution towards scientifically responsible Europeans“ (https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA17127/#tabs|Name:overview) and has the aim to close a gap in the European research on knowledge about evolution and attitudes towards evolution. The working group of researchers of 26 European countries will provide directly comparable data gathered with a translated version of the same questionnaire in every single country. The project is associated with a project called “Evolutionary Knowledge for Everyone” (EvoKE), which has the aim to foster public’s understanding and acceptance of evolution (https://evokeproject.org/).              

As part of the project “Assessment of Attitudes Towards Evolution and Understanding of Evolutionary Processes and Concepts Across Europe”, the knowledge about evolution and attitudes towards evolution of students who have just enrolled in a university, is measured. This group fits particularly well because all of these students have completed upper secondary education and have been granted higher education entrance qualification. Furthermore, given that - apart from students enrolled in a biology-related degree program - most students only learn about evolution during secondary education, which this makes the group particularly interesting for didactic research.

 

These are the tentative research questions:

  • What is the knowledge about evolution in university freshmen across Europe?
  • What are the attitudes about evolution in university freshmen across Europe?
  • How do participants from different countries differ concerning their attitudes and knowledge towards evolution?
  • What is the relation between knowledge and attitudes towards evolution?
  • Which other factors explain differences in acceptance and understanding of evolution between countries?


 

contact person (coordination of the project at JLU)

Paul Kuschmierz, Institute for biology didactics of JLU Gießen

paul.kuschmierz@didaktik.bio.uni-giessen.de; 0641-9935505

 

How to become part of the project

Our team consists of people from several different European countries. Nevertheless we need additional help! We are always happy to welcome new group members and/or people who want to conduct the survey in their country. In particular, the countries in South East Europe are not well represented, yet. So, if you are interested in becoming part of the “EvoKE” Team, feel free to contact us via paul.kuschmierz@didaktik.bio.uni-giessen.de. Thank you!