University students’ conceptual knowledge of randomness and probability in the contexts of evolution and mathematics
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University students’ conceptual knowledge of randomness and probability in the contexts of evolution and mathematics. / Fiedler, Daniela; Tröbst, Steffen; Harms, Ute.
In: CBE Life Sciences Education, Vol. 16, No. 2, ar38, 01.06.2017.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - University students’ conceptual knowledge of randomness and probability in the contexts of evolution and mathematics
AU - Fiedler, Daniela
AU - Tröbst, Steffen
AU - Harms, Ute
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2017 D. Fiedler et al.
PY - 2017/6/1
Y1 - 2017/6/1
N2 - Students of all ages face severe conceptual difficulties regarding key aspects of evolution— the central, unifying, and overarching theme in biology. Aspects strongly related to abstract “threshold” concepts like randomness and probability appear to pose particular difficulties. A further problem is the lack of an appropriate instrument for assessing students’ conceptual knowledge of randomness and probability in the context of evolution. To address this problem, we have developed two instruments, Randomness and Probability Test in the Context of Evolution (RaProEvo) and Randomness and Probability Test in the Context of Mathematics (RaProMath), that include both multiple-choice and free-response items. The instruments were administered to 140 university students in Germany, then the Rasch partial-credit model was applied to assess them. The results indicate that the instruments generate reliable and valid inferences about students’ conceptual knowledge of randomness and probability in the two contexts (which are separable competencies). Furthermore, RaProEvo detected significant differences in knowledge of randomness and probability, as well as evolutionary theory, between biology majors and preservice biology teachers.
AB - Students of all ages face severe conceptual difficulties regarding key aspects of evolution— the central, unifying, and overarching theme in biology. Aspects strongly related to abstract “threshold” concepts like randomness and probability appear to pose particular difficulties. A further problem is the lack of an appropriate instrument for assessing students’ conceptual knowledge of randomness and probability in the context of evolution. To address this problem, we have developed two instruments, Randomness and Probability Test in the Context of Evolution (RaProEvo) and Randomness and Probability Test in the Context of Mathematics (RaProMath), that include both multiple-choice and free-response items. The instruments were administered to 140 university students in Germany, then the Rasch partial-credit model was applied to assess them. The results indicate that the instruments generate reliable and valid inferences about students’ conceptual knowledge of randomness and probability in the two contexts (which are separable competencies). Furthermore, RaProEvo detected significant differences in knowledge of randomness and probability, as well as evolutionary theory, between biology majors and preservice biology teachers.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85020477961&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1187/cbe.16-07-0230
DO - 10.1187/cbe.16-07-0230
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 28572180
AN - SCOPUS:85020477961
VL - 16
JO - CBE Life Sciences Education
JF - CBE Life Sciences Education
SN - 1931-7913
IS - 2
M1 - ar38
ER -
ID: 379710387