TY  - JOUR
AU  - Kuschmierz, Paul
AU  - Beniermann, Anna
AU  - Bergmann, Alexander
AU  - Pinxten, Rianne
AU  - Aivelo, Tuomas
AU  - Berniak-Woźny, Justyna
AU  - Bohlin, Gustav
AU  - Bugallo-Rodriguez, Anxela
AU  - Cardia, Pedro
AU  - Cavadas, Bento Filipe Barreiras Pinto
AU  - Cebesoy, Umran Betul
AU  - Cvetković, Dragana D.
AU  - Demarsy, Emilie
AU  - Đorđević, Mirko
AU  - Drobniak, Szymon M.
AU  - Dubchak, Liudmyla
AU  - Dvořáková, Radka M.
AU  - Fančovičová, Jana
AU  - Fortin, Corinne
AU  - Futo, Momir
AU  - Geamănă, Nicoleta Adriana
AU  - Gericke, Niklas
AU  - Grasso, Donato A.
AU  - Lendvai, Ádám Z.
AU  - Mavrikaki, Evangelia
AU  - Meneganzin, Andra
AU  - Mogias, Athanasios
AU  - Möller, Andrea
AU  - Mota, Paulo G.
AU  - Naciri, Yamama
AU  - Németh, Zoltán
AU  - Ożańska-Ponikwia, Katarzyna
AU  - Paolucci, Silvia
AU  - Pap, Péter László
AU  - Petersson, Maria
AU  - Pietrzak, Barbara
AU  - Pievani, Telmo
AU  - Pobric, Alma
AU  - Porozovs, Juris
AU  - Realdon, Giulia
AU  - Sá-Pinto, Xana
AU  - Savković, Uroš
AU  - Sicard, Mathieu
AU  - Sofonea, Mircea T.
AU  - Sorgo, Andrej
AU  - Stermin, Alexandru N.
AU  - Tăușan, Ioan
AU  - Torkar, Gregor
AU  - Türkmen, Lütfullah
AU  - Tutnjević, Slavica
AU  - Uitto, Anna E.
AU  - Varga, Máté
AU  - Varga, Mirna
AU  - Vazquez-Ben, Lucia
AU  - Venetis, Constantinos
AU  - Viguera, Enrique
AU  - Virtbauer, Lisa Christine
AU  - Vutsova, Albena
AU  - Yruela, Inmaculada
AU  - Zandveld, Jelle
AU  - Graf, Dittmar
PY  - 2021
UR  - https://evolution-outreach.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12052-021-00158-8
UR  - http://radar.ibiss.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/4701
AB  - Background: Investigations of evolution knowledge and acceptance and their relation are central to evolution education research. Ambiguous results in this field of study demonstrate a variety of measuring issues, for instance differently theorized constructs, or a lack of standardized methods, especially for cross-country comparisons. In particular, meaningful comparisons across European countries, with their varying cultural backgrounds and education systems, are rare, often include only few countries, and lack standardization. To address these deficits, we conducted a standardized European survey, on 9200 first-year university students in 26 European countries utilizing a validated, comprehensive questionnaire, the “Evolution Education Questionnaire”, to assess evolution acceptance and knowledge, as well as influencing factors on evolution acceptance. Results: We found that, despite European countries’ different cultural backgrounds and education systems, European first-year university students generally accept evolution. At the same time, they lack substantial knowledge about it, even if they are enrolled in a biology-related study program. Additionally, we developed a multilevel-model that determines religious faith as the main influencing factor in accepting evolution. According to our model, knowledge about evolution and interest in biological topics also increase acceptance of evolution, but to a much lesser extent than religious faith. The effect of age and sex, as well as the country’s affiliation, students’ denomination, and whether or not a student is enrolled in a biology-related university program, is negligible. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that, despite all their differences, most of the European education systems for upper secondary education lead to acceptance of evolution at least in university students. It appears that, at least in this sample, the differences in knowledge between countries reflect neither the extent to which school curricula cover evolutionary biology nor the percentage of biology-related students in the country samples. Future studies should investigate the role of different European school curricula, identify particularly problematic or underrepresented evolutionary concepts in biology education, and analyze the role of religious faith when teaching evolution.
T2  - Evolution: Education and Outreach
T1  - European first-year university students accept evolution but lack substantial knowledge about it: a standardized European cross-country assessment
IS  - 1
VL  - 14
DO  - 10.1186/s12052-021-00158-8
SP  - 17
ER  - 

@article{
author = "Kuschmierz, Paul and Beniermann, Anna and Bergmann, Alexander and Pinxten, Rianne and Aivelo, Tuomas and Berniak-Woźny, Justyna and Bohlin, Gustav and Bugallo-Rodriguez, Anxela and Cardia, Pedro and Cavadas, Bento Filipe Barreiras Pinto and Cebesoy, Umran Betul and Cvetković, Dragana D. and Demarsy, Emilie and Đorđević, Mirko and Drobniak, Szymon M. and Dubchak, Liudmyla and Dvořáková, Radka M. and Fančovičová, Jana and Fortin, Corinne and Futo, Momir and Geamănă, Nicoleta Adriana and Gericke, Niklas and Grasso, Donato A. and Lendvai, Ádám Z. and Mavrikaki, Evangelia and Meneganzin, Andra and Mogias, Athanasios and Möller, Andrea and Mota, Paulo G. and Naciri, Yamama and Németh, Zoltán and Ożańska-Ponikwia, Katarzyna and Paolucci, Silvia and Pap, Péter László and Petersson, Maria and Pietrzak, Barbara and Pievani, Telmo and Pobric, Alma and Porozovs, Juris and Realdon, Giulia and Sá-Pinto, Xana and Savković, Uroš and Sicard, Mathieu and Sofonea, Mircea T. and Sorgo, Andrej and Stermin, Alexandru N. and Tăușan, Ioan and Torkar, Gregor and Türkmen, Lütfullah and Tutnjević, Slavica and Uitto, Anna E. and Varga, Máté and Varga, Mirna and Vazquez-Ben, Lucia and Venetis, Constantinos and Viguera, Enrique and Virtbauer, Lisa Christine and Vutsova, Albena and Yruela, Inmaculada and Zandveld, Jelle and Graf, Dittmar",
year = "2021",
abstract = "Background: Investigations of evolution knowledge and acceptance and their relation are central to evolution education research. Ambiguous results in this field of study demonstrate a variety of measuring issues, for instance differently theorized constructs, or a lack of standardized methods, especially for cross-country comparisons. In particular, meaningful comparisons across European countries, with their varying cultural backgrounds and education systems, are rare, often include only few countries, and lack standardization. To address these deficits, we conducted a standardized European survey, on 9200 first-year university students in 26 European countries utilizing a validated, comprehensive questionnaire, the “Evolution Education Questionnaire”, to assess evolution acceptance and knowledge, as well as influencing factors on evolution acceptance. Results: We found that, despite European countries’ different cultural backgrounds and education systems, European first-year university students generally accept evolution. At the same time, they lack substantial knowledge about it, even if they are enrolled in a biology-related study program. Additionally, we developed a multilevel-model that determines religious faith as the main influencing factor in accepting evolution. According to our model, knowledge about evolution and interest in biological topics also increase acceptance of evolution, but to a much lesser extent than religious faith. The effect of age and sex, as well as the country’s affiliation, students’ denomination, and whether or not a student is enrolled in a biology-related university program, is negligible. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that, despite all their differences, most of the European education systems for upper secondary education lead to acceptance of evolution at least in university students. It appears that, at least in this sample, the differences in knowledge between countries reflect neither the extent to which school curricula cover evolutionary biology nor the percentage of biology-related students in the country samples. Future studies should investigate the role of different European school curricula, identify particularly problematic or underrepresented evolutionary concepts in biology education, and analyze the role of religious faith when teaching evolution.",
journal = "Evolution: Education and Outreach",
title = "European first-year university students accept evolution but lack substantial knowledge about it: a standardized European cross-country assessment",
number = "1",
volume = "14",
doi = "10.1186/s12052-021-00158-8",
pages = "17"
}

Kuschmierz, P., Beniermann, A., Bergmann, A., Pinxten, R., Aivelo, T., Berniak-Woźny, J., Bohlin, G., Bugallo-Rodriguez, A., Cardia, P., Cavadas, B. F. B. P., Cebesoy, U. B., Cvetković, D. D., Demarsy, E., Đorđević, M., Drobniak, S. M., Dubchak, L., Dvořáková, R. M., Fančovičová, J., Fortin, C., Futo, M., Geamănă, N. A., Gericke, N., Grasso, D. A., Lendvai, Á. Z., Mavrikaki, E., Meneganzin, A., Mogias, A., Möller, A., Mota, P. G., Naciri, Y., Németh, Z., Ożańska-Ponikwia, K., Paolucci, S., Pap, P. L., Petersson, M., Pietrzak, B., Pievani, T., Pobric, A., Porozovs, J., Realdon, G., Sá-Pinto, X., Savković, U., Sicard, M., Sofonea, M. T., Sorgo, A., Stermin, A. N., Tăușan, I., Torkar, G., Türkmen, L., Tutnjević, S., Uitto, A. E., Varga, M., Varga, M., Vazquez-Ben, L., Venetis, C., Viguera, E., Virtbauer, L. C., Vutsova, A., Yruela, I., Zandveld, J.,& Graf, D.. (2021). European first-year university students accept evolution but lack substantial knowledge about it: a standardized European cross-country assessment. in Evolution: Education and Outreach, 14(1), 17.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12052-021-00158-8

Kuschmierz P, Beniermann A, Bergmann A, Pinxten R, Aivelo T, Berniak-Woźny J, Bohlin G, Bugallo-Rodriguez A, Cardia P, Cavadas BFBP, Cebesoy UB, Cvetković DD, Demarsy E, Đorđević M, Drobniak SM, Dubchak L, Dvořáková RM, Fančovičová J, Fortin C, Futo M, Geamănă NA, Gericke N, Grasso DA, Lendvai ÁZ, Mavrikaki E, Meneganzin A, Mogias A, Möller A, Mota PG, Naciri Y, Németh Z, Ożańska-Ponikwia K, Paolucci S, Pap PL, Petersson M, Pietrzak B, Pievani T, Pobric A, Porozovs J, Realdon G, Sá-Pinto X, Savković U, Sicard M, Sofonea MT, Sorgo A, Stermin AN, Tăușan I, Torkar G, Türkmen L, Tutnjević S, Uitto AE, Varga M, Varga M, Vazquez-Ben L, Venetis C, Viguera E, Virtbauer LC, Vutsova A, Yruela I, Zandveld J, Graf D. European first-year university students accept evolution but lack substantial knowledge about it: a standardized European cross-country assessment. in Evolution: Education and Outreach. 2021;14(1):17.
doi:10.1186/s12052-021-00158-8 .

Kuschmierz, Paul, Beniermann, Anna, Bergmann, Alexander, Pinxten, Rianne, Aivelo, Tuomas, Berniak-Woźny, Justyna, Bohlin, Gustav, Bugallo-Rodriguez, Anxela, Cardia, Pedro, Cavadas, Bento Filipe Barreiras Pinto, Cebesoy, Umran Betul, Cvetković, Dragana D., Demarsy, Emilie, Đorđević, Mirko, Drobniak, Szymon M., Dubchak, Liudmyla, Dvořáková, Radka M., Fančovičová, Jana, Fortin, Corinne, Futo, Momir, Geamănă, Nicoleta Adriana, Gericke, Niklas, Grasso, Donato A., Lendvai, Ádám Z., Mavrikaki, Evangelia, Meneganzin, Andra, Mogias, Athanasios, Möller, Andrea, Mota, Paulo G., Naciri, Yamama, Németh, Zoltán, Ożańska-Ponikwia, Katarzyna, Paolucci, Silvia, Pap, Péter László, Petersson, Maria, Pietrzak, Barbara, Pievani, Telmo, Pobric, Alma, Porozovs, Juris, Realdon, Giulia, Sá-Pinto, Xana, Savković, Uroš, Sicard, Mathieu, Sofonea, Mircea T., Sorgo, Andrej, Stermin, Alexandru N., Tăușan, Ioan, Torkar, Gregor, Türkmen, Lütfullah, Tutnjević, Slavica, Uitto, Anna E., Varga, Máté, Varga, Mirna, Vazquez-Ben, Lucia, Venetis, Constantinos, Viguera, Enrique, Virtbauer, Lisa Christine, Vutsova, Albena, Yruela, Inmaculada, Zandveld, Jelle, Graf, Dittmar, "European first-year university students accept evolution but lack substantial knowledge about it: a standardized European cross-country assessment" in Evolution: Education and Outreach, 14, no. 1 (2021):17,
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12052-021-00158-8 . .