Teaching Evolution through Human Examples (TEtHE)

通过人类例子教学进化论(TETE)是一个为期三年的探索性研发项目，旨在评估以人类进化论为重点的资源活动和教学策略的使用将如何影响高中AP生物教师和学生对进化论的理解、教和学习。该项目的指导问题是：1)用人类进化的例子教授基本的进化概念会以什么方式影响高中生对进化论的理解？2)注重关于人类进化的正面对话的教学策略如何帮助教师克服讲授进化论概念的文化挑战？3)用人类进化的例子讲授基本的进化论概念结合注重人类进化的积极对话的教学策略如何影响高中生对进化论的理解？该项目将有助于进化教育领域，该领域缺乏使用以人为本的教材以及增加教师在教授进化方面的舒适度和信心的策略是否有助于更好地理解进化。项目评估将侧重于完善教材和战略，并与大学理事会及其专业发展计划合作，在新重组的生物学AP课程的试点研究中测试其有效性。研究包括：独立评估教师对资源活动以及对材料使用的信心和易用性的满意程度，咨询委员会对材料的独立审查，以及对所有参与教师的调查，以确定材料的使用方式。在回答每个问题时，团队将调查有效性、可行性、有用性、适当性和学生结果。收集方法包括：观察法、开放式问卷调查法、开放式访谈法、内容评估法和态度调查法。主要的研究人员是史密森研究所；国家科学院教师咨询委员会、理解进化教师顾问委员会和来自华盛顿特区的AP生物教师担任共同开发人员。该项目有一名外部评估员和一个咨询委员会。该项目将与高中生物教师一起开发资源活动和教学策略。专业发展还将为教师提供指导，指导如何将活动和策略融入课堂。该项目为期三年，将有100多名AP生物教师参与，将惠及2000多名AP生物学生。这些资源将在项目结束时在网上、在国家会议上、在国家出版物中广泛传播，长期计划包括将其纳入国家AP生物课程。这个项目可以作为一个样板，将有效的进化论教学方法推广到生物学1班，并有助于理解如何处理涉及宗教、伦理和其他社会关切领域的科学主题的教学。

Teaching Evolution through Human Examples (TEtHE), a three-year exploratory research and development project, is assessing how the use of resource activities and teaching strategies focused on human evolution will affect the understanding, teaching and learning of evolution by high school AP biology teachers and students. The guiding questions of the proposed project are 1) In what ways does using examples of human evolution to teach basic evolutionary concepts affect understanding of evolution among high school students? 2) In what ways do teaching strategies that focus on positive dialogue about human evolution help teachers overcome cultural challenges to teaching evolution concepts? 3) In what ways does using examples of human evolution to teach basic evolutionary concepts in conjunction with teaching strategies that focus on positive dialogue about human evolution affect understanding of evolution among high school students? TEtHE project will contribute to the field of evolution education, which is lacking on whether using teaching materials with a human emphasis along with strategies that increase teacher comfort and confidence in teaching evolution lead to greater understanding of evolution. Project evaluation will focus on refining teaching materials and strategies and testing their efficacy in pilot studies in cooperation with the College Board and its professional development programs for the newly restructured AP course in biology. Studies include: independent assessment of teacher satisfaction with the resource activities as well as confidence and ease in use of the materials, independent review of the materials by the Advisory boards, and survey of all participating teachers to identify ways the materials were used. When addressing each question, the team will investigate validity, feasibility, usefulness, appropriateness, and student results. Methods for collection include: observation, open-response surveys, open-ended interviews, content assessments, and attitudinal surveys. The primary investigator is the Smithsonian Institute; the National Academies Teacher Advisory Board, the Understanding Evolution Teacher Advisor Board, and AP biology teachers from Washington DC serve as co-developers. The project has an external evaluator as well as an advisory board.The TEtHE project will develop resource activities and teaching strategies with and for high school biology teachers. Professional development will also provide teachers with guidance on how to incorporate the activities and strategies into the classroom. The TEtHE project, over the course of three years, will involve over 100 AP biology teachers which will translate to reaching over 2000 AP biology students. The resources will be widely disseminated online at the end of the project, at national conferences, in national publications, and long range plans include incorporation into the national AP biology curriculum. This project could serve as a model for expanding effective methods for teaching evolution to Biology 1 classes, and contribute to an understanding of how to approach the teaching of scientific topics that intersect religious, ethical, and other areas of societal concern.