Elephant Tusks and Natural Selection: Leveraging Naive Student Models to Identify and Address Misconceptions Surrounding Biological Evolution

Evolutionary theory is foundational to the life sciences because it unifies complex ecological principles and explains variation observed between and within species. Students at the secondary level often lack deep conceptual understanding of evolutionary theory, which is crucial to grasp topics related to primary drivers within populations such as inter- and intra-specific competition, predation, and reproductive success. Nonetheless, evolution remains a contentious topic in the United States. The prevalence of pseudoscientific belief among the U.S. populace warrants a calculated approach to deconstructing student misconceptions. This article puts forth an action-research-supported instructional strategy through which educators can identify and address core student misconceptions regarding evolutionary theory and other complex scientific phenomena, utilizing real-world and student-generated models to drive instruction.