Evolution education in Galápagos: What do biology teachers know and think about evolution?

Abstract

In Galápagos, whose economy is based on tourism, the idea of evolution is common throughout society-including in school curricula. Biology teachers in Galápagos love the idea of evolution and are confident that they understand evolution. However, this confidence is not accompanied by a corresponding knowledge of evolution or an acceptance of several evolutionary principles. For example, although all biology teachers in Galápagos are familiar with Charles Darwin and his book On the Origin of Species, most favor Lamarckian explanations for life's diversity over those proposed by Darwin. The cognitive dissonance of accepting evolution, often alongside a literal interpretation of Genesis, suggests that biology teachers' ideas about evolution have been decoupled from economic priorities in the archipelago.