An insight into evolution education in Turkey

Abstract

Appreciation of science is one of the major aims of science education. In the context of the theory of evolution, it refers to acceptance of the theory or recognizing its value. The topic of evolution was introduced into school textbooks in Turkey as early as the 1930s. However, anti-evolution movements in the country have historically been widespread and strong. In the 2000s, public acceptance of evolution in Turkey was very low (Miller, Scott, & Okamoto, 2006; Peker, Comert, & Kence, 2010). This chapter elaborates on the reasons for the devaluation of the theory of evolution in the educational context in Turkey. It presents the state of evolution in educational contexts described in Turkish studies on evolution education published in journals from 2000 to 2015. National and international databases were searched using the key word "evolution" in both Turkish and in English. The search yielded 30 publications. Those published in national journals focused mostly on preservice teachers' understanding and acceptance of evolution and their attitudes to and pedagogical content knowledge about teaching evolution. In international journals, the papers generally reflected cultural perspectives, including anti-evolution movements, and factors that affect acceptance and understanding of evolution theory. Drawing on these studies, this chapter presents insights into the teaching of evolution in Turkey's educational contexts.