The use of cartoons to investigate the conceptions of the Biological Sciences on evolutionary processes

Abstract

Although biological evolution means and integrate biology, gaps and conceptual difficulties related to this theme are identified. Thus, the objective of this research was to verify misunderstandings of Biological Sciences graduates on evolutionary processes through illustrated situations in cartoons. The data were collected through online questionnaires with all classes of teachers in initial formation in Biological Sciences of an institution of higher education in northwestern Rio Grande do Sul during an inaugural class of the course in 2022. The questionnaire had 14 questions and the questions They were presented in the form of cartoons, who addressed certain situations and characters who opined about them, and the academics chose the most appropriate speech for the situation. The two questions with the most divergence to be analyzed in this study were selected. Thirteen undergraduates answered the questionnaire, and only four hit the first question, which dealt with random events of evolution, and three, the second, which addressed the adaptation. Although this work has limitations, difficulties in understanding evolutionary concepts are identified, which can make the process of teaching and learning biological evolution difficult in the classroom, and expose gaps in formation.