Table 1 Summary of relevant studies with quantitative assessment of the understanding of evolution in college students

Nadelson and Southerland (2010a)

Measure of Understanding Macroevolution (MUM)

Nadelson and Southerland (2010a)

Introductory biology

667

11.97 ± 5.49 out of 27 (44%)

–

–

Evolutionary biology

Pre 74/post 54

19.90 ± 30.1 (74%)

21.04 ± 3.03 (78%)

Pre vs. post

Nadelson and Southerland (2010b)

MUM

Nadelson and Southerland (2010a)

Introductory biology

~ 600

Not reported

–

–

Evolutionary biology

74

Not reported

Not reported

Pre vs. post

Anderson et al. (2002)

Conceptual Inventory of Natural Selection (CINS)

Anderson et al. (2002)

Nonmajor biology

3 groups of ~ 100*

Average 50%; group 1: 2.54 ± 1.35, group 2: 2.36 ± 1.46, group 3: 2.12 ± 1.15 out of 5

–

–

Nonmajor biology

110 and 96*

Two sections: 8.21 ± 3.07 (41%) and 10.42 ± 3.31 (52%)

–

–

Partin et al. (2013)

CINS

Anderson et al. (2002)

Nonmajor biology

149

14.5 ± 3.96 out of 20 (72.5%)

–

Major vs. nonmajor

Major biology

52

9.54 ± 3.23 out of 20 (47.7%)

–

–

Fowler and Zeidler (2016)

CINS

Anderson et al. (2002)

Upper level major and nonmajor

52

Reported as both 13.61 ± 4.19 (68%) AND 13.38 ± 4.16 (67%)

–

–

Barnes et al. (2017)

CINS

Anderson et al. (2002)

Evolutionary medicine

182

Reported as both 13.90 ± 3.5 (70%) AND 14.09 ± 3.53 (70%)

16.41 ± 3.13 (82%)

Pre vs. post

Beggrow and Sbeglia (2019)

CINS

Anderson et al. (2002)

Introductory biology course

260

13.6 ± 0.12 (SE) (68%)

-

Anthropology vs. biology

Introductory anthropology course

208

10.68 ± 0.14 (SE) (53%)

–

–

Green (2019)

CINS

Anderson et al. (2002)

Nonmajor biology

29 and 34

Of 9.12 ± 3.06 and 9.13 ± 3.35 out of 20 (approximately 46% correct)

11.92 ± 3.70 and 11.38 ± 4.80 (approximately 60% correct)

Not reported

Kalinowski et al. (2016)

Conceptual Assessment of Natural Selection (CANS)

Kalinowski et al. (2016)

Introductory biology

218

47% (median 11 out of 24)

77% (median 18)

Pre vs. post

Fiedler et al. (2019)

CANS and CINS

Anderson et al. (2002); Kalinowski et al. (2016)

Introductory biology

468

15.46 ± 3.78 (out of 24) (64%) and 15.73 ± 5.03 (out of 20) (79%)

–

–

Hawley et al. (2011)

Evolutionary Attitudes and Literacy Survey (EALS)- Evolutionary Knowledge Subscale (EKS)

Hawley et al. (2011)

Child and social psychology

371

5.02 ± 0.86 out of 7 (72%)¹

–

–

Short and Hawley (2012)

EALS short form (EALS-SF) (EKS)

Short and Hawley (2012)

Introductory biology course

526

4.91 ± 0.89 out of 5 (98%)¹

–

–

Short and Hawley (2015)

EALS (EKS)

Hawley et al. (2011)

Introduction to organismal biology, evolutionary psychology and political science

868

Ranged from 4.87 ± 1.03 (70%) to 5.81 ± 0.81out of 7 (83%)¹

4.97 ± 1.09 (71%) to 6.16 ± 0.79 out of 7 (88%)

Pre vs. post for non-biology students only

O’Brien et al. (2009)

EALS- beta version (EKS)

Hawley and Parkinson (2008)

Introductory biology

121

5.42 ± 1.81 out of 7 (77%)¹

Not reported

Pre vs. post

Dunk and Wiles (2018)

EALS-SF (EKS)

Short and Hawley (2012)

Introductory biology course for major and nonmajor

656

Of 26.98 ± 3.69 out of 35 (77% correct) ¹

Not reported

Not reported

Barnes et al. (2022)

EALS (EKS)

Hawley et al. (2011)

Introductory major and nonmajor biology

202* and

2088

Not reported but community college students 8% lower than university

Community college vs. university

Dunk et al. (2017)

Familiarity with Evolutionary Terms

Barone et al. (2014)

Anatomy and physiology

284

15.947 ± 4.167 (56.7%)

–

–

Moore et al. (2011)

Knowledge of Evolution Exam (KEE)

Moore et al. (2011)

Introductory biology course

179

5.3 ± 2.2 (53%)

–

–

Laidlaw (2020)

KEE

Moore et al. (2011)

Introductory biology course

351

5.49 to 5.76 out of 10 (~ 55% correct; SD not reported)

Not reported

None

Brown (2015)

KEE

Moore et al. (2011)

Introductory biology

373*

45.90%

–

–

Brown and Scott (2016)

KEE

Moore et al. (2011)

Major biology

372*

~ 45.96 out of 100

–

–

Sinatra et al. (2003)

Understanding Biological Change (UBC)

Settlage and Jensen (1996)

Nonmajor biology

93

Not reported

–

–

Price et al. (2016)

Genetic Drift Inventory (GeDI)

Price et al. (2014)

Major and non-major upper and lower division biology

825

Overall: 0.58 (SD 0.09); experimental 0.60 (SE 0.02)

Experimental group: 0.70 (SE 0.30)

In the experimental group only

Dorner (2016)

5–8 Life Sciences Concept Inventory (LSCI)

Sadler et al. (2013)

Many major and nonmajor courses

867*

5.05 ± 2.45 (out of 10) (51%)

–

–

Sbeglia and Nehm (2022)

Assessment of COntextual Reasoning about Natural Selection (ACORNS)²

Nehm et al. (2012)

Introductory biology

1434

Not specifically reported but appear to be ~ 25/%

Not specifically reported but appear to be ~ 60–70%

Not reported

Fiedler et al. (2017)

Open Response Assessment- Germany

Nehm and Reilly (2007)

Biology major and preservice teachers

140

0.55 ± 0.31 (out of 1); bio: 0.60 ± 0.04 (SEM); preservice teachers 0.46 ± 0.04 (SEM)

–

Biology major vs. preservice teachers

Lan (2017)

Open Response Questionnaire (ORQ), which was derived from the CINS

–

Math, chemistry and physics courses

21

Poor to moderate understanding

–

–

Tran et al. (2014)

Open Response original instrument

–

Environmental physiology

66

Overall < 50%. 4.35 to 6.42 out of 10 (SD not reported)

–

–

Speth et al. (2014)

Course exams using modeling

–

Major biology

170

Midterm: 2.78 ± 1.85 out of 5 (50% on their models)

Final: 3.62 ± 1.92, (70%)

Midterm vs. final

Heitz et al. (2010)

Evolution speciation test- original

–

Major biology students (3 groups)

283

51 ± 8.4, 48.6 ± 10.4, 52.3 ± 8.0

57.5 ± 11.1, 58.4 ± 11.3, 59.0 ± 11.4

Pre vs. post in all three groups