Abstract

HERNANDEZ RODRIGUEZ, María Cristina  and  RUIZ GUTIERREZ, Rosaura. Kuhn y el aprendizaje del evolucionismo biológico. Perfiles educativos [online]. 2000, vol.22, n.89-90, pp.92-114. ISSN 0185-2698.

This article highlights the importance of evolutionism in modern biology and points out the difficulties that can be experienced while learning this discipline. He argues that altough the undergraduate students have a great cognitive capacity to understand the evolutionist theory, published studies show that they maintain ideas which are completely invalid for contemporary evolutionism. The author analyses the didactical possibilities that offers the use of a historical-epistemological perspective, with a particular interest about how Thomas Kuhn's historiographical model can be used to make easier for undergraduate students the understanding of evolutionism. He also emphatizes that the historical-epistemological dimension is a great opportunity for students and teachers to learn the language of science and to contribute to a better understanding of the theories and concepts of science.

Keywords : Evolution; Natural selection; Normal science; Scientific revolution; Understanding; Language learning; Incommensurability.