The Effects of Performance-Based Education on Evolutionary Attitudes and Literacy
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Creationist opposition to evolution is a major impediment to advancing science
education in the US and a growing problem in the UK. Novel education approaches
could be instrumental in stemming this opposition. Rapper Baba Brinkman’s live
show “Rap Guide to Evolution” is one such effort, as it combines hip hop, science,
and comedy. To investigate this, pre- and post-performance tests and a one-month
follow-up using the Evolutionary Attitudes and Literacy Survey were administered to
92 UK students in conjunction with a “Rap Guide to Evolution” performance. Study
compliance was poor, with only five participants completing all three surveys and
low posttest reliability. Nonetheless, significant improvement from pretest to
retention was detected in evolution exposure, though there was also a decrease in
evolutionary knowledge. Regression analysis controlling for gender, current religion,
openness to experience, and creationist reasoning also indicated a borderline
significant decrease in evolution misconceptions and that the decrease in
evolutionary knowledge was predicted mainly by current religion. Though results
were mixed, this study is the first of its kind in testing the influence of informal
education on evolutionary knowledge and attitudes. Future research will utilize
more rigorous protocols and investigate variation in cultural models of resistance to
evolution.
Keywords
evolution, literacy, attitudes, hip hop, Baba Brinkman, comedy, evolution education, evolutionary studies