Slovenian students have been found to possess inadequate knowledge about human evolution based on previous research. The objective of our thesis was to investigate whether knowledge of evolution deteriorated during distance learning. Our research included 2 primary schools and 5 high schools located in Ljubljana, with a total sample size of 401 students. The participants consisted of eighth-grade primary school students who had not yet covered evolution and first-year high school students who had studied evolution in the ninth grade of primary school. We conducted a comparative analysis to identify statistically significant differences in knowledge, considering variables such as gender, educational level, and parents' education. The findings revealed that gender did not correlate with knowledge of evolution, whereas knowledge was significantly associated with the student's educational level and the educational attainment of their parents. First-year high school students exhibited a higher level of knowledge compared to eighth-grade primary school students. Moreover, we observed that most of the misconceptions held by primary school students were prevalent among high school students as well. Participants whose parents had completed a master's degree provided the most accurate responses, while those with parents who had only completed primary school performed the poorest. Notably, participants whose parents held a master's degree demonstrated the greatest interest in biology, whereas those with parents who had only completed primary school showed the least interest. Based on the results, we can conclude that distance learning did not significantly impact the knowledge of evolution among students. Despite the adoption of distance learning, students were able to acquire knowledge and retained similar misconceptions as observed in prior research conducted under normal schooling conditions. Insufficient knowledge in certain areas persists among students, corroborating previous studies. Further research is recommended to thoroughly examine the precise effects of distance learning on students' understanding of evolution and their attitudes toward biology.
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