Science Assessment ~ Topics ~ Reproduction, Genes, and Heredity ~ Item RH015002 ~ Student Performance

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What does the information in DNA molecules provide instructions for?

Assembling amino acids into protein molecules
Assembling protein molecules into amino acids
Rearranging genes into protein molecules
Rearranging genes into traits

Pre-Test

Distribution of responses (prior to studying evolution in high school)
Answer Choice		Overall	Grades		Gender		Primary Language
		n = 559	6–8 n = 23	9–12 n = 499	Male n = 221	Female n = 300	English n = 516	Other n = 13
A.	Assembling amino acids into protein molecules	35%	57%	34%	37%	34%	35%	38%
B.	Assembling protein molecules into amino acids	18%	9%	18%	18%	18%	18%	8%
C.	Rearranging genes into protein molecules	13%	13%	14%	15%	12%	13%	23%
D.	Rearranging genes into traits	34%	22%	34%	30%	36%	34%	31%

Post-Test (Control)

Distribution of responses (following typical high school instruction on evolution)
Answer Choice		Overall	Grades		Gender		Primary Language
		n = 281	6–8 n = 18	9–12 n = 229	Male n = 109	Female n = 135	English n = 243	Other n = 9
A.	Assembling amino acids into protein molecules	34%	50%	31%	42%	28%	34%	33%
B.	Assembling protein molecules into amino acids	21%	17%	23%	19%	24%	21%	33%
C.	Rearranging genes into protein molecules	14%	6%	13%	10%	11%	12%	22%
D.	Rearranging genes into traits	32%	28%	33%	28%	37%	33%	11%

Post-Test (Treatment)

Distribution of responses (following completion of an evolution curriculum module)
Answer Choice		Overall	Grades		Gender		Primary Language
		n = 305	6–8 n = 3	9–12 n = 280	Male n = 139	Female n = 150	English n = 276	Other n = 8
A.	Assembling amino acids into protein molecules	54%	67%	54%	57%	51%	55%	13%
B.	Assembling protein molecules into amino acids	22%	33%	22%	19%	25%	22%	13%
C.	Rearranging genes into protein molecules	7%	0%	7%	6%	8%	7%	13%
D.	Rearranging genes into traits	16%	0%	17%	19%	16%	16%	63%