物種起源的爭議性，因為無法以實驗證明，所以自達爾文提出天擇說後，一直有論辯存在於教育界，尤其牽涉到宗教信仰，更增添其敏感性。在學生方面，對於演化論的學習困難，似乎遠大於其他的生物概念，Dawkins 曾半開玩笑性的說：人類的頭腦似乎是被特別設計成誤解達爾文理論的（Dawkins,1988）。在國外，不同學者也努力地從不同角度尋求學生在演化論上出現學習困難的解答，其中宗教、文化、語言的影響，都是常被拿來分析的因素，但各種因素又彼此牽連交錯，甚難釐清，本研究欲跳脫此一糾纏局面，透過問卷調查及話語分析找出學生既有的核心信念，並根據其核心信念的相關性，找出其解釋架構類型。期望在了解學生解釋類型的特性之後，也能分析學生處於概念發展的何種階段，進而有助於老師設計適當的概念改變策略。
本研究以建構論的方法，以問卷及晤談方式蒐集學生對物種起源的想法，運用現象學的「整體-部分-整體｣ 三角循環架構，藉以分析學生的解釋架構。透過概念連結的分析，接受晤談的24位學生中，可歸納出4種解釋架構類型，分別稱作「特殊創造型｣、「本質演化型｣、「自發後有滅絕拉馬克型｣、及「自發後拉馬克型｣，4種類型均能被理解為具有解釋的一貫性。雖然從架構內部的概念連結狀況來看，具有脈絡上的一貫性，但是並不必然合乎科學上的要求。學生在解釋架構內非科學的概念連結，可分為三種缺失類型：對於科學本質了解的不足，邏輯思考能力的不足，以及先備概念的不足。這些缺失都會導致整體架構上的不完備，例如許多學生雖然對物種的形成已開始運用演化理論的解釋，但是整個理論體系的了解不夠透徹，在遇有難以解釋之處，會以原有的素樸想法填補在演化理論架構之中。
本研究由理解層次作分析，也發現學生對科學本質的了解程度不足，造成在對物種形成的解釋上出現許多非科學的解釋。此外由問卷的統計分析中，得至下面幾個結論：
1.國中生及高中生在演化論相關概念的理解上，國中生及高中生的表現並無顯著差異。且演化論點的得分偏低，多數未能達成教學上的要求。
2.透過對問卷結果所作出的統計分析發現，科學知識來源是以老師為主或是以非老師為主的不同學生，對於其演化論學習上，在90%信心水準內，具有顯著的差異性。
3.高中學生家長對學生在科學知識學習上的重視程度，對學生在演化論上的學習成效，對於能夠產生
4.學生的宗教信仰、喜好科目以及科學節目的收視時數，對於演化論的學習成效，並無顯著的影響。
5.高中生的理解層次高於國中生，兩者相比，在90%的信心水準下，可以認為是有顯著差異的。

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