Abstract
This study investigates the impact of educational experiences and religiosity on the acceptance, understanding, and interest in evolutionary theory. The findings reveal that students who have taken university-level biology courses or studied life sciences for the national college entrance examination demonstrate significantly higher levels of acceptance and understanding of evolutionary theory. These results underscore the critical role of educational exposure in enhancing scientific comprehension. In contrast, high levels of religiosity were negatively associated with both acceptance and understanding of evolutionary theory. However, interest in evolution among highly religious students remained unaffected, indicating that while religiosity may pose challenges to scientific acceptance, it does not diminish curiosity about evolutionary topics. The results suggest that science education on evolutionary theory, including biological anthropology, should be expanded to accommodate students from various academic and cultural backgrounds. Such an approach is essential to addressing potential disparities arising from differing educational and religious contexts. Broadening the scope of evolutionary education can provide equitable access to scientific knowledge and foster scientific literacy, ensuring that students, regardless of their academic or religious affiliations, are equipped with a balanced understanding of evolutionary principles.