Artifact from the American Dark Age: Creationism in US High Schools and Society

[BurtWorm]

http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0060124&ct=1&SESSID=f91abaef7ae9b0e31fc81d2de7532df3

Our survey of biology teachers is the first nationally representative, scientific sample survey to examine evolution and creationism in the classroom. Three different survey questions all suggest that between 12% and 16% of the nation's biology teachers are creationist in orientation. Roughly one sixth of all teachers professed a "young earth" personal belief, and about one in eight reported that they teach creationism or intelligent design in a positive light. The number of hours devoted to these alternative theories is typically low--but this nevertheless must surely convey to students that these theories should be accorded respect as scientific perspectives.

The majority of teachers, however, see evolution as central and essential to high school biology courses. Yet the amount of time devoted to evolutionary biology varies substantially from teacher to teacher, and a majority either avoid human evolution altogether or devote only one or two class periods to the topic. We showed that some of these differences were due to personal beliefs about human origins. However, an equally important factor is the science education the teacher received while in college. Additional variance is likely to be rooted in pressures--subtle or otherwise--emerging from parents and community leaders in each school's community, in combination with teachers' confidence in their ability to deal with such pressures given their knowledge of evolution, as well as their personal beliefs.

These findings strongly suggest that victory in the courts is not enough for the scientific community to ensure that evolution is included in high school science courses. Nor is success in persuading states to adopt rigorous content standards consistent with recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences and other scientific organizations. Scientists concerned about the quality of evolution instruction might have a bigger impact in the classroom by focusing on the certification standards for high school biology teachers. Our study suggests that requiring all teachers to complete a course in evolutionary biology would have a substantial impact on the emphasis on evolution and its centrality in high school biology courses. In the long run, the impact of such a change could have a more far reaching effect than the victories in courts and in state governments.


<Hat tip to Pharyngula.>

[kestrel91316]

1. WTF? 48% of the general public believes in biblical creation

of the <10,000 year variety???????

Jesus wept.

[ColbertWatcher]

2. And his tears quenched the thirst of the baby dinosaurs...

[leftofthedial]

3. WTF? 16% of HS biology teachers are creationists?

We need a purge.

[BlooInBloo]

4. It's the predictable result of allowing and encouraging the dimmest among us to be teachers.

[leftofthedial]

5. and "presidents"

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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[alarimer]

7. The problem is that most science teachers are NOT science majors

It should be a requirement to have a BS/MS in science (not science education) in order to teach science.

[BlooInBloo]

9. Yup. I say quadruple teacher pay, and remove all barriers for non education degree folks...

to get into teaching.

That'll solve the problem on that end in a few years.

Then the other, more difficult problems can be addressed.