I’m always a bit sobered and awed when I read a student’s exam or paper and see my own stuff coming back at me (morphed a bit, to be sure, but recognizable). Teachers have a huge responsibility. I hope that students recognize that although faculty strive for accuracy and objectivity, we’re human beings who make errors, hold strong opinions, and disagree with one another.
College students seem to get this. I’m not sure younger students always do.
So I read with interest about a study conducted at the University of Minnesota, in which Randy Moore and Sehoya Cotner surveyed introductory biology students about their high school biology experiences. They found that students’ acceptance of evolution was very dependent on their high school biology experience. Students exposed to evolution only were much more likely to accept its validity than students exposed to both evolution and creationism in the classroom. I’m not saying that exposure to different viewpoints is a bad thing, but I would like to see creationism taught in its proper context, which is philosophy, not science.
Among other findings were that 1/3 of the teachers didn’t major in biology and had never studied evolution and that 1/4 believed that creationism can be proven scientifically.
As mentioned in a previous post, Jon Miller of Michigan State has tracked international beliefs in evolution, and finds that Americans are near the bottom of industrialized nations in their belief in evolution. In a recent class, I asked an anonymous clicker question, using Miller’s wording, and found that 40% of my students did not believe in evolution. That’s just about the same as Miller’s most recent finding, 39%, from the general American public.
Belief in Evolution by Country
So what to do? My position has always been that agree or disagree, believe or not, you need to know what the guy said, whether that’s Sigmund Freud (with whom I generally disagree) or Charles Darwin. Hopefully, that’s respectful of other people’s belief systems while still ensuring that I do my job, which is to present my material as factually and accurately as I can.
But this continuing dilemma over one of the most thoroughly supported theories in the history of human thinking is just a constant reminder that we’re failing in one very important part of the job. Before we get into a discussion of facts, we need to make sure that our students understand the logic and reasoning and methods necessary to establish those facts. If America is failing science, it’s not because we don’t know the facts, but because we don’t use and understand the method.
10 Comments
ACroson · May 4, 2009 at 1:02 pm
In my high school, we were given the option to sit out of the Evolution Unit. I should’ve expected 100% of the students to sit out; my teacher hadn’t prepared anything in lieu of that unit, so it would basically have been a free week. But nobody did! I can’t speak of the entire educated U.S. or even my entire generation, but I know that at least the people in my high school realized that not understanding something you don’t want to believe in is a bigger gap in your argument than understanding it enough to refute it (if this is your purpose). Creationism was not taught, but generally accepted and minorly understood. I do think though that if a teacher is going to teach evolution, creationism and/or both, this teacher should not only major in biology, but have studied creationism to whatever extent that is (I’m assuming one can’t major in creationism) and have studied how they overlap. Even if creationism is a philosophical concept, it conflicts with some ideas of evolution and if one really wants to understand/teach evolution, one should fully understand all sides. Thankfully, my peers subscribed to this studying-all-sides idea & I’d like to say are pretty educated and can back up their beliefs in either evolution or creationism.
steelersfan086 · May 5, 2009 at 6:29 pm
In my high school, we were just taught the evolution unit. We never had the option. In college my freshman year, I was in an introductory biology class and the last third of the class was based on a book we had to read about evolution. There was no alternative unit and the final covered the whole book. I agree that creationism should not be taught in the classroom. It should not be forced upon people who do not believe in it. Because evolution is a scientific matter, it deserves a spot in the classroom; creationism is a value that some people have and some people don’t and it is completely separate from science.
Laura Freberg · May 5, 2009 at 7:34 pm
We are not alone in this discussion in the US. Nature just published a fascinating article about Islam and evolution: http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090403/full/news.2009.230.html
jeffcurry · May 8, 2009 at 12:03 pm
America is so far behind because we can’t let go of faith. What have we seen here in America that rivals all of the European wars over the last few hundred years? They have reason to believe in something else, while Americans would rather hold on to old beliefs then look to new ones. I think its ridiculous that anybody could refute evolution, the evidence is all there. With every new fossil discovery another piece in the evolution puzzle is filled. Believing in evolution does not mean you can’t also believe in a religion or God, who do you think created all of it….?
fillups9 · May 9, 2009 at 9:22 am
I am really surprised that Catholic countries such as Spain believe in evolution so much more than the US! What does that say about our religion here versus in Spain? Is it that they can believe in their religion and also science? What about the US makes it so difficult to distinguish the two?!?
jacquelynlaing · May 11, 2009 at 12:47 pm
I went to a private Christian prep school, and we were always taught that creationism was right. However, I remember ONE day in biology we learned about evolution because “we will need to know the theory when we go to college”. Our teacher presented the theory is a really negative way, and I remember leaving the lecture very confused.
After coming to college, I completely accept evolution because there is so much evidence backing it up. I also think it is very silly for people to reject evolution because they think it will clash with their religious beliefs. You can be religious and accept evolution.
alibug40 · May 22, 2009 at 10:01 am
I am Catholic yet I believe in Evolution and Creationism. As a scientist, I have learned to allow my faith and my studies to coexist. I use my faith to answer questions like “where did molicules necessary for the big bang come from”, “what happens to my soul after death” and so on. Questions that so far have not been answer by science (or at least not that I am aware of). I think part of the reason the US still is so low on acceptance of evolution is because our separation of church and state is not strong, compared to some European countries. I belive it is France that does not allow any display of religion even on a necklace or other jewelry.
If parents want their children to receive a religious education, they can enroll their child in a private school (like I was in until 6th grade, when I transfered to public school). Some teachers will even address their religous students by saying that evolution is still a theory and cannot be 100% proven. I hope that the US can become a stronger believer in science again.
Alison D.
averyzaninovich · May 26, 2009 at 1:47 pm
I have always thought that the right way to present controversial material is to lay out all of the facts and then let the students discuss and decide for themselves their own beliefs on the matter at hand. Now, I have gone to Catholic school all my life except for a small part of junior high, which is where I most clearly remember learning about evolution/creationism and at this time, I attended a Mennonite school. It was interesting because the facts were not laid out. It was purely opinion and I found it intriguing, even at that age. Like Alison D, I am Catholic and believe in a mix of the two theories. I don’t believe that either one can realistically exist on their own.
LeaKnopf · May 26, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I went to a Catholic high school, myself, and I remember being very confused about the whole Evolution vs. Creationism concept. No one ever explained to me how they correlated and if there was ever a possibility that they could co-exist harmoniously. After having left my high school and after going to college and experiencing the beliefs of other religions as well as pursing biology as my degree I’ve come to my own crazy conclusion.
There’s already conflicting ideologies on whether or not the Bible can be interpreted literally or if parts of it could be metaphorical. Did God really create the Earth in 6 24-hour days? I take the contextualists approach and believe that this is more of a story meant to be a metaphor. After all, “days” were different when this section of the Bible was written. If “days” are different, why can’t years be? Did Abraham really live 600 years as we know it? I think that these stories are metaphors and it may be very possible that God did create the Earth in “6 days with 1 day of rest” but not as we know it. Why can’t those 6 days refer to the entire evolutionary time period from the creation of the Earth to the day we are no longer here? It just doesn’t make any sense for religions to completely dispute scientific evidence without addressing it or even admitting to the possibility of co-existence. Afterall, no one REALLY knows, so who’s to say who’s right or wrong?
hpetersen · November 8, 2009 at 8:06 pm
First, let me get out of the way that I consider myself to be religous. That being said, I still think that the teaching of evolution has a place in the classroom. Darwin was a very significant character in world history, and his theories have had a significant impact on the formation of our modern society and our scientific thought. Whether or not people choose to agree with what he had to say is up to them, but they should be given the information to base their decision on. For example, in other subjects, like history or even other apsects of science, we’re taught about people who’s ideas had an impact, regardless of whether their ideas were proven right or wrong later on. Some of the most important people that we learn about were wrong about many parts of their theories, but their ideas had an effect on people that produced the foundation for someone to come along and correct them. (I don’t mean to imply that Darwin’s theories are right or wrong either; as far as I’m concerned, no one can say conclusively either way, and I’m sure not going to try)
However, I do think that Darwin’s theories should be taught as just that-theories. My high school taught them as fact without regard to other explanations. I know that it gets tough to deal with when you bring religion into schools, and i don’t advocate teaching creationism necessarily, but students should be taught that they are only theories and that many people choose not to accept them on the basis of religious ideas or the lack of proof. In this process, they should be careful not to discredit people who aren’t convinced.
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