Evolution, scientific methods, and reason are losing in America's classrooms

[Skwim]

"High School Biology Teachers in U.S. Reluctant to Endorse Evolution in Class, Study Finds

The majority of public high school biology teachers in the U.S. are not strong classroom advocates of evolutionary biology, despite 40 years of court cases that have ruled teaching creationism or intelligent design violates the Constitution, according to Penn State political scientists. A mandatory undergraduate course in evolutionary biology for prospective teachers, and frequent refresher courses for current teachers, may be part of the solution, they say.

"Considerable research suggests that supporters of evolution, scientific methods, and reason itself are losing battles in America's classrooms," write Michael Berkman and Eric Plutzer, professors of political science at Penn State, in the January 28 issue of Science.

The researchers examined data from the National Survey of High School Biology Teachers, a representative sample of 926 public high school biology instructors. They found only about 28 percent of those teachers consistently implement National Research Council recommendations calling for introduction of evidence that evolution occurred, and craft lesson plans with evolution as a unifying theme linking disparate topics in biology.

In contrast, Berkman and Plutzer found that about 13 percent of biology teachers "explicitly advocate creationism or intelligent design by spending at least one hour of class time presenting it in a positive light." Many of these teachers typically rejected the possibility that scientific methods can shed light on the origin of the species, and considered both evolution and creationism as belief systems that cannot be fully proven or discredited.'

source and more
​

And all the time I thought we were making progress.

 

[ninerbuff]

That's sad to hear. It's no wonder that we're falling behind the rest of the world.

 

[bobhikes]

Cool!

You made my day.:clap

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Yes, afraid it's true. I went to school in Louisiana and none of my teachers ever even mentioned evolution. I didn't learn about it until I moved to Michigan in 10th grade.

 

[godisNOTgreat]

I agree, we are falling behind, 21st century, people need to stop believing in 2000 year old fairytaes. Most of europe is made up of atheists now, time for the U.S to step up.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Atheism and Theism has nothing to do with it. Europe has a lot of Theists too, and most of them don't oppose evolution.

Newsflash: Not all Theists are like fundie Christians.

 

[astarath]

This is neither here nor there. The majority of people in my Church homeschool have kids who graduate from highschool at 14 and are done their college degree at 18. There are way more issue with how people are teaching in America then what they are teaching.

 

[LuisDantas]

It is certainly grave that what amounts to denial of well-established facts is treated with so much condescendence in classrooms.

 

[astarath]

Waiting for Superman is an eye opener as far as some of the tragedy in the antiquated education system in America.

 

[godisNOTgreat]

It is certainly grave that what amounts to denial of well-established facts is treated with so much condescendence in classrooms.

exactly, people still call evolution a theory. its fact, we are cousins of apes and chimpanseis.

 

[Alceste]

Wow, that explains a lot.

 

[bobhikes]

Being serious now. Since evolution is true science it should stand on its own legs. Just because creationism is taught doesn't mean it has to be believed. Kids are taught a lot of things and choose what they want to believe. Most atheist's started as religious people.

Knowing what is wrong is sometimes better than knowing what is right.

 

[astarath]

Being serious now. Since evolution is true science it should stand on its own legs. Just because creationism is taught doesn't mean it has to be believed. Kids are taught a lot of things and choose what they want to believe. Most atheist's started as religious people.

Knowing what is wrong is sometimes better than knowing what is right.

I would agree but oddly from the other side of the spectrum.

 

[Skwim]

Being serious now. Since evolution is true science it should stand on its own legs. Just because creationism is taught doesn't mean it has to be believed. Kids are taught a lot of things and choose what they want to believe. Most atheist's started as religious people.

Knowing what is wrong is sometimes better than knowing what is right.

Problem is---well, one of the problems anyway---when creationism is taught evolution isn't.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Evolution doesn't have to encourage Atheism. It should be taught in a neutral way, and it should be explained that evolution doesn't prove or disprove god.

 

[Alceste]

Being serious now. Since evolution is true science it should stand on its own legs. Just because creationism is taught doesn't mean it has to be believed. Kids are taught a lot of things and choose what they want to believe. Most atheist's started as religious people.

Knowing what is wrong is sometimes better than knowing what is right.

Not teaching evolution doesn't necessarily entail teaching creationism. It could mean just letting students graduate from high school in complete ignorance as to the entire subject of biology, in order not to cause any trouble with the local religious lobby.

From the threads I've read in the Evolution vs. Creation section, I'm inclined to think this is what is occurring.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Sorry, but I think evolution should be taught, and creationism shouldn't be taught, unless you're going to teach the Hindu, Muslim, Pagan, etc. versions too.

 

[Alceste]

Ah:

Berkman and Plutzer dubbed the remaining teachers the "cautious 60 percent," who are neither strong advocates for evolutionary biology nor explicit endorsers of nonscientific alternatives. "Our data show that these teachers understandably want to avoid controversy," they said.

The researchers found these teachers commonly use one or more of three strategies to avoid controversy. Some teach evolutionary biology as if it applies only to molecular biology, ignoring an opportunity to impart a rich understanding of the diversity of species and evidence that one species gives rise to others.

Using a second strategy, some teachers rationalize the teaching of evolution by referring to high-stakes examinations. These teachers "tell students it does not matter if they really 'believe' in evolution, so long as they know it for the test," Berkman and Plutzer said.

Finally, many teachers expose their students to all positions, scientific and otherwise, and let them make up their own minds.
This is unfortunate, the researchers said, because "this approach tells students that well established concepts can be debated in the same way we debate personal opinions."

Berkman and Plutzer conclude that "the cautious 60 percent fail to explain the nature of scientific inquiry, undermine the authority of established experts, and legitimize creationist arguments." As a result, "they may play a far more important role in hindering scientific literacy in the United States than the smaller number of explicit creationists."

There we go.

 

[bobhikes]

Not teaching evolution doesn't necessarily entail teaching creationism. It could mean just letting students graduate from high school in complete ignorance as to the entire subject of biology, in order not to cause any trouble with the local religious lobby.

From the threads I've read in the Evolution vs. Creation section, I'm inclined to think this is what is occurring.

To be honest I had biology and advanced biology in High school and I may remember evolution being metioned. It wasn't until college that we actually went over it in any detail. I do not remember creationism at all. I only found out about creationism and ID here at RF. It doesn't come up in my area of life.

 

[Archer]

"High School Biology Teachers in U.S. Reluctant to Endorse Evolution in Class, Study Finds

The majority of public high school biology teachers in the U.S. are not strong classroom advocates of evolutionary biology, despite 40 years of court cases that have ruled teaching creationism or intelligent design violates the Constitution, according to Penn State political scientists. A mandatory undergraduate course in evolutionary biology for prospective teachers, and frequent refresher courses for current teachers, may be part of the solution, they say.

"Considerable research suggests that supporters of evolution, scientific methods, and reason itself are losing battles in America's classrooms," write Michael Berkman and Eric Plutzer, professors of political science at Penn State, in the January 28 issue of Science.

The researchers examined data from the National Survey of High School Biology Teachers, a representative sample of 926 public high school biology instructors. They found only about 28 percent of those teachers consistently implement National Research Council recommendations calling for introduction of evidence that evolution occurred, and craft lesson plans with evolution as a unifying theme linking disparate topics in biology.

In contrast, Berkman and Plutzer found that about 13 percent of biology teachers "explicitly advocate creationism or intelligent design by spending at least one hour of class time presenting it in a positive light." Many of these teachers typically rejected the possibility that scientific methods can shed light on the origin of the species, and considered both evolution and creationism as belief systems that cannot be fully proven or discredited.'

source and more
​

And all the time I thought we were making progress.

Hey I don't think it needs to be taught in schools other than a basic overview. I also think there is a lot in public school that is not needed and much that was taught that needs to come back.

I have my daughter enrolled with the Pensacola Christian Home School program. She has learned nothing counter to science except that one book was written before Pluto became a non planet

The issue in teaching evolutionary biology or a lot of the other things they teach is that many of these kids can't count or even tell you what decade the civil war was in much less the whys of it.