Creation Moment 6/7/2016 - Teachers Squeamish About Evolution

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season;

2 Timothy 4:2

 

"It may be the only game in town, but evolution-only education isn’t turning biology professors into cheerleaders for Darwin.

My job is to give you the facts about the theory of evolution, not make you believe it. That’s a

predominant attitude among college biology professors in Arizona, according to a study announced by PhysOrg.

In a first-of-its kind study, scientists from ASU [Arizona State University] School of Life Sciences have found that a majority of professors teaching biology in Arizona universities do not believe that helping students accept the theory of evolution is an instructional goal. In fact, a majority of study participants say their only goal is to help students understand evolution.

 

The findings surprised Sara Brownell, a researcher of science education, who led the study. Her position is that evolution needs to be accepted as well as understood.

“Evolution is one of the key concepts in understanding biology,” said Sara Brownell, senior author of the study and assistant professor with the school. “My own view is, ‘Why would we want to teach evolution, if we don’t want our students to accept it? We teach them that cells have membranes and we expect them to accept that. Why should evolution be any different?’ Yet instructors in our study don’t see it that way. For most of them, evolution is separated—first, in understanding and second, in accepting the concept.”

 

The article suggests that the professors are hesitant about pushing acceptance of evolution because of students’ religious beliefs. Over 50% of students describe themselves as religious, the article says. But since most mainline denominations take a theistic evolutionary position, why should that be problematic? Elizabeth Barnes, Brownell’s co-author, is mystified, too.

“While evolution is the basis of biology, evolution and religious beliefs do not have to be in conflict. Science answers questions about the natural world, about things we can test. Science does not have a test for whether God exists or had a role in planning how life unfolded.”

Yet the majority of professors perceive some kind of barrier exists between science and religion. They worry that sounding pushy that evolution must be accepted because it is true would upset the students. Are they misinformed? Or do they know things by experience that the study authors don’t? Barnes and Brownell want to expand this study to the nation at large." CEH