Exploring the Relationship between Science, Religion & Attitudes toward Evolution Education

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  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      University of California Press. 2000 Center Street Suite 303, Berkeley, CA 94704. Tel: 510-643-7154; Fax: 510-642-9917; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.ucpressjournals.com/journal.php?j=abt
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      7
    • Education Level:
      Higher Education
      Postsecondary Education
      Junior High Schools
      Middle Schools
      Secondary Education
      High Schools
    • Subject Terms:
      Evolution; Religion; Faculty Development; Science Instruction; Science Teachers; Inquiry; Teaching Methods; College Faculty; Controversial Issues (Course Content); Junior High School Teachers; High School Teachers; Christianity; Workshops; Conflict Resolution; Misconceptions; Theological Education; Program Effectiveness; Self Efficacy; Teacher Attitudes
    • Subject Terms:
      Utah
    • Accession Number:
      10.1525/abt.2022.84.2.75
    • ISSN:
      0002-7685
    • Abstract:
      While some have argued that abandoning religious belief is the only way to help religious individuals accept evolution, we strongly contend that highlighting faith-evolution compatibility is much more effective. This article describes a professional development event for science teachers and religious educators highlighting ways to teach human evolution using a science inquiry approach coupled with methods for helping students reconcile science and religion. Since many science teachers in our population face a highly religious student body, are religious themselves, and have religious education integrated into the school system, we asked them to invite the religious educators (i.e., seminary teachers) at their schools to join them at the event. In addition, a group of religious educator faculty members from the local university joined the event. We collected data both before and after intervention. Results showed that the event strengthened understanding of the intersection between evolution and religion for this particular faith group, decreased feelings of conflict in participants themselves, and increased their confidence and comfort level in offering reconciliation to students and designing lesson plans that include human examples of evolution. Differential impacts on each group of participants are discussed in terms of what we can apply to efforts like this going forward.
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Publication Date:
      2022
    • Accession Number:
      EJ1333362