Teaching Evolution as a Cultural Anthropologist: Student Perceptions of Evolution at Western State College

Sikkink, Lynn

doi:10.1111/j.1939-3466.2009.00007.x

Cited by 3 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 2 publications

(2 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Such an acknowledgment may reinforce students' trust in science educators, increasing their willingness and motivation to learn about scientific topics they view as controversial or cause for conflict [18,19]. Moreover, explicit discussions about the tension between science and religion, particularly in the context of evolution, may help students bridge the apparent gap between religious and scientific perceptions, thus reducing their resistance to learning about evolution [7,[20][21][22]. Sikkink [22] emphasized that discussing evolution with students in relation to their religious beliefs can make them realize that accepting evolution does not require them to renounce their faith.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Let’s Talk about It”—Explicit Discussions as a Way to Reduce the Resistance of Religious Jewish Science Teachers to Learning and Teaching about Evolution: A Case Study

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Acknowledging the diverse perceptions about science–religion relationships among learners who come from various religious environments may increase learners’ willingness to learn about evolution. This study is based on a zoology course designed for in-service teachers, which aimed to provide basic scientific knowledge about evolution using the Religious Cultural Competence in Evolution Education framework. The study explores whether learners who were resistant to evolution modify their attitudes and willingness to learn about it, and whether they develop respect toward learners who hold contradicting views. Using qualitative methods, the findings indicate that using the Religious Cultural Competence in Evolution Education framework increased some formerly “resistant” learners’ willingness to learn about evolution and include it in their own teaching, albeit in varying degrees and with various reservations. The learners appreciated the freedom to express their challenges concerning evolution learning or teaching and became more willing to respect opposing perspectives, even though not all the religious learners accepted evolution as an explanation for the development of organisms. This study has international implications for bridging the gap between science and religion, thus reducing resistance to learning and teaching about evolution.

show abstract

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Let’s Talk about It”—Explicit Discussions as a Way to Reduce the Resistance of Religious Jewish Science Teachers to Learning and Teaching about Evolution: A Case Study

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Such an acknowledgment may reinforce students' trust in science educators, increasing their willingness and motivation to learn about scientific topics they view as controversial or cause for conflict (Meadows et al, 2000;Cannard, 2005). Moreover, explicit discussions about the tension between science and religion, particularly in the context of evolution, may help students bridge the apparent gap between religious and scientific perceptions, thus reducing their resistance to learning about evolution (Baker 2013;BouJaoude et al, 2011;Hokayem & BouJaoude, 2008;Sikkink, 2009). Sikkink (2009) emphasized that discussing evolution with students in relation to their religious beliefs can make them realize that accepting evolution does not require them to renounce their faith.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, explicit discussions about the tension between science and religion, particularly in the context of evolution, may help students bridge the apparent gap between religious and scientific perceptions, thus reducing their resistance to learning about evolution (Baker 2013;BouJaoude et al, 2011;Hokayem & BouJaoude, 2008;Sikkink, 2009). Sikkink (2009) emphasized that discussing evolution with students in relation to their religious beliefs can make them realize that accepting evolution does not require them to renounce their faith. Furthermore, classroom discussions may give students the opportunity to confront their own perceptions of conflict between science and religion with those of their peers, thus eventually expanding their own views and making it less difficult for them to accept the scientific explanation of the development of life (Downie & Barron, 2000).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Before we present the study and its main outcomes, two points must be made clear: First, the resistance to the theory of evolution is not specific to orthodox Jews. According to some surveys, the intelligent design and creationist approaches appear to be quite popular, especially in relation to the origins of humankind, even in Western countries, where there is a legal separation between church and state (IPSOS MORI, 2006;Dawkins, 2009;Sikkink, 2009;Pew, 2013;Gallup, 2017). However, European surveys (e.g., Eurobarometer, 2005) found that in 31 out of 32 participating countries, at least 50% of respondents agreed with the statement: "Human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals."…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

"Let’s Talk About It"‒ Explicit Discussions as a Way to Reduce the Resistance of Religious Science Teachers to Learning and Teaching About Evolution: A Case Study

Alkaher¹,

Shmueli²,

Dreyfus³

2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Acknowledging the diverse perceptions about science-religion relationships among learners who come from various religious environments may increase learners’ willingness to learn about evolution. This study is based on a zoology course designed for in-service teachers, which aimed to provide basic scientific knowledge about evolution using the Religious Cultural Competence in Evolution Education framework. The study explores whether learners who were resistant to evolution modify their attitudes and willingness to learn about it, and whether they develop respect toward learners who hold contradicting views. Using qualitative methods, the findings indicate that using the Religious Cultural Competence in Evolution Education framework increased some formerly "resistant" learners’ willingness to learn about evolution and include it in their own teaching, albeit in varying degrees and with various reservations. The learners appreciated the freedom to express their challenges concerning evolution learning or teaching and became more willing to respect opposing perspectives, even though not all the religious learners accepted evolution as an explanation for the development of organisms. This study has international implications for bridging the gap between science and religion, thus reducing resistance to learning and teaching about evolution.

show abstract

“…The attitudes toward evolution questionnaire was created by the authors, in addition to using select items from previously existing scales designed to assess knowledge about evolutionary theory and resistance toward it (Shtulman 2006;Sikkink 2009). The questionnaire includes four subscales measuring broader constructs: interest/knowledge (four items, α=.589), perceived applicability (four items, α=.659), religious ideation (four items, α=.521), and access to evolution (six items, α=.763).…”

Section: Attitudes Toward Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Stagnancy of Family Studies in Modern Academia: Resistances Toward the Integration of Evolutionary Theory

King

Baca

2011

Evo Edu Outreach

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The theory of natural selection has been vital in unifying the biological sciences and their research with a single testable metatheory. Despite a plethora of research supporting natural selection, teaching the theory of evolution remains controversial in high schools and higher education (Wilson et al. 2009;Scott 1997). In this article, we sample the attitudes toward evolution of 170 faculty and graduate and undergraduate students in family studies and human development programs from across the United States to determine whether resistances toward evolution remain and to describe the correlates of these resistances. Results reveal that an individual's prosocial meliorist attitudes, religious ideation, and his or her reported interest in and knowledge of evolution all uniquely contribute to whether they report evolutionary theory as being applicable to their area of research interests. We discuss the relevance of including evolutionary theory within family studies and human development research programs and make suggestions for how to implement an evolutionary studies program (Wilson et al. 2009).

show abstract

Teaching Evolution as a Cultural Anthropologist: Student Perceptions of Evolution at Western State College

Cited by 3 publications

References 2 publications

“Let’s Talk about It”—Explicit Discussions as a Way to Reduce the Resistance of Religious Jewish Science Teachers to Learning and Teaching about Evolution: A Case Study

“Let’s Talk about It”—Explicit Discussions as a Way to Reduce the Resistance of Religious Jewish Science Teachers to Learning and Teaching about Evolution: A Case Study

"Let’s Talk About It"‒ Explicit Discussions as a Way to Reduce the Resistance of Religious Science Teachers to Learning and Teaching About Evolution: A Case Study

The Stagnancy of Family Studies in Modern Academia: Resistances Toward the Integration of Evolutionary Theory

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About