Title: The Battle to Teach Evolution in Public Schools Is Far From Over
Headings: The Battle to Teach Evolution in Public Schools Is Far From Over
The Battle to Teach Evolution in Public Schools Is Far From Over
It's 2017, and this is still an issue.
The Monkey Law
Evolution Alternatives
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Content: Still, a report from 2007 indicated that 1 in 8 public high school biology teachers presented creationism as being scientifically credible, and 6 in 10 were teaching evolution in a way that misrepresented its scientific soundness. The misrepresentation of any scientific concept, evolution included, does not adequately prepare students for post-secondary education, careers in STEM fields, or their lives in a world that’s being constantly innovated through scientific and technological advancements. In the NSTA’s view, “twisting and abusing core pedagogical principles, such as critical thinking and scientific inquiry, is another strategy designed to open science classroom doors to non-science.” Since the debate began, the “non-science” referred to here has been religion — specifically the teachings of the Bible. In the U.S., the majority of the pushback against evolution being taught in public schools has been driven by major Evangelical Protestant, Jehovah’s Witness, and Mormon churches. Contrary to popular belief, the Catholic Church does not reject evolution , and according to Pew Research, 31 percent of Catholics believe in evolution. Advertisement
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The power of the pushback which began nearly one hundred years ago is still being felt by public school educators: in 2007, 1 in 5 U.S. high school science teachers reported experiencing community backlash for teaching evolution. Having examined the statistics, it may be that scientists have to do more than convince the American public to accept evolution; they must communicate to them that they believe in it themselves.