Teachers Back Away From Evolution In Class 947
RedEaredSlider writes "A study (abstract) from Penn State shows that a lot of teachers — some 60 percent — are reluctant to teach evolutionary theory in the classroom either because they fear controversy or they just aren't comfortable with the material (as not every biology teacher was a science major). It shows the importance, the authors say, of training teachers well before they step into the class."
Re:USA != World (Score:3, Informative)
Well, looking at what is today so far...
1 Story about OpenSrouce (not really US-Centric)
A story about Egypt
A story about conficker (has a worldwide scope)
A Japanese company updating firmware
Russian Media comments on a russian terrorist attack
A site with an Australian link about messaging aliens
A streaming site comparing ISP speeds in US and Canada
A comment about the latest product from a Japanese company
Facebook used as evidence in US Courts
Not very US centric is it?
Summary wrong, not so bleak (Score:3, Informative)
Unsurprisingly, the summary is wrong. 28% actively teach evolution as if it is a correct theory, 60% teach both evolution and ID and do not make claims as to their validity. The last 12% actually only teach creationism. All of this survey was done with biology highschool teachers.
Re:Summary wrong, not so bleak (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Science is being bullied (Score:5, Informative)
Re:America has jumped the shark (Score:5, Informative)
If even the teachers aren't educated enough to understand this - what hope is there for the rest.
That's not what TFA really says. TFS is somewhat misleading. Teachers aren't unprepared, they're uncomfortable. And while it doesn't say exactly why they're uncomfortable, I'd wager they're more afraid of one set of parents than the other.
Re:Show us the evidence of evolution! (Score:5, Informative)
When chicken embryos first start to develop they have teeth buds along their jaw lines and the beginnings of multi segmented tails. As they develop their DNA tells the developing embryo to absorb them. Much like human embryo's absorb our own embryonic gill slits. Now if you turn off the genes that control this absorption instruction you get chicken embryos that develop long multi segmented dinosaur tails and meat eating dinosaur teeth complete with the serrated inside edge.
And a few news sites discussing this:
Some of the people involved:
Re:America has jumped the shark (Score:5, Informative)
If true, a more accurate summary would be, "Teachers Embrace Evolution in the Class."
Re:Show us the evidence of evolution! (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Show us the evidence of evolution! (Score:2, Informative)
The Kitzmiller v. Dover, PA School Board trial in 2005 gave public airing to the best arguments of evolution and those of Intelligent Design. The trial was presided over by Judge John Jones, a George W. Bush appointee with conservative values. Judge Jones ruled, in a 139 page brief, that ID was merely creatism warmed over and ruled against the school board's attempt to inject ID into biology highschool classrooms. If you read some of the transcripts you really get a feel for the complete lack of scientific basis for ID. It was brought out that if you use the ID definition of "science" then astrology also passes muster and should be taught alongside astronomy. Some of the best witnesses for both sides were questioned at the trial and it makes the Scopes Trial in TN (1930's) seem boring. Here is Nova's webcast on the trial: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/intelligent-design-trial.html
Re:You won't be. (Score:3, Informative)
Much of China is ignorant people buried in a false history of ideological crap.
If you want your child to not only be buried in memorization, but instead learn to think, put them in a good American school. Do you have any clue about schools in China? or are you just carrying on your parents racist attitudes? Because all that hard work your parent put you through, and they utterly failed at teaching you how to think. Simple research would have shown you all the studies facts and tool you need to have actually come to a rational conclusion.
You're conclusion are so wrong, it's hard to even know where to begin. Not that it would matter, because you have stopped thinking.
And oh, a top school in the Soviet Union.... BWahahahaha.
You do realize that all school in the old Soviet system where always presented as the top school, right?
I was taught Math, science, computers. Pretty much all the basics one needs to know coming out of high school. That was in 1982.
My kids are being taught good math and science; however I don't need to drill them, I don't need to create a false sense of importance, I don't teach them to look down on people. They do fine.
You're whole 'argument' seems to hinge on people are claiming to be abused for studying, I'm not sure why you think that?
Yes, some teacher in some schools are idiots. No the system is perfect, and yes parents need to be involved.
But there is no reason to think there will be anyone surpassing the US. Evidences point to other countries rising to the US level of income.
Remember, China's rise to power is on the back of sweatshop slaves, and manipulation of the their third world status to avoid paying their share.
Re:Whatever (Score:4, Informative)
As far as I know, Christians wanted to stop evolution being taught in schools in the 1920s. But after the Scopes Monkey Trial public opinion changed and people turned against laws preventing the teaching of evolution. And evolution was being taught in more and more schools.
So what changed the trend of evolution being taught in more schools? What shifted public opinion against evolution being taught in schools? It was backlash against Atheists.
No, there is no backlash. These so-called New Atheists really don't exist. If they did, where would you find them? Do they picket out the front of churches like the Christians picket abortion clinics and movies that they don't like? Do they stack the church boards so they can change the church policy like the Christians stack school boards?
No, it was the establishment of the Intelligent Design movement that changed everything. Once the states were told by the supreme court that they could not ban evolution from being taught in schools for religious reasons because that was against the constitution, the anti-evolution crowd began to re-invent their movement as a secular one. After trying out some terms like Scientific Creationism (which didn't work in court because it still had the name creationism), they eventually went with Intelligent Design.
This is purely a religious movement hiding their real beliefs for legal reasons. These people who had successfully made laws to ban evolution in the past never stopped working towards their goals. It was not some mythical anti-atheist backlash that brought this controversy back. It was the tireless efforts of a group of people who were not going to let the US constitution stop them from forcing their beliefs on others.
Monkey Trial and Sputnik (Score:3, Informative)
A recent program on PBS (I think) that discussed the The State of Tennessee v. Scopes in 1925 where a teacher was prosecuted for teaching evolution. It was said after the trial (teacher was found guilty and fined $100), schools across the country continued to teach biblical creation. After the Soviets launched Sputnik in 1957, evolution was brought into school curriculum because, "we are behind the Soviets in teaching science."
As science is taking a backseat to sales, marketing, and religious dogma, I can see how evolution will be removed from school curriculum. But then those godless commie's in other countries will churn out more engineers and scientists while we bitch and moan.
That is the thing (Score:4, Informative)
In Europe, this ain't even an issue. Evolution isn't taught in school, it is fact. School explains the fact same as school explains gravity. You have to be educated that gravity exists, just how it actually works.
That evolution is even up for debate shows a LOT about the USA. There shouldn't even be a debate. You don't debate facts. And if you claim evolution is not a fact... happy beard in the sky day.
Re:Not a science major? (Score:3, Informative)
On a personal note: My wife earned 22K as a new teacher in her first job. Average starting salary for a new professor like me--33K. Needless to say, we both bailed on teaching. I realize one data point does not make a statistic. Nationwide, teachers tend to burn out or make the same decision at around 5 years in. This actually is another disturbing trend in education. We can't seem to keep teachers. Why would that be, if their benefits and vacation time are irrationally good or high, per your argument?
Part of this may be in part due to most teachers working under a 9 month contract with little economic opportunity for the other 3 months. Yes--you can score papers for testing companies thanks to NCLB/RTTT or get a minimum wage job, but does that really make up for the lost potential? Teacher attrition rates would seem to indicate that it is not so.
On your other point that teacher benefits are much greater than those of professionals in other occupations, I would have to agree if this were 20-30 years ago. When I was growing up, we never had to worry about going to the doctor and my parents seem to have done fine for retirement. That said, the current state of affairs is not as nice. In one of my wife's teaching positions, her school had to bargain for healthcare and benefits individually rather than as a state collective (as in other states). In a small school with some aging teachers this didn't work out so well. We had minimal coverage and just hoped not to get sick or need a doctor. As far as retirement goes, I think you'll see that there are two outcomes that seem to have demonstrated themselves over the last 10-15 years. They are: 1) the privatization of teacher pensions/retirement options--subject to the same crash as any other occupation so no real incentive there, and 2) the reduction in or state de-funding of pension/retirement plans due to other budgetary needs/issues.
Claiming that teachers receive disproportionate benefits and vacation time is does not seem to hold true. Otherwise, I should think you would see a trend toward a much higher teacher retention rate as well as a boom in the number of students of teacher preparation programs. Having worked in a university in a state which produced a surplus of teachers, as well as working closely with departments of education, I can tell you from experience that neither one of these are occurring.
Re:That is the thing (Score:4, Informative)
In Europe, this ain't even an issue. Evolution isn't taught in school,
Not true: when I went to school (England in the 1970's) evolution was taught. Competing theories such as larmarkism and the bible story where given as alternatives and we were then shown that the evidence (experiments, observation, ....) supported evolution through natural selection. That was done the right way.