Main Topic: Public opinion and educational practices regarding the teaching of creation and evolution in American schools.
Public Opinion on Teaching Origins
Majority Opinion: About 90% of Americans believe in some form of creationism.
Educational Context:
15% of high school teachers teach both creation and evolution.
A significant number of teachers and scientists (around 10,000 scientists, including more than 4,000 life scientists) reject both macroevolution and theistic evolution.
Evolutionary naturalism is the dominant view taught in schools, despite public opinion favoring a two-model approach.
Historical Context
Evolution's Acceptance: Gained traction among scientists in the late 1800s.
Educational Trends: Few schools taught evolution until after the 1930s.
Survey Findings
Gallup Polls
1972 Poll: 91% of Americans identified as creationists; 44% believed in a literal creation as per the Bible.
1993 Follow-Up: 82% believed in some form of creationism, a drop from previous polls.
Other Polls
Secular Humanism Poll (1996):
90.7% identified with a specific religion.
46.4% disagreed with evolution as the best explanation for human existence.
University Studies: High percentages of students at BYU and other colleges support creationism.
Teacher and Scientist Surveys
Teacher Beliefs:
20-33% of science teachers believe and teach creationism.
Surveys indicate a significant number of high school biology teachers include creationism in their curriculum.
Scientific Community:
5% of scientists believe in a young Earth creationist perspective.
Many biology professors at Bible colleges teach both views.
Educational Implications
Textbook Content: Evolution is predominantly covered, with limited discussion of creationism.
Legal and Educational Stance: Schools often avoid teaching creationism due to legal interpretations of church-state separation.
Impact on Students: Younger generations are less religious, possibly due to educational bias against religious beliefs.
Challenges and Recommendations
Public Support: Most Americans and many educators support teaching both creationism and evolution.
Educational Bias: Calls for a balanced, two-model educational approach.
Religious Influence: Educational institutions often diminish religious beliefs; there's a need for neutrality and balance.
Conclusion
Public Preference vs. Educational Practice: There is a significant gap between public preference for teaching both models and current educational practices focused on evolution.
Future Considerations: Addressing educational bias and accommodating diverse viewpoints in school curricula could reconcile public opinion with educational practices.