Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Survey Indicates Science Teachers Feel Pressure to Teach Nonscientific Alternatives to Evolution

Survey Indicates Science Teachers Feel Pressure to Teach Nonscientific Alternatives to Evolution
(National Science Teachers Association)
“A teacher’s job is to foster a deep understanding of science in students and help them better understand the natural world around us. But something is not right when science educators feel pressure to teach a variety of religious or nonscience viewpoints. It’s not fair to our students to give them anything less than good science,” said Gerry Wheeler, NSTA Executive Director. NSTA also gauged educators’ ability to discuss the issue with parents and other community members. When asked if they feel well prepared to explain the reasons why it is important for students to understand evolution, a strong 85% said they did, with only 11% indicating they did not. When asked how successful they have been at helping parents and others understand the reasons why it is important for students to understand evolution, more than 62% said they were successful, with only 5% indicating they were not.

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