Creationism In US High Schools: 16 Percent Of US Science Teachers Are Creationists

ABC News reports on the findings of a study that concluded 16% of U.S. science teachers are Creationists, and that, disturbingly, one in eight are teaching creationism as a valid science:

Despite a court-ordered ban on the teaching of creationism in U.S. schools, about one in eight high-school biology teachers still teach it as valid science, a survey reveals. And, although almost all teachers also taught evolution, those with less training in science -- and especially evolutionary biology -- tend to devote less class time to Darwinian principles...

...The researchers polled a random sample of nearly 2,000 high-school science teachers across the U.S. in 2007. Of the 939 who responded, 2 percent said they did not cover evolution at all, with the majority spending between 3 and 10 classroom hours on the subject.

However, a quarter of the teachers also reported spending at least some time teaching about creationism or intelligent design. Of these, 48 percent -- about 12.5 percent of the total survey -- said they taught it as a "valid, scientific alternative to Darwinian explanations for the origin of species".

Related: Ben Stein: Front Man for Creationism's Manufactroversy

Comments

[CocteausTwin]

And only 50% - 75% of students graduate from most school districts. Connection maybe?

[hmmmmmer]

As a science teacher I have such a hard problem with people not looking to the historic data and teaching just the facts, or presenting the accumulation of finds in the form of theory. There is no place for the Creationist theory in the classroom. Can it be part of the discussion, yes, but to present it, as the way things are, is just way too bizarre. Fossil records may not be complete, but only an individual not wanting to learn wouldn't be able to understand that the world is very old, older than 10,000 years and that we are still evolving today. The percentage that is shown here is very scary, I just wish America would wake up to the fact that we are being hijacked by an ideology that is bent way out of the realm of reality. Does that mean you can't believe in God and the probability he could have instilled a soul in man? I hope not, but to each their own beliefs and don't try to pound your beliefs into a group of kids needing to know what is actually going on in the world.

[UnbiasView]

I still am interested in an explaination how life actually started.

[BlueOnBlue]

Most teachers are intelligent and responsible, but we don't pay teachers enough to attract out best and brightest. Teaching should be valued at the same level as the law and it should be just as hard to get into a university on a teaching track as for a law degree..

The result of the low valuation we've placed on teaching leads to science teachers who don't understand science, as well as the production of students who grow up believing any science is "just a theory," or must conform to the tenets of their faith.

We are becoming one of the dumbest countries on the planet.

[Tator]

"Most teachers are intelligent and responsible,"

Then you don't know much about current teaching graduates. Most go into teaching AFTER they have flunked out of another major.

Go find 100 teachers and ask them what was there first choice as a major only about 5 will say they started out to be a teacher. Same applies to most PhDs in academia. They stayed in academia because they were at the bottom of performance in a their field and no private sector business would hire them.

[holyhandgrenaid]

Private business don't hire PhD's because they lack practical experience, not because they're not very talented. In order to get into a PhD program you have to be very intelligent and talented. Perhaps some fields (Business and engineering come to mind) your point is the case, but in the cognate sciences at least, only the best and brightest are PhD's

[MikeDu]

Most teachers are intelligent and responsible"

This me reminds me of an old joke, I wish i could recall which comic said it. If you trust the quality of our education system that can only mean you've never slept with a college girl who's majoring in primary education.

[KMKY]

This is an outrageous generalization of both primary and secondary educators and university faculty. You do not get into a graduate program by being "at the bottom" of anything. And primary and secondary teachers are beholden to administrators who often have their hands tied by school board members who have no pedagogical training.

[skahimself]

Exactly.

I am in my mid-20's and would have gladly (and still would) pursue a teaching degree. But it's a ridiculous pursuit when I can earn 2-3x as much as a first year teacher in my current line of work. Let's face facts: I have bills to pay and, like most people in my situation, I am going to go where the money is - and it sure as fuck isn't in the teaching feild!

Does this make me selfish or greedy? No. It makes me practical. And I suspect my reasons are the same reasons many would-be teachers decide not to enter the feild. Oh, that and the horrible schools, inatentive parents, castrating regulations, and so on and so forth ...

I'm personally of the opinion that cops, teachers, and firefighters should be some of the better paid professions in this country and I would support the increased local/state taxes to make it happen. Public service is honorable and noble - it shouldn't be a financial sacrifice to want to serve your community. But thats just me ...

[steve12]

Teaching is not a profession that will ever demand the highest salaries, which is also true of most public sector jobs. They need to be paid more, but money is not the reason that most teachers go into the profession nor should it be.

[Jeff1958]

Steve12 said, "Money is not the reason that most teachers go into the profession."

Money is the reason many people do not go into the profession.

[arvay]

A very strong argument for national teacher qualification standards and a national curriculum. Science is not a matter for democracy, any more than medical licenses are or should be. People who want to impose creationist ignorance on their children should avail themselves of home schooling.

[hellothere]

OMG -- have we really become a nation of idiots?
When I read this, I'm just glad my children are grown. Both have chosen careers in science not superstition and mythology. Thank goodness they know the difference and had teachers who knew the difference.
Of course I do not think a belief in God and evolution are mutually exclusive. I believe that evolution may just be the tool utilized to create life as we know it. But that discussion does not belong in science class.

[UnbiasView]

Honestly, don't get bent out of shape on things like this. The public schools are such a mess that this is problem so far down the list it doesn't even matter.

I believe in evolution but am still waiting for how life was created on this planet.

[gwhizz]

16% of US science teachers need to be fired. Or, reassigned to Comp. Rel.

[oldtree]

This is the most disgusting thing I have seen yet. Can you imagine our education system trying to make people more ignorant than they were coming in?
yes, I imagine it is mandated by bushlaw.

If you find out a science teacher is teaching creationism, help have them fired, do the future a favor.

[VOTER]

Agree.