Biology Professors’ and Teachers’ Positions Regarding Biological Evolution and Evolution Education in a Middle Eastern Society
2010; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 33; Issue: 7 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/09500693.2010.489124
ISSN1464-5289
AutoresSaouma BouJaoude, Anila Asghar, Jason R. Wiles, Lama Z. Jaber, Diana Sarieddine, Brian Alters,
Tópico(s)Animal and Plant Science Education
ResumoAbstract This study investigated three questions: (1) What are Lebanese secondary school (Grade 9–12) biology teachers' and university biology professors' positions regarding biological evolution?, (2) How do participants' religious affiliations relate to their positions about evolutionary science?, and (3) What are participants' positions regarding evolution education? Participants were 20 secondary school biology teachers and seven university biology professors. Seventy percent of the teachers and 60% of the professors were Muslim. Data came from semi‐structured interviews with participants. Results showed that nine (Christian or Muslim Druze) teachers accepted the theory, five (four Muslim) rejected it because it contradicted religious beliefs, and three (Muslim) reinterpreted it because evolution did not include humans. Teachers who rejected or reinterpreted the evolutionary theory said that it should not be taught (three), evolution and creationism should be given equal time (two), or students should be allowed to take their own stand. Two professors indicated that they taught evolution explicitly and five said that they integrated it in other biology content. One Muslim professor said that she stressed 'the role of God in creation during instruction on evolution'. It seems that years of studying and teaching biology have not had a transformative effect on how a number of teachers and professors think about evolution. Keywords: Alternative conceptionBiology educationQualitative researchReligion Notes 1. http://www.nsta.org/pdfs/PositionStatement_Evolution.pdf 2. This study was funded by a grant from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada and the Evolution Education Research Centre (EERC), McGill University, Canada. 3. According to Makarem (Citation1974), the Druzes belong to an esoteric Islamic sect based on a philosophical background that appeared at the beginning of the eleventh century. It differs in many respects from traditional Islam and remains inaccessible to many of its adherents. 4. Sunni and Shiite Muslims share the main articles of Islamic belief, especially the five pillars of Islam which are: testimony of faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage. The differences between these two main sub‐groups within Islam initially stemmed from political rather than spiritual differences. According to Hasan (Citation2010), 'Shias [Shiites] and Sunnis are indeed united on core beliefs—in God, the Prophet Muhammad, the Qur'an—but there remain major doctrinal, jurisprudential and political differences between the two sects' (p. 31). 5. For a complete description of positions along the creation/evolution continuum, see Scott (Citation2009) pp. 63–73, http://ncse.com/creationism/general/creationevolution-continuum. 6. This is a perennial creationist canard. For a collection of articles explaining that evolution does not violate the laws of thermodynamics, see http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/thermo.html
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