Only 28% of biology teachers teach evolution unequivocally

[Cain]

Sad, but true

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/science/08creationism.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Researchers found that only 28 percent of biology teachers consistently follow the recommendations of the National Research Council to describe straightforwardly the evidence for evolution and explain the ways in which it is a unifying theme in all of biology. At the other extreme, 13 percent explicitly advocate creationism, and spend at least an hour of class time presenting it in a positive light.

That leaves what the authors call "the cautious 60 percent," who avoid controversy by endorsing neither evolution nor its unscientific alternatives. In various ways, they compromise.

The survey, published in the Jan. 28 issue of Science, found that some avoid intellectual commitment by explaining that they teach evolution only because state examinations require it, and that students do not need to "believe" in it. Others treat evolution as if it applied only on a molecular level, avoiding any discussion of the evolution of species. And a large number claim that students are free to choose evolution or creationism based on their own beliefs.

Seeing as how, for at least a quarter of American students biology is the only science class they will actually do, and biology is the most popular science class in the country, this is not good news at all.  It's basically the Standard Media Coward Method applied to teaching, "here's a theory, here's another theory which contradicts the first one, I wont draw any conclusions on which one is right.  We report, you decide".  No, damnit, one is factually supported and the other is bullshit.  This one is almost certainly right and the other one is definitely wrong.  The only controversy to teach is how some people are so threatened by reality they need to screech and whine whenever they are confronted by it.  End of discussion.

[Kai]

I was thinking about this yesterday evening. My adviser told me about a seminar he was going to on campus, and I said I'd pass. The reason was, the seminar was by a person who wrote a very influential book in the "evolution-creation debate" and was talking about evolution we can see in real time.

5 years ago I would have jumped at it, but these days the whole issue just pisses me off. Like you said, there is absolutely no evidence for creationism, while there is undeniable evidence for transmutation of species. People who are willing to follow the evidence already have. People who are unwilling to follow the evidence are not going to do so if more evidence is thrown at them. So I don't care for going seminars about more evidence I can tell a creationist to get them straight in the head, because they're not going to listen. I'm torn between object ridicule and completely ignoring them unless they get in my face. Either way I get pissed off.

[Pope Pixie Pickle]

I am kind of shocked to see this level of stupid. 

[P3nT4gR4m]

so this means that 72% of american students will leave school retarded?

What a fucking country! I might hate the UK but at least no one over here is dumb enough to believe in religion anymore or, if anyone actually is they at least have the sense to be embarrassed about it  

[Luna]

I've got no issue if people decide they want to be stupid.

When they inflict stupid on unsuspecting children, though, it pisses me off.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Pent, you and Cain should have a private audience with the Queen and convince her to retake the US, including all the states and territories we've picked up since independence.

[P3nT4gR4m]

No way, man, it's like chock full of retards and cleansing the touched is always kinda icky and doesn't go down so well with the voters. Plan is wait another couple of years til they get so dumb they forget how to eat and breathe and stuff and just die on their own.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

No way, man, it's like chock full of retards and cleansing the touched is always kinda icky and doesn't go down so well with the voters. Plan is wait another couple of years til they get so dumb they forget how to eat and breathe and stuff and just die on their own.

And thus survival of the fittest was proved once and for all.

[Cain]

so this means that 72% of american students will leave school retarded?

What a fucking country! I might hate the UK but at least no one over here is dumb enough to believe in religion anymore or, if anyone actually is they at least have the sense to be embarrassed about it  

Embarassed, certainly.  According to a 2006 BBC Poll, only 48% of the UK believe in evolution, and at least one in five people are convinced by creationist arguments.  And according to the popular Christianity Today website, 30% of UK students believe in some form of creationism or intelligent design.

[Dean]

When I was in science class back in middle school (isn't it funny that in middle school you could have one class for all of science) the teacher talked about evolution in a heavily air-quoted way, and my gf says that in her school this annoying kid debated the creation side of the argument the entire class period they were supposed to talk about evolution, so it never actually got talked about. Then again, my teacher was a bigot and I learned more from the one paragraph on what the "theory" in "evolution theory" means in my textbook than I did from her.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

No way, man, it's like chock full of retards and cleansing the touched is always kinda icky and doesn't go down so well with the voters. Plan is wait another couple of years til they get so dumb they forget how to eat and breathe and stuff and just die on their own.

We know that this is an experiment you Brits are running.

I've figured you crumpet-suckers out.

[Cain]

When I was in science class back in middle school (isn't it funny that in middle school you could have one class for all of science) the teacher talked about evolution in a heavily air-quoted way, and my gf says that in her school this annoying kid debated the creation side of the argument the entire class period they were supposed to talk about evolution, so it never actually got talked about. Then again, my teacher was a bigot and I learned more from the one paragraph on what the "theory" in "evolution theory" means in my textbook than I did from her.

We had exactly one kid in our class disagree with evolution.  She was something of an anomaly anyway though, as she was highly religious (even though her family were not) yet smart enough to get into Oxford (albeit, doing a non-science degree) and her parents are both teachers.

I suspect most UK creationists and intelligent designers are not from such a background.

[P3nT4gR4m]

so this means that 72% of american students will leave school retarded?

What a fucking country! I might hate the UK but at least no one over here is dumb enough to believe in religion anymore or, if anyone actually is they at least have the sense to be embarrassed about it  

Embarassed, certainly.  According to a 2006 BBC Poll, only 48% of the UK believe in evolution, and at least one in five people are convinced by creationist arguments.  And according to the popular Christianity Today website, 30% of UK students believe in some form of creationism or intelligent design.

Okay I stand corrected and, if you'll excuse me, I have to go outside now and start banging heads together until this statistic is redressed  

ETA: hold on - where did christfagstoday get their statistics? Direct from god?

[Pope Pixie Pickle]

so this means that 72% of american students will leave school retarded?

What a fucking country! I might hate the UK but at least no one over here is dumb enough to believe in religion anymore or, if anyone actually is they at least have the sense to be embarrassed about it  

Embarassed, certainly.  According to a 2006 BBC Poll, only 48% of the UK believe in evolution, and at least one in five people are convinced by creationist arguments.  And according to the popular Christianity Today website, 30% of UK students believe in some form of creationism or intelligent design.

[Lenin McCarthy]

Even here in Norway 13% believe in some sort of creationism or intelligent design. All public schools teach evolution as the truth and nothing but the truth, and in Christian private schools (1-2% of the total number of students) they just don't teach anything.