I Won't Teach Evolution; It's against My Religion. And Now for the Rest of the Story...

Abstract

"I won t teach evolution, I don't believe in it; besides it is only a theory, and it is against my religion." Do straightforward refutations of the foundation of biology and the accompanying rationale like this one explain all of the factors related to some biology teachers' refusal to teach evolution? Apparently not, for research presented here suggests that many teachers do not teach evolution because of their strong religious convictions. However, these teachers' strong religious convictions are directly correlated to their lack of understanding of the nature of science, as well as their lack of understanding of evolutionary theory. The remainder of this article will detail critical background information, research methodology, data analysis, and conclusions related to the following research questions:Research Question 1. Are there significant cor- relations between teachers who claim that they reject evolution based upon their religious beliefs and the same teachers’ understanding of the nature of science and their understanding of the theory of evolution? Research Question 2. Do teachers with a strong understanding of the theory of evolution and the nature of science accept evolution even if they hold strong religious beliefs?