Download Accepting Evolution

Accepting Evolution
Anusuya Chinsamy and Éva Plagányi
University of Cape Town, South Africa
EVOLUTION
“Contentious”
“Troubling” “Controversial”
Challenges religious beliefs and values
Many different religions- many ideas about
how the world was created.
Farmer, P. (1979) Beginnings: Creation Myths of
the World. Atheneum, New York
Hamilton, V. (1988) In the Beginning: Creation
Stories from around the world. Harcourt, Brace,
Javanovich, San Diego.
Scientific view (i.e. involves observation, hypothesis and
Testing):
CENTRAL IDEA OF BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION:
All life on Earth shares a common ancestor
Through process of descent with modification,
the common ancestor
diversity of life
on earth.
1. Life has a history i.e. it changed over time
2. Different species share common ancestors
Charles Darwin (1809- 1882)
2009 = Darwin 200
Charles Darwin (1809 - 1882)
1831: - post as naturalist (unpaid!) on the H.M.S. Beagle
- Voyage around the world lasted about 5 years
- Collected a wide range of plants, insects,
and animals, incl. fossils. Also studied
geological formations.
Significance of Darwin’s hypothesis
1. Provides volume of evidence that evolution occurs
2. Provides a mechanism for how evolution occurs i.e.
through natural selection
3. Unifying theory for biology- explains why related
organisms are similar; explains relationship between
structure and function; leads to testable hypotheses
Resistance to the science of evolutionary biology
Driven by:
•proponents of intelligent design
• perceived incompatibilities between
evolution and a diversity of religious faiths
Evolution – only taught in schools in SA since 2009
2006 attitudes of the first year students to learning about evolution
assess their background knowledge on the subject
“before/after” survey of 1st year students in Faculty of Science
Student body
Good mix of race; gender; religions
Generally about 18 years
High achieving students
SURVEY
Right/wrong
Anonymous
Code-names
17 questions; ranked in 5 categories:
Strongly agree; Agree; Don’t know/neutral;
Disagree; Strongly disagree.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Religious-based questions concerning evolution;
Questions probing fundamental understanding of evolution concepts;
Scientific facts regarding evolution
Fallacious questions to test the quality of responses.
1 X Express a view
94 Before and After questionaires; matched code-names
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Don't
know/neutral
Disagree
Strongly
disagree
No answer
a) Religious-based
d) Quality of responses
0.90
0.30
0.80
0.25
0.70
Before
After
0.20
0.60
0.15
0.50
0.10
0.40
0.30
0.05
0.20
0.00
0.10
0.00
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Don't
Disagree
know/neutral
Don't
Disagree
know/neutral
Strongly
No answer
disagree
c) Scientific facts
Fallacious questions to test the quality of responses.
0.45
a) Religious-based
b) Understanding
0.45
Before
After
0.30
0.40
0.35
0.25
0.30
0.25
0.20
0.20
0.15
0.10
0.05
0.00
0.15
0.10
0.05
Strongly
Agree
0.00
Agree
Don't
know/neutral
Disagree
Strongly
disagree
No answer
Strongly understanding
Agree of evolution
Don'tconceptsDisagree
Questions probing fundamental
Agreed) Quality of responses
know/neutral
Agree
know/neutral
disagree
a) Religious-based
c) Scientific facts
Before
After
0.45
0.30
0.40
0.35
0.30
0.25
0.25
0.20
0.20
0.15
0.10
0.15
0.05
0.00
0.10
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Don't
know/neutral
Disagree
0.05
Scientific facts regarding evolution
Strongly
disagree
No answer
a) Religious-based
Before
After
0.30
0.25
0.20
0.15
0.10
0.05
0.00
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Don't
know/neutral
Disagree
Strongly
disagree
No answer
Religious-based questions concerning evolution
in Before
and After Responses
% Change%
in Change
Before and
After Responses
% Change in Before and After responses
-9%
35%
-9%
15%
35%
Evolution is the
creator'sis the creato
Evolution
method of creation.
method of creation.
15%
Evolution is aEvolution
scientific idea
that
is a scientific
explains biodiversity
of biodiversity
life on
explains
o
earth.
earth.
The earth is 4.5 billion years
The earth is 4.5 billion
old.
old.
.
BEFORE
“It is very necessary and
I appreciate it.”
“I am looking forward to
it.”
“I have an interest in
learning about it but I do
not believe in it!”
AFTER
“It was a great experience. It is a privilege to
learn and understand a scientific explanation
for the origin of biodiversity and a much more
believable explanation than any religious
propositions.
“I found it interesting. One of those things I heard
people talk about but never really took seriously.
Now I found all the evidence towards it fascinating
and convincing.”
“I enjoyed it thoroughly, it was an eye-opener!
It explains a lot. I understand it better
and it’s very fascinating.
BEFORE
AFTER
“I feel that my personal beliefs and strong faith
will contradict what I am taught,
but I am willing to be open-minded.”
“Its been quite interesting getting different people’s
views on things. My opinion of evolution changed
(but I still don’t agree with).”
Educators need to be aware of the challenges facing the
understanding of Evolution
•Actively engage with students preconceptions
•Relevance to society today
•Scientific method
•Workshops for teachers
“There is grandeur in this view of life, …..
from so simple a beginning endless forms most
beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are
being evolved.”
Darwin 1859