Undermining Evolution: Where State Standards Go Wrong

Titel	Undermining Evolution: Where State Standards Go Wrong
Quelle	In: American Educator, 36 (2012) 2, S.18-19 (3 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0148-432X
Schlagwörter	Evolution; Instruction; State Standards; Science Education; Elementary Secondary Education; Theory Practice Relationship; Politics of Education; Creationism; Evidence; Critical Thinking; Program Evaluation; Colorado; Louisiana; Missouri; Montana; Tennessee; West Virginia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Teaching process; Unterrichtsprozess; Naturwissenschaftliche Bildung; Theorie-Praxis-Beziehung; Educational policy; Bildungspolitik; Schöpfungstheologie; Evidenz; Kritisches Denken; Programme evaluation; Programmevaluation
Abstract	While many states are handling evolution better today than in the past, anti-evolution pressures continue to threaten state science standards. In April 2012, for example, Tennessee passed a law that enables teachers to bring anti-evolution materials into the classroom without being challenged by administrators. This law is similar to the Science Education Act passed in June 2008 in Louisiana, which is ostensibly an "academic freedoms act" meant to give teachers and students legal cover to debate the merits and veracity of scientific theories. In practice, such measures push a pro-creationist agenda--and give cover to those looking to teach intelligent design creationism. Though both acts are freestanding statutes with no direct link to the states' academic standards, they do damage by allowing for the introduction of creationist teaching supplements--thereby affecting classroom instruction. Tennessee and Louisiana are not the only states that have tried to undermine the teaching of evolution through legislation. Other states have undermined the teaching of evolution by singling it out as somehow not quite as "scientific" as other concepts of similar breadth. A common technique--used to a greater or lesser extent by Colorado, Missouri, Montana, and West Virginia--is to direct students to study its "strengths and weaknesses." Even some of the nation's best standards subtly undermine the teaching of evolution. (Contains 4 endnotes.) (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	American Federation of Teachers. 555 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001. Tel: 202-879-4400; e-mail: amered@aft.org; Web site: http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10