This study explores the complex spectrum of motives and perceptions underlying contemporary criticism of science as expressed in the arena of public education. Part 1 briefly portrays the historical context of present-day disputes, discussing those aspects of the early reaction to Darwinian evolution and its introduction in the school that have recurred in contemporary conflicts. To provide more background on the textbook conflicts, Part 1 also describes the science curriculum reform movement, while Part 2 discusses contemporary textbook watchers, analyzing their social and political base, and Part 3 describes their activities in several disputes. Finally, Part 4 analyzes the disputes in terms of the social and political concerns underlying the collision of values over science education and of the relationship between science and personal beliefs. The textbook disputes are seen as less a manifestation of antiscience attitudes than a reflection of a much broader concern with the social, political, and cultural implications of science, with the increasing role of technical expertise, the dominance of professional bureaucracies, and the neglect of local interests. (Author/IRT)