ERIC Number: EJ941475
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Oct
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1059-0145
EISSN: N/A
The Influence of Education Major: How Diverse Preservice Teachers View Pseudoscience Topics
Losh, Susan Carol; Nzekwe, Brandon
Journal of Science Education and Technology, v20 n5 p579-591 Oct 2011
Pseudoscience beliefs (e.g., astrology, ghosts or UFOs) are rife in American society. Most research examines creation/evolution among liberal arts majors, general public adults, or, infrequently, middle or high school science teachers. Thus, research truncates the "range" of ersatz science thinking and the samples it studies. We examined diverse beliefs, e.g., extraterrestrials, magic, "Biblical" creation, and evolution, among 540 female and 123 male future teachers, including 325 elementary education majors. We study how these cognitions related to education major and, because popular media often present pseudoscience "information", student media use. Future elementary educators most often rejected evolution and endorsed "creationism" or Intelligent Design. Education majors held similar beliefs about astrology, UFO landings, or magic. Compared with other education students, elementary education majors watched less news or science television and read fewer popular science magazines. However, religious and media variables explained more variation in creation/evolution beliefs than education major. We discuss implications of our findings for elementary school science education and how teacher educators may be able to affect pseudoscience beliefs among their elementary education students.
Descriptors: Education Majors, Preservice Teachers, Preservice Teacher Education, Teacher Attitudes, Student Attitudes, Elementary School Science, Evolution, Beliefs, Misconceptions, Scientific Attitudes, Creationism, Religious Factors
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A