ERIC Number: EJ794982
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 22
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1477-8785
EISSN: N/A
Does Teaching Creationism Facilitate Student Autonomy?
Warnick, Bryan R.; Fooce, C. David
Theory and Research in Education, v5 n3 p357-378 2007
The teaching of evolution in US public schools continues to generate controversy. One argument for including creationism in science classrooms is based on the goal of facilitating student autonomy. Autonomy requires that students be exposed to significant alternatives, it is argued, and religious creation stories offer a significant alternative to secular modernity. This argument, however, is unsuccessful. When religious narratives are placed in the context of science classrooms, the religious narratives become quasi-scientific descriptions in that they are assumed to share the modernist views of reference and meaning that permeate scientific interpretation. This transformation constricts the possibilities of the sacred narrative. Thus, religious narratives in science contexts do not present a significant alternative to secular modernity and are not, therefore, directly facilitating autonomy. This analysis also applies to some versions of the recent "intelligent design" movement, but not to others. Additional arguments for inclusion of religious narratives might be more successful than the argument based on the facilitation of autonomy. (Contains 7 notes.)
Descriptors: Evolution, Creationism, Science Instruction, Personal Autonomy, Religion, Biblical Literature, Controversial Issues (Course Content), Public Education
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
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Language: English
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