Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34405034›Full record

ArticleEvolution2021

Barriers to teaching evolution in higher education.

Ethan R Tolman, Daniel G Ferguson, Gabriella Hubble, Mahealani Kaloi, Megan Niu, Jamie L Jensen

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Evolution, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
21.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Ethan R TolmanDepartment of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, 4125 LSB, Provo, UT 84602 USA.
Daniel G FergusonDepartment of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 LSB, Provo, UT 84602 USA.
Gabriella HubbleDepartment of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 LSD, Provo, UT 84602 USA.
Mahealani KaloiDepartment of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 LSB, Provo, UT 84602 USA.
Megan NiuDepartment of Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, S192A ESC, Provo, UT 84602 USA.
Jamie L JensenDepartment of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 LSB, Provo, UT 84602 USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2249-0405
Brigham Young University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough progress has been made in evolution education, many educators face significant barriers in their efforts to teach evolution specifically, and science in general. The purpose of this study was to identify faculty-perceived barriers to teaching evolution, specifically in religiously affiliated institutions or institutions with a highly religious student body, as well as resources faculty feel would help promote discourse around faith, evolution and science. To do this, we held a workshop with teams consisting of a science professor, a theologian and a pastor (of the predominant on-campus faith tradition) from 17 different institutions of higher education with highly religious student bodies for the purpose of helping them to create a curriculum to address perceived conflicts between science and faith. During the workshop, participants created posters identifying barriers they face and resources they perceive as helpful. These posters were analyzed for prevalent themes and framed within an ecological model of behavior.

resultsThese teams identified prevalent barriers at each level of the ecological model. Intrapersonal factors included a fear of rocking the boat and a fear of student conflict. Interpersonal factors included perceived student lack of knowledge, student ideology, and student apathy. Institutional factors included work politics, a lack of relevant discourse surrounding the conflict, and mixed messaging to students. Community factors included social norms associated with various student demographics. And public policy factors included local and state government attempts to limit the teaching of evolution. Additionally, participants identified resources that they felt would facilitate overcoming conflict including colleagues as change agents, various assets, and tools to negate conflict.

conclusionsWe determined that many of the concerns are addressable, and many resources are attainable. We urge the community to work toward these solutions. Additionally, we compare our findings to what the literature has shown and discuss the implications of faculty perceptions as compared to the published literature. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12052-021-00151-1.

Indexed as

BarriersEcological modelEvolutionFaculty developmentHigher educationReligion

Identifiers

PMID34405034
PMCPMC8360818
OpenAlexW3195872130

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.