Re: [Phys-l] Is evolution something to believe in?

["John M Clement" <clement@hal-pc.org>]

This is a very good analysis.  And pre-college teachers communicate 
this to students.  My primary example is when they teach early grade 
students they ask what makes things fall down.  Then they answer it is 
gravity.  Notice that the word now becomes the magical incantation for 
why it happens.  Gravity comes from gravitas or the tendency for base 
things to go to the center where hell is located.

The only way to fix this problem, according to the research, is to use 
a studio style or inquiry course.  The research by Redish et al has 
shown that conventional lecture/problem based courses push down the 
scientific attitudes.  Examples of inquiry are Modeling, Scale up, 
Hake Socratic dialog labs, McDermott tutorials, Workshop Physics... 
But there is also evidence that on top of this there should be some 
lecturing after thay have experienced inquiry.  The lecturing alone 
does not change paradigms.  The lecture has to come after the 
experience.

For middle school and HS Thinking Science can be helpful.  Shayer & 
Adey have also been developing inquiry for first grade.  See "Learning 
Intelligence" and "Really Rasising Standards" by Shayer & Adey.

As to "belief" in evolution one should properly ask if they understand 
that the overwhelming evidence from fossil and biological studies are 
consistent with the modern theory of natural selection.  But that is 
too much to ask a candidate in a short debate.  Could we require all 
candidates to take the MPEX to see if they understand the process of 
science?

There are some very good published articles about trying to change 
teacher's paradigms, and it is difficult.  Many resist change with 
great resentment.  When they are confronted with the idea that math 
should be logical thinking, rather than memorization, they often 
resist this idea.  The ACEPT, Ariz. collaborative for Excellence in 
the Preparation of Teachers has some very good articles online.
www.accept.asu.edu

John M. Clement
Houston, TX

> For nearly all non scientists and I would suggest very many k - 12 
> teachers who support the idea of evolution most certainly do "believe 
> in evolution".  They simply do not know enough to do otherwise. 
> Maybe as I think about it now what they really do is believe in 
> scientists.  What we tell them must be true, after all we are 
> scientists.  We do little in school or otherwise to encourage the 
> masses to beleive based on evidence we simply ask them to beleive in 
> science.  How do we fix this problem?