Coalition of Scientific Societies
Evolution in Science Education Survey
 

Although evolution is firmly established as one of the most important, integrative, and robust concepts in science, the teaching of evolutionary science and related subjects has been challenged in school districts across the United States. Recognizing the harm these challenges pose to science education and, ultimately, to the foundation on which scientific advancement is based, 17 scientific societies, representing the physical, chemical, biological, and social sciences and science teachers communities, established an unprecedented coalition to explore opportunities for collective understanding and action.

As part of this effort, this Coalition of Scientific Societies conducted a national survey to examine attitudes toward science and scientists, views on evolutionary science in the context of education, and means through which the scientific community can effectively bolster support for teaching evolution and related subjects. The findings from this survey are reported in the following article:


Complete article (including figures, tables, and methods):

Supporting material:

• Survey methods

• Figure 1: Acceptance of evolution

• Figure 2: Relationship between science literacy and support for teaching evolution

• Figure 3: Public interest in spokespeople for science

• Table 1: Evolution resources

PowerPoint presentation:

Evolution in Science Education Highlights This slideshow may be downloaded and customized.

This article has been published in the following scientific publications:

Additional publications related to this survey:

• Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, January 2008, Volume 105(1)

• ASBMB Today, January 2008

• The Physiologist, February 2008, Volume 51(1)

• BioScience, February 2008, Volume 58(2)

• CBE-Life Sciences Education, Spring 2008, Volume 7
  
 
• American Association of Anatomists News, March 2008, Volume 17(1)
  
  
• Developmental Dynamics, May 2008, Volume 237(5)

The Coalition of Scientific Societies includes:

American Association of Physics Teachers
American Astronomical Society
American Chemical Society
American Institute of Biological Sciences
American Institute of Physics
American Physical Society
American Physiological Society
American Society for Investigative Pathology
American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
American Society of Human Genetics
Biophysical Society
Consortium of Social Science Associations
Geological Society of America
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
National Academy of Sciences
National Science Teachers Association
Society for Developmental Biology