Do State Science Standards Matter?: Comparing Student Perceptions of the Coverage of Evolution in Indiana & Ohio Public High Schools

Autor/in	Bandoli, James H.
Titel	Do State Science Standards Matter?: Comparing Student Perceptions of the Coverage of Evolution in Indiana & Ohio Public High Schools
Quelle	In: American Biology Teacher, 70 (2008) 4, S.212-216 (5 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0002-7685
Schlagwörter	Evolution; High Schools; State Standards; Science Education; Student Attitudes; Comparative Analysis; Curriculum; Surveys; High School Students; Indiana; Ohio + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? High school; Oberschule; Naturwissenschaftliche Bildung; Schülerverhalten; Curricula; Lehrplan; Rahmenplan; Survey; Umfrage; Befragung; High schools; Student; Students; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin
Abstract	In 2000, Lerner published a study sponsored by the Fordham Foundation comparing state standards regarding the teaching of evolution. He reviewed standards from 49 states and the District of Columbia, and graded the standards based on their treatment of evolution. Indiana and nine other states received a grade of A ("very good or excellent"), while 12 states, including Ohio, received a grade of F ("useless or absent"). The Indiana standards contained a specific section on evolution with explicit competencies in topics such as natural selection, adaptation, and evidence for evolutionary change. On the other hand, the Ohio standards had no section on evolution, and only a few competencies included evolutionary topics such as natural selection. The word "evolution" was not used in a biological context. The dramatic difference in the state standards in two neighboring states provided an opportunity to test the hypothesis that state standards influence curricula. In this article, the author discusses the results of a survey given to Indiana and Ohio high school students about their perceptions of the coverage of evolution in their schools. The results of the survey suggest that the coverage of evolution in public high schools in Indiana and Ohio is not influenced by state standards. Results also suggest that the treatment of evolution appears to be at odds with its importance as an explanatory principle. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.) (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	National Association of Biology Teachers. 12030 Sunrise Valley Drive #110, Reston, VA 20191. Tel: 800-406-0775; Tel: 703-264-9696; Fax: 703-264-7778; e-mail: publication@nabt.org; Web site: http://www.nabt.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10