Published Resources Details Thesis
- Title
- The teaching of human origins in fundamental Christian schools: how teachers manage the process
- Type of Work
- MEd thesis
- Imprint
- University of Western Australia, Crawley WA, 2000
- Url
- http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/44521998
- Subject
- Western Australia
- Abstract
The study reported in this dissertation is aimed at investigating how teachers in fundamental Christian schools manage the process of teaching human origins. More specifically, the study intends to offer insight into the rapidly growing fundamental Christian schooling movement. It attempts this through an examination of how year twelve biological science teachers in Western Australian secondary fundamental Christian schools approach and organise the teaching of both mainstream perspectives on human origins, namely evolution and creationism. The research employed qualitative research methods including a case study approach. Data collection primarily occurred through the interviewing of three participants. Data analysis employed the principles of grounded theory. The findings reported in this study are presented in terms of similarities and differences between the teachers studied regarding how they manage the process of teaching both mainstream perspectives on human origins. The first main set of findings is related to commonalities between the teachers in terms of their management of the teaching of both evolution and creationism. Two propositions are presented. The second main set of findings is related to disparities between the teachers in terms of their management of the teaching of both evolution and creationism. The first proposition contends that teachers in fundamental Christian schools, when faced with the pressure of covering the required evolution content in the available time, primarily focus on presenting the evolution content and spontaneously incorporate creationism content. Furthermore, teachers differ in the manner in which they primarily incorporate creationism. The second proposition asserts that teachers in fundamental Christian schools, when presenting evolution and creationism together, are influenced by the nature of the subject as a 'science', while also being influenced by their personal life philosophy, namely Christianity. In addition, teachers differ in the extent to which each of these factors influences their teaching of human origins. The findings of the study reported in this dissertation can serve to increase the understanding of readers regarding how teachers in fundamental Christian schools manage the process of teaching human origins Furthermore, the findings have practical implications and can serve to guide future research.