lsu biology survey findings

8/6/2019 LSU Biology Survey Findings

1/20

Teaching Creation & Evolutionat

La Sierra University

Some Results From Our Student Survey


2/20

LSU Boards Objective

To investigate the validity of the following allegations:

The Biblical account of six literal consecutive 24-hourdays of creation has been discredited and labeled asmerely figurative language,

The theory of evolution is taught as having greaterscientific merit than the Biblical account of creation,and

Students who maintain a traditional SDA perspectivewith regard to Creation are marginalized andsometimes ridiculed for holding this position.


3/20

The Process

August 31: La Sierra University sent out from theProvost s office a Zoomerang survey to thefollowing:264 General Biology students from the past 4 years134 Biology majors from the past 4 years and the year

2000. 29 email addresses were returned as not valid. 369 survey invitations were delivered

September 13: An email reminder was sent tosurvey recipients. September 20: The survey closed


4/20

The Sample

As of September 20 there were151 visits to the survey site (40% view rate)

91 completed surveys (24.7% response rate) Expected response rate was between 24% and 26%)

(http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol6/issue2/sheehan.html)

Survey fatigue?

Lack of topic salience?

No strong opinion?Belief that opinion wont matter or change things?

49

of the respondents wrote comments
http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol6/issue2/sheehan.htmlhttp://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol6/issue2/sheehan.html


5/20

Filters

Unfiltered report. All responses included. (N = 91)

Overall SDA sample. All Seventh-day Adventist responses included. (N = 65)

Recent responses. All SDA biology students from the year 2009-2010 (N = 40)

SDA General Biology students from the years 2006-2010 (N = 43)

SDA biology majors from the years 2007-2010 (N = 21)

SDA biology major from the year 2000 (N = 1)

SDA biology students who have attended LSU since their freshman year (N = 44)

SDA biology students who transferred to LSU (N = 21)

SDA biology students who believe that it is not appropriate to present evolutionarytheories in biology class (N = 2)

SDA biology students who believe that it is appropriate to present evolutionarytheories in biology class (N = 60)

Non-Seventh-day Adventist bio students/majors (N = 26)


6/20

Findings

15% 19% 19%8%

56%

62%

44% 69%

-8%-14%

-7% -4%

-2%

-5%

-2%

-90%

-80%

-70%

-60%

-50%

-40%

-30%

-20%

-10%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

All SdA Majors SdA GenB Not SdA

My Professors Respected My Views

N = 91 N = 21 N = 43 N = 26


7/20

Findings

23% 19%28%

19%

46% 52%40%

50%

-9% -5% -9% -12%

-7% -14% -7%

-80%

-70%

-60%

-50%

-40%

-30%

-20%

-10%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%


Profs Encouraged My Faith in God

18% 19%23%

8%

51%57%

42%

58%

-8% -12% -8%

-4%-10%

-2%-4%

-80%

-70%

-60%

-50%

-40%

-30%

-20%

-10%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%


Profs Supported My Religion

N = 21 N = 43 N = 26N = 91


8/20

Findings

26%33%

21%27%

37%

36%

33%

46%

-15% -14% -19%-12%

-8% -10%-9%

-4%

-80%

-70%

-60%

-50%

-40%

-30%

-20%

-10%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%


EvolutionsStrengths / Weaknesses Were Discussed

29%19%

40%

15%

40%52%

26%

54%

-7% -10% -7%-4%

-11%-10% -16%

-4%

-80%

-70%

-60%

-50%

-40%

-30%

-20%

-10%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%


Profs Helped Integrate Science + Faith


9/20

Findings

20%10%

28%15%

56%

62%

49%62%

-10% -14% -9%-8%

-8%

-14%

-2%-12%

-90%

-70%

-50%

-30%

-10%

10%

30%

50%

70%

90%


Differences Between Facts, Beliefs, & TheoriesWere Explained


10/20

Findings

27%19%

35%

19%

57%67%

49%

65%

-4% -5% -7%-7% -10% -5%

-8%

-90%

-70%

-50%

-30%

-10%

10%

30%

50%

70%

90%


Evolution Was Taught as a Scientific Working Theory


11/20

Findings

-21%-29%

-19% -19%

-12%

-10%

-14% -12%

27%

14%

33% 31%

23%

38%

21%

15%

-70%

-50%

-30%

-10%

10%

30%

50%

70%


SDA View of Creation

Was Presented

27% 29%35%

12%

23% 19%12%

15%

-21%

-5%-12% -12%

-12%

-19%

-19%-15%

-70%

-50%

-30%

-10%

10%

30%

50%

70%


SDA View of CreationWas Supported

N = 21 N = 43 N = 26N = 91


12/20

Compared to What?

How good is good enough? Is there a baseline to which we might compare

our data?

A point of comparison might be Valuegenesis, anational, longitudinal, study of students in SDAschools, grades 6 12.Not a question for question correlation

Grades 9 12 not the same as universityBut it does provide a little context for understanding

our data.


13/20

Point of Reference

63 81% of LSUstudents reported thatthey felt respected bytheir professors.

39% of NAD studentsoften feel put downby their teachers. (VG, 301)

51% of NAD studentsagree that they can bemyself at church. (VG, 209)

44% of NAD students

believe that churchesare accepting ofdifferences. (VG, 281)


14/20

Point of Reference

68 71% of LSU studentsfeel that their professorsencouraged their faith inGod.

53% of NAD students feelthat their teachers faithhelped their own faithdevelopment. (VG 302)

27% of NAD studentsreport that their motherstalked with them abouttheir faith. (VG 265)

19% that their fatherstalked with them abouttheir faith. (VG 265)


15/20

Point of Reference

65 76% of LSUstudents reported that

their professors

supported theirfaithfulness to their

religion.

44% of NAD studentsfeel that schools are

helping them accept

and appreciateAdventism. (VG 309)

32% feel that schoolsare turning young

people off toAdventism. (VG 309)


16/20

Point of Reference

46 54% of LSU studentsbelieve that the SDA view ofcreation was adequatelypresented in class.

27 50% believe that theSDA view of creation wasadequately supported.

71% of NAD academystudents believe in a literalsix-day creation. (VG 157, 158)

4% never heard of the

belief. 7% definitely do not believe

it.

7% lean toward notbelieving it.

11% are uncertain about asix-day creation.

(E-mail 7 Oct 2010)


17/20

Our Goal

Rightly understood,

both the revelations of science

and the experiences of lifeare in harmony with

the testimony of Scripture

to the constant working of God in nature.

Education, p. 130


18/20

Resources

Whether a young person has supportive

parents or church congregation, the key is to

provide an environment of frank, open andtransparent exchanges, Casti said.

Adventist News Network, Why will some Adventist teens remain in

church as adults? 04 March 2010. http://news.adventist.org/2010/03/a-

study-of-active-se.html
http://news.adventist.org/2010/03/a-study-of-active-se.htmlhttp://news.adventist.org/2010/03/a-study-of-active-se.htmlhttp://news.adventist.org/2010/03/a-study-of-active-se.htmlhttp://news.adventist.org/2010/03/a-study-of-active-se.html


19/20

Resources

. . . when looking at the church, the key issue foryoung people is the climate of the congregation.In our research we discovered two areas where

improvement is needed: positive warmth andcritical thinking skills. What is tragic, it seems tome, is that as young people grow up from gradessix to twelve, they view both warmth and

thinking in the church as diminishing climates.Adventist News Network, Studies suggest ways church can develop faith

in its young people. 03 May 2010.http://news.adventist.org/2010/05/research-on-faith-va.html
http://news.adventist.org/2010/05/research-on-faith-va.htmlhttp://news.adventist.org/2010/05/research-on-faith-va.html


20/20

Resources

Gillespie, V. Bailey, et al. (2004).

Valuegenesis Ten Years Later:

A Study of Two Generations.

Riverside, CA: Hancock Center

Publications.

ISBN 0-9748531-0-0

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