Acceptance, Confidence, and Time: Exploring Dynamics of Middle and Secondary Science Teacher Autonomy in Teaching Evolution in the Southeastern United States

Abstract

Evolution education represents the greatest challenge to scientific literacy in the United States. Long accepted as the foundational concept of biology, in the public realm evolution elicits controversy. The Southeastern United States is a breeding ground for this, and other, anti-science thinking that has far-reaching implications as seen during the 2020 pandemic and anti-science legislation from the region. One approach to close gaps in understanding evolution is to ensure that it is taught in schools in a way that is robust and accurate, as teachers are the front lines in the fight for scientific literacy. For that to happen, teachers must overcome their own barriers and concerns about teaching this so-called “controversial” topic. This quantitative study found that despite experience, certification, confidence in teaching evolution, and high levels of acceptance, teachers spent minimal time (less than three days) teaching evolution but there are factors that impact time and confidence that can be used to combat the problem. Identifying these fundamental interactions builds a starting point for targeted preparation and support to ensure that teachers have the tools, confidence, and content needed to teach evolution adequately.