This research was qualitative, it was to investigate Buddhist cosmology as found in Buddhist scriptures and compare cosmological perspectives between 5 Buddhist scholars and 5 scientists. In Thai Buddhist cosmology, the principles of "Pa?iccasamuppada" and "Tilakkha?a" share some similar ideas with the causality principle of…

This study investigates how Grade 12 secondary school students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) perceive and respond to teaching and learning on evolution. A mixed-methodology approach including a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews was used. The study shows that Saudi students are aware of the great significance that has been…

Most of the research on student understanding of evolution by natural selection has focused on undergraduate biology courses for science majors. However, the majority of undergraduates in the United States will not enroll in a biology course for majors. In this study, we identify the extent of natural selection understanding that students acquire…

The paper describes an analysis of the questions posed by high school students regarding relationships between science and religion in a series of debates with scientists in public high schools of the northern part of Portugal. The exploratory interpretation of 171 collected anonymous written questions allowed for the detection of fragilities in…

Understanding the mechanisms of evolution can help lead to advancements in science, technology, medicine, and agriculture. To enhance student understanding of the Theory of Evolution, science education organizations encourage the teaching of evolution in the K-12 science curriculum. Additionally, holding informed views of nature of science (NOS)…

The ability to make evidence-based decisions, and hence to reason on questions concerning scientific and societal aspects, is a crucial goal in science education and science communication. However, science denial poses a constant challenge for society and education. "Controversial science issues" (CSI) encompass scientific knowledge…

Scientific inquiry is both theoretical and empirical. It succeeds by bringing thought into productive harmony with the observable universe, and thus, students can attain a robust understanding of the nature of science (NOS) only by developing a balanced appreciation of both these dimensions. In this article, I examine naïve empiricism, a teaching…

In England, both Religious Education (RE) and science are mandatory parts of the school curriculum throughout the 5-16 age range. Nevertheless, there remain concerns that, as in many countries, students do not have a good understanding about the scope of each subject nor about how the two subjects relate. This article reports on a study that…

Evolution is not, contrary to what many creationists will tell you, a belief system. Neither is it a matter of faith. We should stop asking if people "believe" in evolution and talk about acceptance instead.

This mixed-methods benchmark study examined Saudi Arabian (SA) Eastern Province secondary students' understandings of the nature of science (NOS) in the Islamic context. To that end, two instruments, the Scientific Epistemological Views (SEVs) and an open-ended questionnaire about science and scientists were employed. Convenience sampling yielded…

This exploratory qualitative study examines the views of two Somali fathers on science, nature, and content of science that Somali students should be taught, and how science intersects with Somali sociocultural practices. The fathers were interviewed for over a year. We analyzed data inductively using a systematic qualitative process. The findings…

Recommendations for teaching the nature of science (NOS) are grounded in a deficit view of students and/or the public--wherein people accept pseudoscientific claims, particularly about evolution, because they do not adequately understand what counts as being "scientific." Under the deficit view, correct views of science are defined by…

Too many students reject the theory of evolution because they view it as incompatible with their religious beliefs. Some have argued that abandoning religious belief is the only way to help religious individuals accept evolution. Conversely, our data support that highlighting faith/evolution compatibility is an effective means to increase student…

In this manuscript, three science educators describe strategies used to effectively communicate about religiously and culturally sensitive science content and share lessons learned from their experiences. Mark A. Bloom (2019-2021 Fellow) describes the challenges he overcame in teaching climate change science at an evangelical university by…

The main aim of this paper is to describe high school students' attitudes concerning evolution and creation, with a focus on (1) attitudes toward evolutionary theory, (2) attitudes toward the Biblical accounts of creation, (3) creationist beliefs, and (4) scientistic beliefs. Latent class analyses revealed seven attitude profiles in a sample of…