Teaching Creation & Evolution

at
La Sierra University

Some Results From Our Student Survey

 LSU Board’s Objective
To investigate the validity of the following allegations:
• The Biblical account of six literal consecutive 24-hour
days of creation has been discredited and labeled as
merely figurative language,
• The theory of evolution is taught as having greater
scientific merit than the Biblical account of creation,
and
• Students who maintain a traditional SDA perspective
with regard to Creation are marginalized and
sometimes ridiculed for holding this position.
 The Process
• August 31: La Sierra University sent out from the
Provost ‘s office a “Zoomerang” survey to the
following:
– 264 General Biology students from the past 4 years
– 134 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 to
survey recipients.
• September 20: The survey closed
 The Sample

• As of September 20 there were

– 151 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 won’t matter or change things?

• 49 of the respondents wrote comments

 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 evolutionary
theories in biology class (N = 2)
• SDA biology students who believe that it is appropriate to present evolutionary
theories in biology class (N = 60)
• Non-Seventh-day Adventist bio students/majors (N = 26)
 Findings
My Professors Respected My Views
90%
80%
70%
60%
50% 62%
40% 56% 44% 69%
30%
20%
10% 15% 19% 19%
8%
0% -4%
-8% -7%
-10% -2% -14% -2%
-5%
-20%
-30%
-40%
-50%
-60%
-70%
-80%
N = 91 N = 21 N = 43 N = 26
-90%
All SdA Majors SdA GenB Not SdA
 Findings
Profs Encouraged My Faith in God Profs Supported My Religion
80% 80%
70% 70%
60% 60%
50% 40% 50%
46% 52% 50% 57%
40% 51% 42%
40%
58%
30% 30%
20% 20%
23% 28%
10% 19% 19% 10% 19% 23%
18%
0% 8%
-5% 0%
-9% -9% -12% -8% -10% -8%
-10% -12%
-7% -14% -7% -10% -4% -4%
-2%
-20% -20%
-30% -30%
-40% -40%
-50% -50%
-60% -60%
-70% -70%
N = 91 N = 21 N = 43 N = 26
-80% -80%
All SdA Majors SdA GenB Not SdA All SdA Majors SdA GenB Not SdA
 Findings
Evolution’s
Strengths / Weaknesses Were Discussed Profs Helped Integrate Science + Faith
80% 80%
70% 70%
60% 60%
50% 36% 46% 26%
50% 40%
37% 52%
40% 40% 54%
33%
30% 30%
20% 20%
33% 40%
26% 27% 29%
10% 21%
10% 19% 15%
0%
0% -4%
-15% -14% -12% -7% -10% -7%
-10% -19% -4%
-4% -10%
-8% -10% -11% -10% -16%
-20%
-9% -20%
-30%
-30%
-40%
-40%
-50%
-50%
-60%
-60%
-70%
-70%
-80%
All SdA Majors SdA GenB Not SdA -80%
All SdA Majors SdA GenB Not SdA
 Findings
Differences Between Facts, Beliefs, & Theories
Were Explained
90%

70%

50% 49%
56% 62%
62%
30%

28%
10% 20% 15%
10%
-10% -14% -9% -8%
-10% -2%
-8% -12%
-14%
-30%

-50%

-70%

-90%
All SdA Majors SdA GenB Not SdA
 Findings
Evolution Was Taught as a Scientific Working Theory
90%

70%
49%
57%
50% 67% 65%

30%

35%
27%
10% 19% 19%
-4% -5% -7% -8%
-10% -7% -10% -5%

-30%

-50%

-70%

-90%
All SdA Majors SdA GenB Not SdA
 Findings
SDA View of Creation SDA View of Creation
Was Presented Was Supported
70%
70%

50% 50%
21%
23% 15% 12%
23% 19%
38%
30% 30%

33% 35% 15%

27% 31%
27% 29%
10% 10%
14%
12%
-5%
-12% -12%
-10% -21% -19% -19% -10% -21%
-29% -19%
-19% -15%
-12% -14% -12%
-30% -12%
-30%
-10%

-50% -50%

N = 91 N = 21 N = 43 N = 26
-70% -70%
All SdA Majors SdA GenB Not SdA All SdA Majors SdA GenB Not SdA
 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, a
national, longitudinal, study of students in SDA
schools, grades 6 – 12.
– Not a question for question correlation
– Grades 9 – 12 not the same as university
– But it does provide a little context for understanding
our data.
 Point of Reference
• 63 – 81% of LSU • 39% of NAD students
students reported that often feel “put down”
they felt respected by by their teachers. (VG, 301)
their professors. • 51% of NAD students
agree that they can “be
myself” at church. (VG, 209)
• 44% of NAD students
believe that churches
are accepting of
differences. (VG, 281)
 Point of Reference
• 68 – 71% of LSU students • 53% of NAD students feel
feel that their professors that their teacher’s faith
encouraged their faith in helped their own faith
God. development. (VG 302)
• 27% of NAD students
report that their mothers
talked with them about
their faith. (VG 265)
• 19% that their fathers
talked with them about
their faith. (VG 265)
 Point of Reference
• 65 – 76% of LSU • 44% of NAD students
students reported that feel that schools are
their professors helping them accept
supported their and appreciate
faithfulness to their Adventism. (VG 309)
religion. • 32% feel that schools
are “turning young
people off” to
Adventism. (VG 309)
 Point of Reference
• 46 – 54% of LSU students
believe that the SDA view of
creation was adequately
presented in class.
• 27 – 50% believe that the
SDA view of creation was
adequately supported.
• 71% of NAD academy
students believe in a literal
six-day creation. (VG 157, 158)
• 4% never heard of the
belief.
• 7% definitely do not believe
it.
• 7% lean toward not
believing it.
• 11% are uncertain about a
six-day creation.
(E-mail 7 Oct 2010)
 Our Goal
Rightly understood,
both the revelations of science
and the experiences of life
are in harmony with
the testimony of Scripture
to the constant working of God in nature.
Education, p. 130
 Resources

“Whether a young person has supportive

parents or church congregation, the key is to
provide an environment of ‘frank, open and
transparent 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
 Resources
“. . . when looking at the church, the key issue for
young people is the climate of the congregation.
In our research we discovered two areas where
improvement is needed: positive warmth and
critical thinking skills. What is tragic, it seems to
me, is that as young people grow up from grades
six 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
 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