Research suggests that American students lack a sufficient education in math and science to compete globally.
How does the controversy about teaching evolution affect and reflect this problem?
5 answers
Take a stab at answering and someone is likely to help. Surely having much of the adult population questioning the scientific method does not help their children learn what it is about. The problem is much wider than just evolution ( think - climate change) but surely mistrust of the principles of evolution is representative of a problem.
I suggest you question this research. Are those in some other countries taught to memorize facts more than Americans? Do other countries test a vastly heterogeneous population as the U.S. does?
If others are ahead, why do Americans seem to be leading the world in technological innovations?
If others are ahead, why do Americans seem to be leading the world in technological innovations?
Damon is absolutely right. The problem is much larger than evolution. For the last 50 years the government has pumped millions into math and science projects aimed at better teaching of these subjects and my opinion is that much of it (most of it?) has failed. Witness the number of AP chemistry classes in high school but the student hasn't learned the basics such as 4x = 28, what is x? The problem with evolution, specifically, is that many people WANT to make it controversial when there is no need for controversy at all. Religion and evolution do not need to be mutually exclusive.
Hmmm - a great many of my fellow science students who went on to innovate in technical fields immigrated to the US as students or adults. Look around you if you happen by MIT :)
At present I have been helping my grand children with common core math (specifically a Singapore math text). I love it because it thinks the way I do about arithmetic. It approximates and does big numbers first instead of the mechanical way I was taught to do arithmetic in public school (which I never mastered). Curious, I went on and did the proposed high school Algebra II test. Again it is right up my alley. It demands reason, not memorization. HOWEVER, it is not what parents were taught in school (or most teachers for that matter). Therefore it will take years for us to implement such a modern way of doing basic mathematics if it is possible at all. We think we are ahead, but I think we are falling behind.
At present I have been helping my grand children with common core math (specifically a Singapore math text). I love it because it thinks the way I do about arithmetic. It approximates and does big numbers first instead of the mechanical way I was taught to do arithmetic in public school (which I never mastered). Curious, I went on and did the proposed high school Algebra II test. Again it is right up my alley. It demands reason, not memorization. HOWEVER, it is not what parents were taught in school (or most teachers for that matter). Therefore it will take years for us to implement such a modern way of doing basic mathematics if it is possible at all. We think we are ahead, but I think we are falling behind.
Thank all you guys so much you gave me enough ideas to research the question!
1 answer