Whether students' religious beliefs influence their outlook on school science

What is it about?

This study explores whether the religious background of students (aged 14-16) affects their opinions about, and attitudes to engaging with, scientific explanations of the origins of the universe and of life. It is based on a small number of case study schools, with large enough samples of those with Christian, Muslim and no faith to look at the groups separately where appropriate.

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Why is it important?

Certain religious groups have views that do not directly agree with particular scientific ideas. Might this incompatability stop some students in England studying science beyond age 16? The research reported here found a complex picture, with students varying in how they saw the relationship between science and religion, and how much they were prepared to engage with it. Key considerations in their attitudes seemed to revolve around whether their preferred knowledge base was belief-based or fact-based; their tolerance of uncertainty; their open-mindedness; and whether they conceptualise science and religion as being in conflict or harmony. Many Muslim students and some Christians resisted engagement because of conflicting religious beliefs. Teachers, particularly in schools not dominated by a particular faith or faiths, did not always appreciate how much this topic troubled some students. Improving their awareness might guide teachers towards an appropriate approach when covering potentially sensitive topics such as the theory of evolution.