Feds Shell Out $1.5M To Combat ‘Misconceptions’ About Evolution in Elem. Students

Brittany M. Hughes | April 25, 2016
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If you want to raise your child with a faith-based worldview and need further proof that the federal government is in the business of indoctrinating your kids regardless, look no further.

The federal government just shelled out nearly $1.5 million to combat “theoretical misconceptions” and “intuitive cognitive biases” about evolution in elementary students, as well as curb “teacher science anxiety” in those who instruct them.

The National Science Foundation -- the same folks who shucked out millions to study arctic shrubs, comfy office chairs and the effects of bumper stickers -- just approved a grant in the amount of $1,498,539 for a Boston University initiative entitled: “Evolving Minds in Early Elementary School: Foundations for a Learning Sequence on Natural Selection Using Stories.”

The grant touts the need to indoctrinate young children with evolutionist teaching before they get to high school, when “theoretical misconceptions are likely to have become entrenched.”

While not explicitly stated outright, it certainly stands to reason that creationism is probably counted as a “theoretical misconception.” And we wouldn’t want that.

The grant explains:

[S]tudies reveal that scientific misconceptions about natural selection not only persist among high school students and undergraduates who are usual targets of instruction on evolution by natural selection, but, disturbingly, also among many of the teachers trained to teach them. Research further reveals that the origin of many of these misconceptions can be traced to intuitive cognitive biases found at the elementary school level. This project will address this problem by building and testing a learning sequence on natural selection at the early elementary grades before intuitive theoretical misconceptions are likely to have become entrenched.

The project focuses on understanding whether the proposed natural selection learning sequence is even viable and beneficial for elementary school students and teachers given children's representational constraints, the development and entrenchment of intuitive cognitive biases and teacher science anxiety. The two central aims will be to: (1) develop the core architecture and explore the feasibility of an expanded elementary school learning sequence on natural selection; (2) examine the educative professional development benefits to elementary school teachers of the developed story-based intervention materials.

…Results from this work will advance scientific knowledge and educational practice by yielding insights about children’s capacities as explanatory thinkers and theory-builders. Materials and products (storybooks, animations and assessment tools) will directly benefit schools, teachers, children and parents in the State of Massachusetts and nationally.

 

Irrespective of your view on evolution vs. creationism, does coughing up millions in taxpayer dollars so the government can fund studies into systematically propagandizing our kids ever sound like a good idea? 

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