+ J Micah Roos Graduate School of Education University of - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

+ J Micah Roos Graduate School of Education University of California, Berkeley jmicah@berkeley.edu

+ Contested Knowledge Competing Truth Claims at the Intersection of Science and Religion.

+ Sections  Measurement analysis of NSF knowledge scale  Science and religion, their intersection  Theoretical concepts  Summary of Findings  Background literature in the area of science and religion  Predictors of science knowledge  Next steps

+ NSF Science Knowledge Scale  Existed in present form since 1995  Part of NSF Surveys of Public Attitudes Toward and Understanding of Science and Technology 1 , (1979-2006)  Included in General Social Survey (GSS) since wave 2006 1: Miller, Jon D., Linda Kimmel, ORC Macro, and NORC. 2009. “National Science Foundation Surveys of Public Attitudes Toward And Understanding of Science And Technology, 1979-2006 [Computer File]”. 3rd Roper Center Version.” Retrieved (http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/data_access/data/datasets/nsf.html#download_data).

+ NSF Science Knowledge Scale  NSF scale originally conceptualized as two-dimensional  Fact-based Knowledge  Methodological Knowledge  Used this way by Evans (2011)  Originally presented by Miller (1983, 1987, 1998, 2004)  Some recent work treats NSF scale as monolithic  One dimension underlies the scale  Used this way by many (Sherkat 2011; Gauchat 2010)

+ NSF Scale Items Now, please think about this situation. Two scientists want to know if a certain drug is effective against high blood pressure. The first scientist wants to give the drug to one thousand people with high blood pressure and see how many of them experience lower blood pressure levels. The second scientist wants to give the drug to five hundred people with high blood pressure, and not give the drug to another five hundred people with high blood pressure, and see how many in both groups experience lower blood pressure levels. EXPDESGN: Which is the better way to test this drug? 1: All 1000 get the drug 2: 500 get the drug; 500 don't Now, think about this situation. A doctor tells a couple that their genetic makeup means that they’ve got one in four chances of having a child with an inherited illness. (Answers took the form: Yes, No, or Don’t Know) ODDS1: Does this mean that if their first child has the illness, the next three will not have the illness? ODDS2: Does this mean that each of the couple’s children will have the same risk of suffering from the illness?

+ NSF Scale Items Now, I would like to ask you a few short questions like those you might see on a television game show. For each statement that I read, please tell me if it is true or false. If you don’t know or aren’t sure, just tell me so, and we will skip to the next question. Remember true, false, or don’t know. HOTCORE: First, the center of the Earth is very hot. (Is that true or false?) RADIOACT: All radioactivity is man-made. (Is that true or false?) BOYORGRL: It is the father’s gene that decides whether the baby is a boy or a girl. (Is that true or false?) LASERS: Lasers work by focusing sound waves. (Is that true or false?) ELECTRON: Electrons are smaller than atoms. (Is that true or false?) VIRUSES: Antibiotics kill viruses as well as bacteria. (Is that true or false?) BIGBANG: The universe began with a huge explosion. (Is that true or false?) CONDRIFT: The continents on which we live have been moving their locations for millions of years and will continue to move in the future. (Is that true or false?) EVOLVED: Human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals. (Is that true or false?)

+ NSF Scale Items EARTHSUN: Now, does the Earth go around the Sun, or does the Sun go around the Earth? SOLARREV 1 : How long does it take for the Earth to go around the Sun: one day, one month, or one year?  All items had a “don’t know” response option, and these were coded as incorrect answers in each case with the reasoning that for an item assessing factual knowledge, a “don’t know” response is incorrect.  Used in this way by most (Evans 2011; Sherkat 2011; Gauchat 2010; National Science Board 2010, 2012, 2014) 1: (EARTHSUN and SOLARREV are combined as one item in the NSF’s Indicators , I combine them here as SOLARREV was only asked if a correct answer was given for EARTHSUN)

Percentage of Correct Responses to NSF Scale items by Year 85% hotcore condrift 75% radioact earthsun 65% electron lasers evolved 55% viruses boyorgrl 45% expdesgn odds1 odds2 35% bigbang 25% 2006 2008 2010 2012

(A) Monolithic Model Science Knowledge from 2006 GSS, implied model structure from summed scale (with disturbance terms) Science Knowledge 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6 x 7 x 8 x 9 x 10 x 11 x 12 x 13 δ 11 δ 1 δ 2 δ 3 δ 4 δ 5 δ 6 δ 8 δ 9 δ 12 δ 13 δ 7 δ 10 x 1 = Hotcore x 6 = Condrift x 11 = Expdesgn x 2 = Earthsun x 7 = Bigbang x 12 = Odds1 x 3 = Electron x 8 = Evolved x 13 = Odds2 x 4 = Radioact x 9 = Boyorgrl x 5 = Lasers x 10 = Viruses

(B) Two Factor Model Science Knowledge from 2006 GSS, implied model structure from literature Science Science Fact Method Knowledge Knowledge 1 1 x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6 x 7 x 8 x 9 x 10 x 11 x 12 x 13 δ 11 δ 1 δ 2 δ 3 δ 4 δ 5 δ 6 δ 8 δ 9 δ 12 δ 13 δ 7 δ 10 x 1 = Hotcore x 6 = Condrift x 11 = Expdesgn x 2 = Earthsun x 7 = Bigbang x 12 = Odds1 x 3 = Electron x 8 = Evolved x 13 = Odds2 x 4 = Radioact x 9 = Boyorgrl x 5 = Lasers x 10 = Viruses

(C) Two Factor Model Science Knowledge from 2006 GSS, proposed new model structure (topic areas) Physical Life Sciences Sciences Knowledge Knowledge (LSFact) (PFact) 1 1 x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6 x 7 x 8 x 9 x 10 x 11 x 12 x 13 δ 11 δ 1 δ 2 δ 3 δ 4 δ 5 δ 6 δ 8 δ 9 δ 12 δ 13 δ 7 δ 10 x 1 = Hotcore x 6 = Condrift x 11 = Expdesgn x 2 = Earthsun x 7 = Bigbang x 12 = Odds1 x 3 = Electron x 8 = Evolved x 13 = Odds2 x 4 = Radioact x 9 = Boyorgrl x 5 = Lasers x 10 = Viruses

(C’) Two Factor Model Science Knowledge from 2006 GSS, new model structure (topic areas), Correlated errors for items that may load on a religious factor Physical Life Sciences Sciences Knowledge Knowledge (LSFact) (PFact) 1 1 x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6 x 7 x 8 x 9 x 10 x 11 x 12 x 13 δ 11 δ 1 δ 2 δ 3 δ 4 δ 5 δ 6 δ 8 δ 9 δ 12 δ 13 δ 7 δ 10 x 1 = Hotcore x 6 = Condrift x 11 = Expdesgn x 2 = Earthsun x 7 = Bigbang x 12 = Odds1 x 3 = Electron x 8 = Evolved x 13 = Odds2 x 4 = Radioact x 9 = Boyorgrl x 5 = Lasers x 10 = Viruses

(D) Three Factor Model Science Knowledge from 2006 GSS, Topic areas plus rejection factor Physical Rejection Life Sciences Sciences (of mainstream Knowledge Knowledge Science) (LSFact) (PFact) 1 1 1 1 1 x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6 x 7 x 8 x 9 x 10 x 11 x 12 x 13 δ 11 δ 1 δ 2 δ 3 δ 4 δ 5 δ 6 δ 8 δ 9 δ 12 δ 13 δ 7 δ 10 x 1 = Hotcore x 6 = Condrift x 11 = Expdesgn x 2 = Earthsun x 7 = Bigbang x 12 = Odds1 x 3 = Electron x 8 = Evolved x 13 = Odds2 x 4 = Radioact x 9 = Boyorgrl x 5 = Lasers x 10 = Viruses

(E) Three Factor Model Science Knowledge from 2006 GSS, Topic areas plus rejection factor (Evolved and Bigbang reverse coded) Physical Rejection Life Sciences Sciences (of mainstream Knowledge Knowledge Science) (LSFact) (PFact) 1 1 1 x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6 x 7 x 8 x 9 x 10 x 11 x 12 x 13 δ 11 δ 1 δ 2 δ 3 δ 4 δ 5 δ 6 δ 8 δ 9 δ 12 δ 13 δ 7 δ 10 x 1 = Hotcore x 6 = Condrift x 11 = Expdesgn x 2 = Earthsun x 7 = Bigbang x 12 = Odds1 x 3 = Electron x 8 = Evolved x 13 = Odds2 x 4 = Radioact x 9 = Boyorgrl x 5 = Lasers x 10 = Viruses

+ Is the third factor of a religious nature?  Included indicator of Biblical Literalism (GSS “BIBLE” item)  Question prompt: “Which of these statements comes closest to describing your feelings about the Bible?”  1=The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word.  2=The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally, word for word  3=The Bible is an ancient book of fables, legends, history, and moral precepts recorded by men.  Roughly 1/3 of respondents in each category

(E’) Three Factor Model Science Knowledge from 2006 GSS, Topic areas plus rejection factor, With Bible item added. (Evolved, Bible, and Bigbang reverse coded) Physical Rejection Life Sciences Sciences (of mainstream Knowledge Knowledge Science) (LSFact) (PFact) x 14 δ 14 1 1 1 x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6 x 7 x 8 x 9 x 10 x 11 x 12 x 13 δ 11 δ 1 δ 2 δ 3 δ 4 δ 5 δ 6 δ 8 δ 9 δ 12 δ 13 δ 7 δ 10 x 1 = Hotcore x 6 = Condrift x 11 = Expdesgn x 2 = Earthsun x 7 = Bigbang x 12 = Odds1 x 3 = Electron x 8 = Evolved x 13 = Odds2 x 4 = Radioact x 9 = Boyorgrl x 14 = Bible x 5 = Lasers x 10 = Viruses