Evolutionary stasis: creationism, evolution and climate change in the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum

There has been little consideration in the science education literature of schools or curricula that advocate creationism. Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) is among the world’s largest providers of creationist science materials with a curriculum divided into a system of workbooks which students...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cultural studies of science education 2023-09, Vol.18 (3), p.809-827
Main Authors: Scaramanga, Jenna, Reiss, Michael J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Christianity
Church Programs
Climate
Climate change
Cognitive Style
Core curriculum
Creationism
Curricula
Curriculum Development
Education
Evolution
Instructional Materials
Memorization
Memory
Moral Values
Original Paper
Religious Education
Religious Factors
Rote Learning
Schools
Science Education
Science Instruction
Science Materials
Sociology of Education
Students
Teaching Methods
Workbooks
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Summary:There has been little consideration in the science education literature of schools or curricula that advocate creationism. Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) is among the world’s largest providers of creationist science materials with a curriculum divided into a system of workbooks which students complete at their own speed. This article examines the ways in which ACE presents particular areas of science that it considers to be contentious, namely evolution and climate change. The ACE curriculum has recently been rewritten, and we show that, like previous editions, the current curriculum relies on rote memorisation to the exclusion of other styles of learning, and that information presented is often misleading or distorted. Religious explanations of natural phenomena are sometimes given in place of scientific ones, and creationist assumptions are inserted into lessons not directly related to evolution or the Big Bang. Those who reject creationism are depicted as making an immoral choice. ACE’s recent curricula also add material denying the role of humans in climate change. It is argued that both the teaching methods and content of the ACE curriculum place students at an educational disadvantage.
ISSN:1871-1502
1871-1510
DOI:10.1007/s11422-023-10187-y