Imagining the World: The Significance of Religious Worldviews for Science Education

Abstract

This article begins by examining whether 'science' and 'religion' can better be seen as distinct or related worldviews, focusing particularly on scientific and religious understandings of biodiversity. I then explore how people can see the natural world, depending on their worldview, by looking at two contrasting treatments of penguin behaviour, namely that provided in the film March of the Penguins and in the children's book And Tango Makes Three.

Reducing Pseudoscientific and Paranormal Beliefs in University Students Through a Course in Science and Critical Thinking

“…Most religions include a definition of reality that is beyond the scope of a naturalistic universe (Reiss 2009) and this may lead to conflict with science the tenets of which discount any supernatural explanations (Gauch 2009). Glennan (2009) took the stance that science and religion may be in conflict depending on how religion is viewed by its practitioners.…”

Belief versus acceptance: Why do people not believe in evolution?

“…Reiss (2,26,27) argues that rather than conceiving of creationism as a misconception that sound teaching can change, we should think of it as a worldview. In adopting this stance Reiss (2) concedes that a change from belief in creationism to belief in evolution may not happen.…”

Secondary School Learners’ Response to the Teaching of Evolution in Limpopo Province, South Africa

“…Evolutionism and creationism can be regarded as opposites of each other reflecting different worldviews: naturalism and theism. Creationism exists in many forms (Reiss, 2009). These different levels of "creationisms" have been categorized in a creation/evolution continuum (see Scott, 2000).…”

“…The concept of worldview has received much attention in the science education literature as a topic of analysis, discussion and empirical research (see Anderson, 2007;Cobern, 1991;Hokayem and BouJaoude, 2008;Lawrenz and Gray, 1995;Reiss, 2009). Worldviews vary from group to group according to each group"s perceptions of reality.…”

“…Naturalism is a form of materialism, in that it treats matter as all that exists, with no supernatural, no history, no purpose (Smith, 2010). By not admitting non-physical explanations of nature, the scientific worldview is materialistic (Reiss, 2009) and a form of naturalism. According to Sire (2009, 67), in theism God is the infinite personal creator and sustainer of the cosmos, while in naturalism, God loses His existence.…”