Examining How Preservice Science Teachers Navigate Simulated Parent-Teacher Conversations on Evolution and Intelligent Design

摘要

Discussing the teaching of evolution with concerned parents is a challengeto any science teacher. Using the medical education pedagogy of standardized individualswithin the field of teacher education, this article addresses how preservice science teach-ers elected to verbally interact with standardized parents who questioned the teaching ofevolution and proposed alternative curricula. Analysis of video recordings of the simulatedinteractions yielded three primary themes connected to teachers' understandings of what"counts" as science, teachers' justifications for teaching evolution, and teachers' explana-tions of the impact of teaching evolution.