A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF PUBLIC SCHOOL BIOLOGY TEACHERS WHO BELIEVE IN THE LITERAL GENESIS ACCOUNT OF CREATION by Eric Keith Dougherty Liberty University A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Liberty University 2015 2 A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF PUBLIC SCHOOL BIOLOGY TEACHERS WHO BELIEVE IN THE LITERAL GENESIS ACCOUNT OF CREATION by Eric Keith Dougherty A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA 2015 APPROVED BY: Kenneth R. Tierce, Ed.D., Committee Chair Joseph R. Haas, Ed.D., Committee Member Heather Dietzler, Ed.D., Committee Member Scott Watson, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Advanced Programs 3 ABSTRACT The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of Christian public high school biology teachers who believe in a literal, young earth account of creation as revealed in the book of Genesis. There is a gap in the literature regarding understanding the teaching experiences of Christians who believe in a strict interpretation of the biblical book of Genesis. This study was conducted by interviewing 11 Christian public school biology teachers from multiple states who met the criteria for being identified as young earth creationists. Data were also collected through a focus group and reflective vignettes. Data were analyzed through coding techniques, such as creating a classification scheme based on verbatim interviews, in order to identify emerging themes and categories of common experiences. The themes that emerged were: a love for science, a strong religious belief, the willingness to teach what evolution is, the intent to discount evolution, tension from outside sources, the feeling of strong community support, the belief of strong student relationships, and only a vague understanding of the current legal status of the creation/evolution debate. An understanding of the shared phenomenon of these teachers allows for a more complete understanding of the makeup of American biology educators. Keywords : creation, evolution, biology, creationism, theistic evolution, Genesis 4 Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge and appreciate those who have supported me throughout this process. My wife, Christy, and my children have been of tremendous support throughout the dissertation process. I am also grateful for the guidance of my committee chair, Dr. Kenneth Tierce, the support of committee members Dr. Joseph Haas and Dr. Heather Dietzler, and research consultant, Dr. Lucinda Spaulding. 5 Table of Contents ABSTRACT .....................................................................................................................................3 Acknowledgments................................................................................................................4 List of Tables .....................................................................................................................11 List of Abbreviations .........................................................................................................12 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................13 Overview ............................................................................................................................13 Background ........................................................................................................................13 Situation to Self..................................................................................................................21 Problem Statement .............................................................................................................22 Purpose Statement ..............................................................................................................22 Significance of the Study ...................................................................................................23 Research Questions ............................................................................................................25 Research Plan .....................................................................................................................26 Delimitations ......................................................................................................................26 Definitions..........................................................................................................................26 Summary ............................................................................................................................27 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................28 Introduction ........................................................................................................................28 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................................28 Self-Efficacy ..........................................................................................................28 Teaching in Context ...............................................................................................30 6 Knowledge .............................................................................................................31 Goals ......................................................................................................................32 Beliefs ....................................................................................................................32 History of Evolutionary Theory .........................................................................................33 Creation Beliefs .....................................................................................................37 Intelligent Design ...................................................................................................37 Theistic Evolution ..................................................................................................38 Genesis Creation ....................................................................................................40 The Current Debate ................................................................................................42 The American Public Schools ................................................................................43 History of Conflict .................................................................................................46 Legal Status ............................................................................................................47 High School Classrooms ........................................................................................50 Biology Teacher Research .....................................................................................50 Summary ............................................................................................................................56 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................57 Introduction ........................................................................................................................57 Design ................................................................................................................................57 Research Questions ............................................................................................................59 Central Question ....................................................................................................59 Sub Questions ........................................................................................................59 Participants .........................................................................................................................60 Setting ................................................................................................................................62 7 Procedures ..........................................................................................................................63 The Researcher's Role ........................................................................................................64 Data Collection ..................................................................................................................64 Questionnaire .........................................................................................................65 Interviews ...............................................................................................................65 Self-Efficacy Survey ..............................................................................................68 Focus Groups .........................................................................................................68 Journal Responses ..................................................................................................69 Data Analysis .....................................................................................................................69 Classifying .............................................................................................................70 Interpreting .............................................................................................................70