Teaching undergraduates evolution: 10 years of research on conflict-reducing practices—and resistance to them

Undergraduate biology instructors teaching evolution have the underlying challenge that perceived conflict between religion and evolution hinders evolution acceptance. Yet, instructors often choose either to ignore or unintentionally promote narratives of conflict over compatibility. Studies have shown that instructors can employ instructional practices to reduce perceived conflict between religion and evolution and increase acceptance of evolution among religious students. Not only do these practices not seem to harm non-religious students, but they tend to have the unintended impact of decreasing perceived conflict among non-religious students too. In this essay, we describe a decade of research on the impact of these conflict-reducing practices—such as teaching the agnostic nature of science, showcasing religious scientists, raising awareness of beliefs that reconcile evolution and religion, and affirming students’ autonomy over their decision to accept evolution—and implore instructor adoption of these practices to promote more effective evolution instruction.