Religiosity and teachers’ acceptance of the Big Bang Theory

Abstract

The creation of the world is a thematic content that intrigues students from a young age. The Big Bang Theory, one of the most prevalent theories about the world’s creation, is not elaborated on in Greek schools while teachers provide subjective answers to frequent questions about the creation of the universe and the existence of life. The present study investigates the perceptions of in-service primary teachers to further understand the acceptance of the Big Bang Theory and their attitude towards teaching it. The results show that the more religious the participants are, the less they accepted the theory and the less willing they are to teach it in a classroom environment. Although it is argued that faith and science are two sides of the same coin that are complementary and not mutually exclusive, the religiosity of teachers acts as a stumbling block in the educational process. The distrust towards the Big Bang Theory probably under the thought that their faith is at risk affects their teaching choices.