MTSU biology professor Elizabeth (Liz) Barnes collaborated with researchers on a project published in December 2024 that surveyed thousands of students in 14 states about teaching evolution in college classrooms.
The project found that college students accepted the theory of evolution more often when it was taught with conflict-reducing practices, including an emphasis on religious compatibility and student autonomy. The study also found that “highly religious Christian students” were more likely to accept evolution when instructors emphasized the compatibility of evolution and religion.
“This study reinforces a growing number of research studies showing that conflict between religion and evolution is often unnecessary,” Barnes said. “College instructors can play an important role in bridging the divide.”
Tensions between religion and science have long dominated the conversation around how to teach subjects like evolution. After all, MTSU is only a couple hours from Dayton, Tennessee, where the Scopes “Monkey” Trial occurred.
Barnes was previously awarded a five-year, $1 million National Science Foundation Early Career grant and received the Outstanding Teaching in General Education Award from MTSU this year. She said she was drawn to mediating and teaching because she grew up in a “conflict-ridden” environment and always felt the need to reduce it when possible.
The researchers who worked on the project came from various religious backgrounds, which helped to better bridge the divide, according to Barnes.
“We show that by having cultural competence with students from a variety of religious backgrounds, by not forcing our views on students, and by showing compatibility between religion and science, we can actually increase students’ openness to [learn about] evolution,” Barnes said. “We think this is encouraging in these times of conflict.”
She also noted how proud she was of the two MTSU students who assisted her: doctoral candidate Rahmi Ain and graduate student Alexa Summersill.
The team published their findings in December in the San Francisco, California-based Public Library of Science, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal.
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