Crossing borders between science and religion: Muslim Indonesian biology teachers' perceptions of teaching the theory of evolution

Teaching the theory of evolution has often faced various challenges, including teachers' internal conflict between the theory of evolution and their personal religious beliefs. This multiple case study examined the perceptions of and approaches to teaching evolution of six Indonesian Muslim biology teachers who were working in three different teaching contexts: public, Islam- and Christian-based schools. Major data sources included interviews, lesson plans, and a survey on the teachers' acceptance of evolution and their positions on the relationship between evolution and religion. Interviews and lesson plans were analyzed using constant comparative methods, and each participant's average scores on the survey were calculated and compared descriptively. Findings indicated that most of the teachers rejected human evolution, but accepted microevolution. Although the teachers rejected the idea of human evolution, they still taught it because it is mandated by the national curriculum and thus considered teaching evolution as a representation of teachers' accountability. To reconcile the conflict between the theory of evolution and religious beliefs, they adapted their personal goals for teaching evolution, for example, helping students appreciate human thinking. Particularly, teachers in Islam-based schools believed that strengthening students' religious beliefs is part of their goals for teaching evolution. In addition, we found that teachers might use multiple border crossing approaches to help them teach evolution. This study underscores the importance of contextual factors, including school settings, mandated national curricula, and high-stakes examinations, in shaping teachers' perceptions of and willingness to teach evolution.