CULTURAL BORDER CROSSING: THE INTERACTION BETWEEN FUNDAMENTAL CHRISTIAN BELIEFS AND SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATIONS

Abstract

Abstract

Title of Document: CULTURAL BORDER CROSSING: THE INTERACTION BETWEEN FUNDAMENTAL CHRISTIAN BELIEFS AND SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATIONS

Celestine Nakeli Elimbi

Doctor of Philosophy

2017

Directed By: Dr. Andrew Elby

Department of Teaching and Learning,

Policy and Leadership

The purpose of this study is to investigate the interaction between people’s fundamental Christian beliefs and scientific explanations. When people with fundamental Christian beliefs encounter scientific explanations, such explanations may interact with their deeply rooted beliefs in a way that is likely to produce tensions. It is expedient to understand the classroom/professional experiences of such individuals and how they manage these tensions. I will apply Jegede’s collateral learning theory as a lens to look at how individuals manage the tensions between their religious and scientific worldviews. Gaining insight into people’s experiences in the classroom/work place and how they manage these tensions will potentially inform classroom instruction and ways by which we can help students with fundamental Christian beliefs maintain their pursuit of science related careers by easing the nature of the borders they cross. Sources of data will include participant reported perspectives of how they manage the tensions and observations of real-time resolution of potentially conflicting explanations from their religious and scientific worldviews.