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The Intersections of Religion and Science in NSTA-OSTB Biographies

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Abstract

This article explores depictions of religion and religious topics in children's biographies included on the National Science Teacher’s Association’s Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 lists from 2011 through 2017. While disagreements and controversies about the role of religion in U.S. public schools are not new, these debates have experienced a resurgence in recent years due, in part, to the increased emphasis placed upon science as a content area. As a vital component of transformative, democratic, justice-oriented education, educators have a responsibility to validate and honor their students' religious liberties, and understand and respect a variety of different belief systems. And yet, teachers often report feeling unprepared and even afraid to discuss religions in public school settings. Grounded in the belief that all knowledge, including scientific knowledge, is socially constructed, this article explores the ways in which these topics are taken up in children's books that have been identified as exemplary and recommended for classroom use.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3978, Atlanta, GA, 30302-3978, USA

    Laura May & Thomas Crisp

  2. Adıyaman University, Adıyaman, Turkey

    Mehmet Gultekin

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  1. Laura May
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  2. Thomas Crisp
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  3. Mehmet Gultekin
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Correspondence to Laura May.

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Laura May is an associate professor in the Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA; email: lauramay@gsu.edu. Thomas Crisp is an associate professor in the Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA; email: tcrisp@gsu.edu. Mehmet Gultekin is an assistant professor at Adıyaman University, Adıyaman, Turkey.

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May, L., Crisp, T. & Gultekin, M. The Intersections of Religion and Science in NSTA-OSTB Biographies. Child Lit Educ 53, 468–487 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-021-09460-x

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