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英国Teachers TVのイミフな世論調査


Guardian がTeachers TVによる英国教師に対するインテリジェントデザインおよび創造論教育についての調査結果を報道した。

"This poll data confirms that the debate on whether there is a place for the teaching of creationism in the classroom is still fierce," said Andrew Bethell, chief executive of Teachers TV. Teachers TV emailed 10,600 education professionals, of which 1,210 responded. Because the sample is self-selecting, only those teachers with the strongest views might have replied.

Most controversially, 29% said they either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the government's guidelines on teaching evolution which states that "creationism and intelligent design are not part of the science national curriculum programmes of study and should not be taught as science". Fifty-three per cent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement.

Thirty-one per cent of respondents and 18% of the 248 science teachers in the sample said they thought creationism or intelligent design should be given the same status as evolution in the classroom, although this question did not specify whether it was referring to science lessons or the curriculum in general. Twenty-two respondents said they had been pressured to teach creationism or intelligent design by their school.


この報道記事を書いたJames Randersonは、解説記事では、この調査がイミフだと評している。

But we should take this survey with a pinch of salt. Firstly, the sample of 1210 is self-selecting - these are people who responded to a survey that was emailed to 10,600 education professionals. So it is possible that people at both extremes of the debate would be more likely to reply.

しかし、この調査は、話半分に聞くべきだろう。そもそも、サンプル1210名は、メールを受け取った10,600名の教育関係者のうち、自主的に回答した人々である。従って、論争の両極の人々が回答してきそうだ。

Also, only a minority of the respondents would actually be teaching evolution anyway - 336 were at primary school, 61 weren't teachers at all and just 248 are actually science teachers. Does it matter what an English or Religious Education teacher thinks about what is taught in science lessons?

さらに、回答者の少数が実際に進化論を教える立場にある。336名は小学校教師であり、61名は教師ではなく、248名だけが理科教師である。英語や宗教教育の教師が理科の授業で教えるべき内容をどう考えようが問題ではない。

One of the most controversial findings was that 31% of the total (and 18% of science teachers) believed that intelligent design and creationism deserved "equal status" in the classroom. But unfortunately, the question did not specify which classroom it was referring to - science or RE?

もっとも論争となる調査結果は、全体の31%(理科教師の18%)が、インテリジェントデザインと創造論を進化論と同じ扱いで授業で教えるべきだと回答していることだ。しかし、残念ながら、質問は理科の授業か宗教の授業か、どちらかを指定していない。


調査対象10,600のうち回答者1210という段階で、調査としては終わっている。ほぼ無意味。Teachers TVは何がしたかったのやら。

James Randersonは報道記事では淡々と事実を書いているが、その点を解説記事で斬っている。Guardianはこういった形で、事実と意見を切り分けて扱っているようだ。





最終更新:2010年01月13日 00:48