Religiosity and Acceptance of Evolution Predict Career Choices Among College Biology Students

• In Event: Beliefs and Reasoning in Biology Learning

Abstract

Although students pursue degrees in biology more than any other hard sciences, most college biology graduates intend to become health professionals rather than biologists. In this study, we explored two factors that may be related to students’ career choices in biology: acceptance of evolution and religiosity. Using regressions, we found that acceptance of evolution predicts students’ career choices. Further, we found that the relationship between acceptance of evolution and career choice is mediated by religiosity. Highly religious students are more than three times less likely to pursue careers as biologists compared to non-religious students. These data suggest that to recruit more college students to become biologists we may need to consider biology students’ religious identities.

Authors

• Elizabeth Barnes, Arizona State University

• Gale M. Sinatra, University of Southern California

• Sara Brownell, Arizona State University