Mood of the Nation: How Americans think schools should teach about race, evolution and sex

by ELISABETH GAWTHROP and CRAIG HELMSTETTER | Feb. 7, 2022

Bills seeking to give parents more oversight of school curricula are currently under consideration in multiple state legislatures. NBC News has reported that at least 12 states have proposed legislation that requires transparency of school curricula, but some argue that the bills are a guise for policies that amount to censorship. 

In Indiana, for example, a bill passed last month bans the teaching of divisive topics and allows parents to sue schools that they think violate the ban. In Tennessee, the McMinn County school board voted to remove “Maus”, a graphic novel about the Holocaust, from its curriculum. And in Viginia, newly-elected governor Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order ending the teaching of critical race theory, even as educators said the theory was not part of the state’s curriculum to begin with.

The latest Mood of the Nation Poll results reveal some of the complexity of public opinion about this issue — including that most Americans do not think state legislatures and governors should have a “great deal of influence” over how slavery and racism are taught. On the other hand, parents of school children received the most support of any group to have “a great deal of influence” over how those subjects are taught. Specifically on the topic of how slavery and racism are taught in schools, ninety percent believe that schools have a responsibility to teach about slavery, but the public is divided on whether schools should teach about contemporary racism.

Overall, the new poll results indicate that Americans favor parents and teachers the most in having influence over how slavery and racism are taught. State departments of education and local school boards both received middling support for influence, with local citizens close behind. State legislatures and governors received the least support for having influence. Respondents could choose more than group to have “a great deal of influence” in their preferences. These findings are from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State’s most recent Mood of the Nation Poll, conducted Nov. 30-Dec. 7.

The poll also asked participants about who should influence the teaching of two other controversial topics — evolution and sex education. The overall trends were similar, with parents and teachers enjoying the most support for influence. On the subject of sex education, parents in particular were favored, with 51% of Americans saying they should have a great deal of influence. 

Respondents were also questioned about how the three topics should be taught. Other key findings include: 

• A majority of Republicans (66%) believe that schools should teach about historical slavery, but not contemporary race relations, as do a plurality of White Americans (48%), and born-again Christians (48%).

• Ninety percent of Americans say schools should teach scientific evolution, half of whom think this should be combined with the teaching of biblical perspectives about creation.

• Twenty-five percent of born-again Christians think that the schools should only teach biblical perspectives on creationism, as do 22% of Black Americans.

• Three-fourths of the public believes that students taking sexual education should learn about how contraception works as well as the dangers of STDs. One-fourth believes that only the dangers of STDs should be taught and that abstinence until marriage be recommended.

More detailed results on each of these topics below:

• Opinions on how slavery and race should be taught

• Opinions on how evolution should be taught

• Opinions on how sex education should be taught

Opinions on how slavery and race should be taught

Survey participants were presented with the question: “Public schools everywhere are trying to determine how to teach about the history of race and racial discrimination in the United States. How much influence should each of the following groups have in deciding how to teach about slavery and race in your local public schools?” The poll also included an open-ended question asking respondents to provide their reasons for designating some entities as having “a great deal of influence”. Some of those answers are included below.

A majority of born-again Christians (59%) and Republicans (59%) indicate that parents of school children should have “a great deal of influence” over the teaching of slavery and race in local schools, compared to just 24% of Democrats. In their words:

“Parents are more likely not to want CRT [critical race theory] taught.” – 44-year-old White female Republican from Missouri who identifies as a born-again Christian and who indicated parents of children attending public schools should have a great deal of influence.

“Because CRT [critical race theory] tells white kids that they are, and their race is, evil and blames them for discrimination.” – 36-year-old White female Independent from California who does not identify as a born-again Christian and who indicated local citizens and parents of children attending public schools should have a great deal of influence.

Social studies teachers were more favored by Democrats, with 49% of Democrat respondents indicating the teachers should have “a great deal of influence” teaching these topics. Only 16% of Republicans felt the same. In their words:

“Because they are the ones setting the curriculum. There is a need to instruct everyone in actual facts. Parents and local citizens, politicians don't always appreciate fact.” – 55-year-old Native American male Democrat from Oregon who does not identify as a born-again Christian and who indicated the department of education and social studies teachers should have a great deal of influence.

“The experience has knowledge that no book can tell.” – 41-year-old Black female Democrat from Ohio who did not identify as a born-again Christian and who indicated social studies teachers and parents of children attending public schools should have a great deal of influence.

“Because most governments are leaning toward critical race theory which basically says all white people are racist it doesn't take into account where you're from. Because people aren't born racist they are taught it.” – 53-year-old White male Independent from Idaho who does not identify as born-again Christian who indicated social studies teachers should have a great deal of influence.

About one-quarter of Americans believe that state departments of education and local school boards should have “a great deal of influence” over how slavery and race is taught in the public schools. The strongest group supporting both authorities were Black Americans. Democrats also favored state departments of education, with more than one-third of Democrats indicating state departments of education should wield a great deal of influence, compared with only 13% of Republicans. In their words:

“They should have more influence than local citizens and parents of children attending public schools because there should be consistency and objectivity when it comes to teaching about race.” – 21-year-old Asian male Democrat from California who does not identify as born-again Christian and who indicated the state department of education, the state legislature and governor, the local school board, and social studies teachers all should have a great deal of influence.

On the question of if and how racism and slavery should be taught in schools, 90% believe that schools have a responsibility to teach about slavery. That group is split, however, on whether contemporary racial issues should be taught. Those who tend to most favor teaching about the on-going effects of slavery and racism include Black Americans (79%) and Democrats, including political Independents who lean Democrat (77%).

Notably, while at least 2 in 5 from most groups believe that schools should be teaching the on-going effects of slavery and racism, fewer than 1 in 5 Republicans—only 16%—indicate that schools have this responsibility.

Opinions on how evolution should be taught

Nearly 2 in 5 adults indicate that parents of children attending public schools should exercise “a great deal of influence” over how evolution is taught. Born-again Christians and Republicans are particularly supportive of parents’ influence over how evolution is taught: nearly 3 in 5 of each of these groups indicates that parents should wield “a great deal” of influence. There is also somewhat of a generational split in terms of support for parents’ influence, with a notably higher proportion of those age 45 and older supporting the influence of parents. In their words:

“It depends on a person's religious belief. If they believe, as I do, that man was created by God, then I think they should decide what and how their children should be taught concerning evolution.” –61-year-old Black female Democrat from Florida who identifies as a born-again Christian and who indicated parents of children attending public schools should have a great deal of influence.

“Parents decide what is taught to their children. The more input/control parents have, the more likely to keep their children in public school.” –58-year-old White male Republican from the state of Washington who identifies as a born-again Christian who indicated local school board, local citizens, and parents of children attending public schools all should have a great deal of influence.

Americans also support science teachers, with 36% indicating they should have “a great deal of influence” over how evolution is taught. The groups that support the strong influence of science teachers include Democrats, those who do not identify as born-again Christian and those who have attained a bachelor’s degree or more. In their words:

“Experts are, by definition, authorities on a given subject. I am a person of faith, and I still believe in science and evidence. Therefore, if someone needs to learn about science, they should be taught science.” – 42-year-old White male Democrat from Florida who does not identify as a born-again Christian and who indicated science teachers should have a great deal of influence.

About one-quarter think that each state government’s department of education and local school boards should have “a great deal of influence” on the teaching of evolution. This includes about one-third of Black Americans, compared to roughly one-fifth of White Americans, and 34% of Democrats, compared with 16% of Republicans. In their words:

“This is an area in which there isn't room for debate. There are scientific facts that are irrefutable and to teach otherwise is irresponsible.” –39-year-old Asian male Democrat from North Carolina who does not identify as a born-again Christian and who indicated state departments of education and the local school board should have a great deal of influence.

As for if and how evolution and biblical creationism should be taught, 90% percent of adults believe that schools should teach about the scientific evidence for the evolution of human beings, half of whom favor teaching only the scientific perspective and half of whom favor also teaching biblical perspectives on creation. Overall, 54% believe that schools should teach biblical perspectives on creation, including 10% of all adults who believe that schools should only teach biblical perspectives.

Several groups favor a “scientific evolution only” position, including a majority of those younger than 45, a majority of those in the “other” racial category—which includes Asian, American Indian and Alaskan Natives, Asian, Pacific Islander, and multiracial Americans, and 61% of those with an annual family income of $100,000 or more.

A 66% majority of those who identify as born-again Christians prefer that the schools teach biblical perspectives on creationism and scientific evolution. One-fourth of this group believes that schools should be teaching biblical creationism and avoiding scientific evolution altogether. Twenty-two percent of Black Americans also believe that schools should only be teaching biblical creationism.

Opinions on how sex education should be taught

Overall, Americans are very supportive of parents shaping how schools approach their sexual education curriculum, with half indicating that parents of school children should have “a great deal of influence.” Health teachers receive the next most support, with 40% indicating that they should have “a great deal of influence” over how the subject is taught.

As with the other topics, state departments of education and local school boards receive the next level of support for influence (22% each), followed by local citizens (16%) and finally state legislatures and governors (9%).

Strong majorities of Republicans (72%), born-again Christians (66%), and those age 65 or older (63%) believe that parents of school children should have “a great deal of influence” over how sex education is taught. In their words:

“Because they are the parents of the children, and therefore most responsible for what they are taught.” –68-year-old Native American female Republican from Arizona who does not identify as born-again Christian and who indicated parents of children attending public schools should have a great deal of influence.

“Because government departments of education don’t care about students. Parents should be teaching them about safety along with health teachers and professionals.” –28-year-old Hispanic male Democrat from the state of New York who does not identify as born-again Christian and who indicated health teachers and parents of children attending public schools should have a great deal of influence.

Fifty percent of Black Americans and 58% of Democrats believe that health teachers should have “a great deal of influence” over how sexual education is taught in schools. And compared to other groups, somewhat higher proportions of both Black Americans and Democrats favor giving sex education influence to local school boards and state departments of education In their words:

“Tendency for more bias and wanting to restrict proper sex education to students the more localized the group of deciders get.” – 23-year-old Asian female Democrat from the state of New York who does not identify as born-again Christian and who indicated the state government’s department of education and health teachers should have “a great deal of influence” on how sexual education is taught.

“Local teachers have a rapport with students and can build a trust with them. That is key to sex education.” – 63-year-old White female Republican from Georgia who does not identify as born-again Christian and who indicated the local school board and health teachers should have a great deal of influence.

When asked whether students should be taught about how to avoid pregnancy by explaining how birth control and contraceptives work, 76% of Americans agreed. The remaining 24% agreed with the statement that abstinence should instead be recommended. This split was consistent across most demographic groups, with the exceptions being along religious and political lines. Among born-again Christians, 55% thought that contraceptives should be in the curriculum, while 46% instead prefer abstinence education. Amongst Democrats, those figures were 88% and 12%, respectively, and amongst Republicans, 63% and 37%, respectively.

PARTNER FOR THIS SURVEY

The McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State promotes scholarship and practical innovations that defend and advance democracy in the United States and abroad. Through teaching, research, and public outreach, the Institute leverages the resources of Penn State and partners around the world to foster a model of deliberation, policymaking, and responsiveness that is passionate, informed, and civil.

The Institute’s Mood of the Nation poll offers a unique approach to public opinion polling. It allows Americans to speak in their own words through open-ended questions that focus on emotions like anger and hope, as well as commitment to constitutional principles.

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