The effect of gender on the attitudes of undergraduates toward young-earth creationism after enrollment in an origins course

Many Christian students graduate from secondary schools and enter Christian colleges with worldviews that are unbiblical or contain unbiblical components, many of which stem from their beliefs regarding origins. Little research has been done to study the effect of gender on the role of a young-earth creationist (YEC) origins course in shaping students' worldview. Research has shown that males and females respond differently to science and religion instruction; because the origins discussion is an intersection of science and religion, the study of gender's effect in developing a Bible-based worldview is important so that Christian colleges might more effectively guide their students in developing that biblical worldview. The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to determine whether students' gender affected their YEC worldview components after enrollment in a YEC origins course while controlling for their pre-course worldviews. A sample of 315 residential students enrolled in a YEC origins course at a conservative Christian college in the Southeast completed the Creationist Worldview Scale before and after taking the course; the survey also contained a demographic questionnaire that collected information regarding students' gender, major, classification, ethnicity, and secondary schooling. The data were analyzed using a one way ANCOVA. There were no statistically significant differences between male and female students' posttest age scores or posttest science scores, but there was a significant difference between their posttest theology scores. Suggestions for further research are also included.