People’s beliefs are based on past experiences, but not always on facts. Have you ever expected someone to act a certain way based on your previous experience with her and then you said, “Ah ha!” when did you see an example of such behavior? That’s an example of confirmation bias, the human propensity to find ways to defend an existing hypothesis, and it’s not a good thing. As a homeschool teacher, you should be aware of your own tendency to present only information that is consistent with your preconceptions. This is a particular danger when it comes to teaching science.
Selective thinking
There are many ways that the foundation of confirmation can negatively affect our thoughts and our lives. Like racial bias toward a particular category of people, confirmation bias toward data can cause you to stray from particular concepts or freely accept incorrect information. It leads you to seek only the information that defends your beliefs and avoids contradictory information because it does not fit your belief system.
We see evidence of this on the news all the time, especially around election season. Those who favor one political candidate over the other will enthusiastically cling to any favorable information regarding the chosen candidate while refuting, or even attempting to conceal, degrading facts. You’ll also do the opposite: happily share anything that makes the other guy look bad.
He also comes to play to confirm our superstitions. Let’s say you think walking upside down the sidewalk at noon on Wednesday brings you good luck. As he does so, he sees a black cat who decides to cross the street instead of crossing his path. Then you see a piece of paper wedged into the crack in the sidewalk and pick it up only to find that it is actually a hundred dollar bill. Even though you may have gotten drenched with a truck passing through a puddle and missed an important appointment because it took too long to get there, your mind will focus only on the good things that happened because it confirms your belief that walking backwards is positive.
Selective teaching
In terms of teaching, confirmation bias can easily slip into any day’s schedule, but especially during science lessons.
One way this is often evidenced is through the home school parent’s chosen curriculum. If they describe themselves as Christian, they will choose only science textbooks that defend their views of creationism. On the other hand, secular homeschoolers tend to seek scientific resources that focus strictly on facts and often introduce Darwinism and the Big Bang theory to their children.
While there is nothing wrong with any of those views, it could be a disservice to your children to present only those views. Due to confirmation bias, which leads parents to actively seek and teach only scientific facts that support their personal views, many parents deny a full and balanced education to their children. This can be especially confusing for children who can easily find differing opinions online and through other resources. How will you explain the Big Bang theory to children who have only been taught that God created all things in the universe?
Rather than trying to explain it, it would be better to present both scientific worldviews and show how both can fit into a Christian creationist worldview. The children are intelligent. They know how to discover and explore the facts that can elude them and avoid a real and deep understanding of scientific topics.
Information is not to be feared because it is just that: information. Don’t let your personal confirmation bias prevent your child from receiving a well-rounded education. As a homeschool science teacher, it’s your job to fearlessly give them all the information they ask for and help them investigate further.