Atheists in Education - a request

[Duppers]

A research team at Ohio University is seeking teachers who are willing to be interviewed for a study of the experiences of teachers who identify themselves as non-believers. It involves a phone interview that lasts about 45-60 minutes.

If you know of anyone who is a atheist/agnostic/rationalist/free-thinker teacher, please pass along Aimee Howley's email address ([e-mail]). She is the researcher and is hoping to get 40-50 teachers to interview. As far as they can find, there is no existing research thus far about the impact of being a non-believer in education.

Thanks.

[laconicsax]

1. I'm not sure, but I think posting that e-mail address is a TOS violation.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=termsofservice[div class="excerpt" style="border-left: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-right: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-radius: 0.3077em 0.3077em 0em 0em; box-shadow: 2px 2px 6px #bfbfbf;"]Respect people's privacy.[div class="excerpt" style="border-left: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-right: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-radius: 0em 0em 0.3077em 0.3077em; background-color: #f4f4f4; box-shadow: 2px 2px 6px #bfbfbf;"]Do not post or link to any private/personal information about any person, even if it is publicly available elsewhere on the Internet.

You may want to edit it out. Maybe ask that people interested PM?

[Jokerman]

2. In this district, that would be professional suicide.

Sure, this is a public school and we are all public employees but the local god squad, which includes the administrators, would make my life hell until I quit or some excuse is fabricated to fire me.

There is no "freedom from religion" when your livelyhood depends on the approval of small minded people.

[Goblinmonger]

3. Do they need non-beleivers that are out?

Because good luck with that. You will only get representation from very specific and liberal-leaning communities.

[Duppers]

4. I don't think so. All responses will be very confidential...

This is according to the gal who sent out the notice to all members of our MeetUp atheist group.

I just did a copy and paste here, trying to help out the researcher - not trying to 'out' anyone and neither is she.

[Goblinmonger]

5. No, I didn't think they were looking to out anyone.

Just wondering if the survey needed teachers that WERE out.

[Duppers]

8. I do not know

But I would'nt think that necessary.

[lindysalsagal]

12. My school district wouldn't even care if they called up and said, "Hey!

you know that teacher of yours? She's a heathen!"

My district wouldn't care. But it's obvious they never would, from the consent form they sent me.

[RebelOne]

6. My daughter is an educator and an atheist,

but I doubt that she would take the survey

[lindysalsagal]

7. I just sent her an email. We'll see.

?

[lindysalsagal]

9. I've got the consent form. Looks like I'll do the study. Cool!

I'm looking forward to hearing their questions. Thanks!

[Duppers]

10. Great!

Hope it goes well.

[lindysalsagal]

14. Aimee called. It was fun.

She really put up with me and my unusual ideas. I wonder where it's going, because her questions were really open-ended. The participants will really shape the project. I am looking forward to reading her final product.

[Deep13]

11. What education level.

I teach a college history class.

[Duppers]

15. I think all levels.

You could email her and find out.

[mike_c]

13. I'll volunteer if they're looking for atheists in higher ed....

'Course we're pretty easy to find, so I doubt that there's any shortage of interviewees from university faculty.