Mansour, N. (2010). The impact of the knowledge and beliefs of Egyptian science teachers in integrating a STS based curriculum: A Sociocultural Perspective. Journal of Science Teacher Education. 21(4), 513- 534. (original) (raw)
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Journal of Science Teacher Education, 2010
The failure of much curriculum innovation has been attributed to the neglect by innovators of teachers' perceptions. The purpose of this study was to investigate inservice science teachers views of integrating Science, Technology and Society (STS) issues into the science curriculum and identify the factors that influence their decisions concerning integrating STS issues (or not). The study used mixed methods (questionnaire and interviews) with Egyptian science teachers who teach science courses for 12-to 14-year-old students. The findings indicate that unless curriculum developers take account of teachers' beliefs and knowledge and the sociocultural factors that shape or influence those beliefs in designing and planning new STS curriculum materials, these materials are unlikely to be implemented according to their intended plan.
Science Teachers' Perspectives on Science-Technology-Society (STS) in Science Education
Research supports the idea that teachers are crucial change agents in educational reform and that teachers' beliefs are precursors to change. This study investigates Egyptian science teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning science through Science Technology and Society STS education. Data were collected using a questionnaire. The findings of this study suggest that the Egyptian science teachers hold mixed beliefs (constructivist and traditional) concerning science education goals, their roles and their students' roles within teaching and learning science through STS and concerning teaching/learning science through STS. The findings shed light on the relationship between teachers' beliefs and their practises. Lastly, the study revealed a number of factors that caused inconsistency between teachers' beliefs and their practices.
Research supports the idea that teachers are crucial change agents in educational reform and that teachers' beliefs are precursors to change. This study investigates Egyptian science teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning science through Science Technology and Society STS education. Data were collected using a questionnaire. The findings of this study suggest that the Egyptian science teachers hold mixed beliefs (constructivist and traditional) concerning science education goals, their roles and their students' roles within teaching and learning science through STS and concerning teaching/learning science through STS. The findings shed light on the relationship between teachers' beliefs and their practises. Lastly, the study revealed a number of factors that caused inconsistency between teachers' beliefs and their practices.
2017
The main aim of this thesis is to study the views of High School Science Teachers in Al Ain about the inclusion of Socio-Scientific Issues (SSIs) in the curriculum. The problem statement relies on addressing the gap in the literature when addressing the inclusion of SSIs especially in the UAE context. To address this gap, a survey was conducted amongst High School Science Teachers for a better understanding of their views. The study showed that Science Teachers (from the sample) agreed with the inclusion of SSIs into the curriculum. They also identified resources, teaching strategies and knowledge as the top three factors that facilitate the inclusion of SSIs into the curriculum. As for factors that impede inclusion, the science teachers identified teaching strategies for real classroom situations, maturity of students and the influence of SSIs on participation levels as the top three factors. It was also found that there was statistically significance differences between the views of the teachers based on their prior knowledge as measured by courses related to SSIs studied with regards to inclusion of SSIs into the curriculum and based on teachers who have undergone PD courses about SSIs against those who did not. There was a significance difference also between the views of the teachers that studied SSI courses or teachers that did not study SSI courses with regards to factors that facilitate inclusion of SSIs into the curriculum and the teachers who have undergone PD courses about SSIs and teachers who have not, (in favor of the former). There were also statistically significant differences between the views of teachers with regards to inclusion, factors that facilitate and impede the inclusion of SSIs into the curriculum based on their specializations (subject taught).
International Journal of Instruction, 2020
The purpose of this study was to examine the views of secondary school science teachers regarding the inclusion of socio-scientific issues (SSI) in the curriculum, and the factors that may facilitate or impede their inclusion. A survey administered to 130 science teachers of different background and experiences. The findings revealed that science teachers had positive views on the inclusion of SSI in the curriculum. Participants identified resources, teaching strategies, and knowledge as factors that facilitated the inclusion of SSI in the curriculum. Factors that could impede the inclusion of SSI in the curriculum included the need to implement teaching strategies based on actual socio-scientific issues, students' lack of maturity, and cultural influences that might limit participation levels. There were statistically significance differences between the views of science teachers who had prior knowledge of SSI, and the SSI content provided in the professional development programs attended. Science teachers' prior knowledge and professional development programs attended have also affected their views about the factors that facilitate or impede the inclusion of SSI in the curriculum. The findings were discussed in the context of science education research and how science teachers might adapt the science curriculum to effectively incorporate SSI.
School Science and Mathematics, 1990
Science and technology play an integral role in today's society. A heightened concern for the integration of technology into the nation's schools has been stimulated by a series of reports in recent years (e.g., National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983; National Science Board, 1983; Twentieth Century Fund Task Force on Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Policy, 1983). These reports and others have, in varying degrees, influenced the debate within the science education community relative to the theme of science, technology, and society education, known as STS. The need to have STS an integrating theme in science programs has been eloquently argued by the proponents of STS (Harms & Yager, 1981; National Science Teachers Association, 1982; Yager, 1987; Yager, 1987). Central to the debate is a focus on the needs of students to understand and make decisions on STS issues that impact their lives. The STS approach encompasses the idea that many of our societal issues are connected to science and technology; therefore, student retention of technology concepts and information is best accomplished by grounding the teaching in socially relevant issues. According to the National Science Board (1983),^Curriculum should be organized around problem-solving skills, real-life issues and personal and community decision-making" (p. 16). Although there has been much discussion on the rationale and goals of STS in science programs, limited efforts have been focused on the attitudes and perceptions of science teachers and their role in implementing the STS theme into the curriculum. However, others (Bybee & Bonnstetter, 1986) have discussed science teachers* perception of global problems, policy issues, and their implications for the science curriculum relative to STS education. A major responsibility for changing existing attitudes and practices rests with the public education system. It is science educators who will have to deal with the changing curriculum, impact of new knowledge and appropriate methodology for instruction. Implicit in consideration of such a role for public education are perceptional and attitudinal changes, not only for students, important as they are, but for teachers as well.
Science and Technology Teachers’ Views of Primary School Science and Technology Curriculum
This phenomenographic study attempts to explicit science and technology teachers' views of primary school science and technology curriculum. Participants of the study were selected through opportunistic sampling and consisted of 30 science and technology teachers teaching in primary schools in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. Data were collected through an open-ended question form, and content analyzed. The reliability was computed as 97%. Findings revealed that there are four themes generated; "a glance at the goals of primary school science and technology curriculum", "a glance at the content of primary school science and technology curriculum", "a glance at the teaching-learning process of primary school science and technology curriculum" and "a glance at the evaluation process of primary school science and technology curriculum". Participants' views were discussed under these themes.