Getting Ready to Work with Socio-Scientific Issues in the Classroom: A Study with Argentine Teachers

Abstract

This study observed how Argentine teachers began to implement socio-scientific issue (SSI) approaches following a professional development program, as well as the effect that these approaches had on students´ perspectives of their engagement with science lessons. Fifty teachers participated in an introductory workshop after which they identified challenges or opportunities they perceived from the approaches suggested. Then, three teachers participated in a personalized year-long follow-up that supported them in introducing the SSI strategies to their classrooms. Although the teachers were concerned that students might not respond well to the SSI activities, this did not occur, with all teachers feeling satisfied with the experience and student progress. Throughout the follow-up, all the teachers were able to implement some elements of SSI approaches although the extent to which this was successful and endured over time depended on each teacher’s initial starting points with regards to both their content knowledge and views of science learning. Our results suggest that providing teachers with a chance to strengthen their practice in a stepwise manner, starting with the implementation of given or co-planned activities, before moving on to more individual adaptations and full adoption of the different techniques and strategies, has the potential to increase the engagement, interest and perception of relevance of science education for students.