Sisyphus — Journal of Education

Socio-Scientific Controversies and Science Teachers Training

2024-10-30T11:05:00+00:00

Socio-Scientific Issues in Initial Teacher Training

2024-07-24T09:12:46+01:00

The article presents a reflection derived from a systematic review of literature on initial teacher training (ITT) and the implementation of socio-scientific issues (SSI), as an essential tool in the ITT of science teachers, with emphasis on chemistry teachers in formation, as a population study of the research project that supports this reflection. SSI stand out as an opportunity to contribute to scientific literacy (SL) with democratizing goals of science, beyond functional SL, especially in a post-pandemic context, characterized by the need to innovate in methodologies to develop motivation and critical thinking, valuing scientific knowledge in context and territory, for responsible citizenship. The integration of SSI into the ITT challenged traditional and dogmatic practices, moving towards a contextually relevant education. The reflection is situated in the Chilean context, with the objective of stressing the ITT in science and its purpose.

Addressing Socio-scientific and Historical Scientific Controversies to Promote Critical Thinking in Teacher Training in Sciences

2024-07-15T18:16:22+01:00

This study analyzes the assessments and experiences associated with the implementation of socio-scientific controversies and historical scientific controversies in science teaching courses in a teacher training institution in Chile. For its development, an instrumental case study with a descriptive-interpretative approach was adopted. The research involved the assessment of 132 future teachers, the collection of the retrospective report of the teacher trainer, and the memories of activities carried out over six years, covering six generations of students. The results reported various positive evaluations, highlighting the promotion of critical thinking and commitment to learning. It is concluded that addressing socio-scientific controversies and historical scientific controversies are highly valued strategies for promoting critical thinking in future teachers while providing them with tools to address complex topics in the science classroom.

Arsenic in Water as a Socio-scientific Controversy for the Critical Training of Teachers in Environmental and Food Issues

2024-09-11T14:22:59+01:00

This paper presents an investigation about the importance of the use of Socio-Scientific Controversies (SSC) in teacher training based on a topic of current interest that encompasses environmental and food education. For this reason, a didactic sequence (DS) is proposed on the environmental problems of arsenic (As) in water and two SSIs are raised: 1) the legal limits of As in water and 2) the contamination of water with As as a result of the urbanization of wetlands. The DS was applied to teachers of a continuous training on Environment, Development and Society in the last year of secondary school. The objective is to know how the use of SSC allows us to incorporate aspects of the nature of science, develop critical thinking and work on motivational and current topics of interest. The results obtained, through validated qualitative and quantitative techniques, show a change in the teachers' conception of these issues.

Teacher Training Needs in the Context of the New Mexican School and the Development of the Socio-Scientific Controversy of COVID-19

2024-07-15T18:21:26+01:00

In this research, a qualitative content analysis is conducted on the foundations of the current Mexican curricular framework, which is part of the basic education reform known as the New Mexican School. These foundations are compared with the perspectives of two sixth-grade teachers who work with children aged 11 to 12. In this context, teachers face demands such as addressing school content through interdisciplinarity and contextualizing learning by developing projects with their students. This study presents the pathways for teacher training that emerge from this analysis, framed by the approach to the COVID-19 pandemic as a socio-scientific controversy in the classroom.

Emotions of University Students during Inquiry-Based Science Teaching

2024-09-12T10:49:38+01:00

This study examines how the emotions of future teachers towards scientific content (living beings and ecosystems) change when participating in an inquiry-based intervention focused on building hotels in a Natural Park in Spain. The sample included students from the Primary Education Teaching Degree at the University of Huelva, participating in a science didactics course. A Likert-type questionnaire was used to measure the intensity of fourteen emotions at three moments: before, during, and after the intervention. Additionally, interviews, observations, and narratives were conducted to identify the causes that justify the change. The results show that positive emotions recorded the highest intensities at all three moments. There was an increase in all positive emotions, with satisfaction being particularly significant. All negative emotions decreased, especially boredom. Moreover, the change is attributed to the biological nature of the topics and their integration into Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Initial training should incorporate emotional education into a professional knowledge model that includes self-regulation strategies to facilitate emotional maturity and learning.

Scientific Practices in a Teaching Proposal Mediated by a Video Game in the Initial Teacher Training of Biology Teachers

2024-07-15T18:09:33+01:00

In this paper, we present a design-based research developed with a cohort of preservice biology teachers in the subject of Human Biology. We designed a proposal that integrated the video game ‘Plague Inc: Evolved’ to address the COVID-19 pandemic as a socio-scientific issue. In this context, we studied the development of scientific practices concerning the dynamics of the transmission of viral infections and the ideas of students (preservice teachers) about the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in science teaching, specifically on its potential for the development of argumentative and dialogical environments. The changes and progress made during the implementation of the didactic proposal are highlighted. Through a qualitative analysis, we present discussions and theoretical reflections on the development of scientific practices in teacher training.

Teacher Training on Science and Gender in Virtual Environments

2024-07-15T18:00:33+01:00

This paper aims to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by promoting alternative science teaching methods that address the geographical challenges specific to Latin American contexts. It employs information and communication technologies to facilitate continuous teacher training. The study presents the findings of a research project that developed and implemented a didactic proposal for updating science teachers on gender issues through a fully virtual course. The proposal included self-directed activities utilizing a virtual teaching and learning environment. Participant feedback highlights the formation of communities of practice and the integration of socio-scientific content, particularly focusing on the gender perspective in science education.

Socio-scientific Controversies as an Opportunity to Connect with the Territory and to Innovate Through Professional Learning Communities

2024-07-15T18:05:38+01:00

This research explores four teachers’ co-transformation of the practices in a science teacher professional development programme, through the implementation of educational innovations based on socio-scientific controversies with territorial relevance. A reflective thematic analysis is carried out based on four themes: socio-scientific controversies, impact of the learning community, pedagogical innovation and transformation of practices, in different sources such as reflections, focus group transcription and pedagogical innovation plans elaborated by the group. The a priori and emerging themes and sub-themes are identified in the data sources and show results that point to the relevance of the socio-scientific controversies framed in the territory of the Chiloé Archipelago (Chile) as a triggering element of the pedagogical innovation implemented, as well as deep reflections on the practice itself and continuous improvement in the context of collaborative work in community.