Abstract
This study explored the accumulated personal practical knowledge of six experienced science teachers in teaching SSI. The guiding research questions were: 1) how did they develop their understanding of SSI and their goals for teaching SSI over many years, and 2) what are the practical issues that the teachers have experienced while addressing SSI in science classrooms. The data source included individual interviews with six science teachers. Each interview lasted 50-70 minutes long and was audio-taped. Data was analyzed based on the methods suggested by Miles and Huberman (1994). Results indicated that, although their motivations for teaching SSI were personal and different, two major categories emerged. One group of teachers was mainly motivated by SSI itself, and the other group was motivated by the teaching aspects that SSI brings. The SSI-oriented group was very sensitive to SSI as it occurs in contemporary society. The teaching-oriented group paid more attention to the educational benefits that addressing SSI could bring to students. Their motivations for teaching SSI influenced how they set up their purposes for teaching, and their purposes for teaching guided them to use appropriate teaching strategies to make their SSI teaching more effective. All of their practical concerns were also connected to their basic motivations for teaching SSI.
Published Version
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