Abstract
The purpose of this study is to understand the roles of a biology teacher in different stages in the instruction of controversial socio-scientific issues of “genetically modified food” — ranging from preparation, practice to reflection. It also examines the problems the teacher faces and his solutions. The sources of data include classroom observation, interviews with the teacher, teacher’s journals and teaching plans. The results show that the teacher plays multiple roles in the teaching process; such multiplicity of teaching roles manifests that the teacher is more than a knowledge transmitter at each phase. Among the different stages of instruction, the most difficult part for the teacher was the preparatory stage, in which the teacher as a curriculum designer has to incorporate and organize knowledge of wide-ranging subject matters with his prior knowledge and experiences. Lacking self-confidence, the teacher, therefore, has to ask others for help to finish the design of the unit. Meanwhile, unfamiliarity with the contents and procedures turn the teacher into a novice. Besides, throughout the process of instruction the observed teacher was unaware of his changing roles. It was only after interviews with the researcher that the teacher developed a greater insight into the consequences of his implementation. He became more autonomous in teaching work after he reflected on the whole experience of curriculum design and practice. Because the teacher was both the “reflective practitioner” and the “learner” in this teaching experiment, he has significantly improved in terms of his own professional development.
| Keywords: | secondary school; controversial socio-scientific issues; science instruction; case study; teacher’s roles in teaching |
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