Exploring the Classroom Dynamics Among Science Teachers' Evolutionary Subject-Matter Knowledge, Personal Beliefs, and Instructional Alignment

• In Event: 16.053 - Argumentation and Communication in Science Education

Abstract

There exists little research that explores the relationship seen among science teachers’ subject matter knowledge (SMK), personal beliefs (PB), and knowledge of instructional strategies when teaching the often misunderstood topic of evolution. This exploratory study reports an attempt to describe the relationship from a qualitative perspective between these components of a teacher’s knowledge base through the participation of four biology teachers within the same department and how this relationship may either support or question underlying assumptions about SMK-PB and pedagogical content knowledge for instructional strategies. This was done mainly by triangulating classroom events with multiple teacher interviews in which each teacher answered SMK-PB type questions. Findings revealed some inconsistency within the envisioned SMK-PB-knowledge of instructional strategies relationship among these teachers.

Author

• Margaret M. Lucero, Santa Clara University