Investigating preservice science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge in the context of socio-scientific issues

The purpose of this research is to investigate preservice science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge within the socio-scientific issues context. Pedagogical content knowledge qualities were investigated on the basis of "students' understanding of science" and "instructional strategies" components. Holistic multiple case study design of qualitative research approach was adapted in this study. Criteria sampling method of purposeful sampling was used to select study group of the study. Those criteria were preservice teachers' self-efficacy beliefs toward socio-scientific issues teaching and their grade level. Those were assumed that preservice teachers who have higher self-efficacy beliefs toward socio-scientific issues teaching than preservice teachers who have lower self-efficacy beliefs toward socio-scientific issues teaching and preservice teachers who are in the third grade of university education than preservice teachers who are in the first or second grades of university education have deeper pedagogical content knowledge. Based on these criteria, data were collected from the three preservice science teachers who were in the third grade in the fall semester of 2018-2019 instructional year at the education faculty of the Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University. Qualitative data that were collected by semi-structured interview form were analyzed by descriptive analysis. Results of the analysis indicate that preservice science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge were not qualified enough in the dimensions of "students' science understanding" and "instructional strategies". Based on results of the study, suggestions were shared for science teacher undergraduate program and science teacher educators and for science education researchers who will study in this field in the future.