Science teachers' opinions, teaching practices, and evaluations regarding the teaching of socio-scientific issues

This study aims to thoroughly examine science teachers' perspectives on socio-scientific issues (SSI) and their teaching, their experiences during the teaching process, and their evaluations of these experiences. Additionally, by comparing teachers' perspectives, their teaching experiences, and their evaluations of these experiences, the study seeks to identify and analyze the similarities and differences between their views and practices. A qualitative case study design was employed in the research. The study group consisted of seven science teachers working in public middle schools affiliated with the District Directorate of National Education in Alanya, Antalya, during the 2022-2023 academic year. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to determine the participants' views on SSI and its teaching, as well as their evaluations of their experiences in the SSI teaching process, and semi-structured observations were conducted to examine their teaching experiences in-depth and in a natural environment. A deductive analysis of the data was performed, and the findings were meaningfully correlated. According to the results, participants could explain the fundamental characteristics of SSI and chose SSI topics that promoted age-appropriate learning outcomes in their teaching. Teachers demonstrated awareness of the benefits of SSI teaching for students. They agreed on the importance of conducting preparatory work before teaching and used the materials they prepared for specific purposes. Teachers stated that they employed lecture, question-and-answer, and discussion methods in SSI teaching and integrated the discussion method into the application process. The participants indicated that they might encounter challenges in SSI teaching at the student, teacher, and curriculum levels. Teachers who faced various difficulties during the teaching process emphasized the importance of conducting research on the topic. They identified critical points to consider in SSI teaching in parallel with the difficulties they experienced, and they faced fewer challenges than anticipated during the teaching process. Most of the teachers took on a participatory role during the teaching process and generally acted in line with the positions they selected when expressing their views. Based on the study's findings, recommendations were made for teachers, teacher educators, and researchers.