Examination of the Views of Science

Teachers Trained in a Project on

Socioscientific Issues
Nurcan Tekin,1 Oktay Aslan,2 Özgül Keleş1

1. Aksaray University, Aksaray, Turkey

2. Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey

Abstract: Socioscientific issues (SSIs) have a scientific basis, have

a dilemma in their nature and are often discussed under political
and social influences. Teachers perceive SSIs as a difficult subject
to teach. This project was carried out to guide teachers in overcom-
ing this difficulty and to enable them to include practices that they
can adapt more easily to their lessons. The purpose of the current
study is to evaluate the views of science teachers on the teaching of
SSIs and the project carried out within the scope of a funding pro-
ject for teaching SSIs. The study was designed according to a sin-
gle-group pre-test post-test experimental design. The study group
the study comprises teachers from different branches of science (15
middle school science teachers, four biology teachers, three physics
teachers and two chemistry teachers) from various provinces of
Türkiye. As the data collection tools of the study, the Project Partic-
ipation Form, the Scale of Views on Teaching Socioscientific Is-
sues, the Know-Want-Learn Form and the Project Evaluation Form
were used. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods were
used together in the evaluation of the data. Because of the study,
the implemented project activities contributed to the development of
the participants’ views on the teaching of SSIs and caused a posi-
tive development in their views on the project. Suggestions were
made considering the results of the project so that guidance could
be provided for teachers and teacher educators.

Science Insights Education Frontiers 2023; 14(1):2013-2037.

Doi: 10.15354/sief.23.or089

How to Cite: Tekin, N., Aslan, O., & Keleş, Ö. (2023). Examination of the
views of science teachers trained in a project on socioscientific issues. Science
Insights Education Frontiers, 14(1):2013-2037.
 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

Keywords: In-Service Teacher Training, Project Results, Science Teachers,

Socioscientific Issues

About the Authors: Nurcan Tekin, PhD, Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Education Facul-
ty, Aksaray University, Aksaray, Turkey, E-mail: [email protected]
Oktay Aslan, Professor, Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Ahmet Keleşoglu Education Fac-
ulty, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey, E-mail: [email protected]
Özgül Keleş, Professor, Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Education Faculty, Aksaray Uni-
versity Aksaray, Turkey, E-mail: [email protected]
Correspondence to: Dr. Nurcan Tekin at Aksaray University of Turkey.
Funding: This research was obtained from the results of a project (Project No: 121B377) funded by the Scientific
and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBITAK).
Conflict of Interests: None

© 2023 Insights Publisher. All rights reserved.

Creative Commons NonCommercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Crea-
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nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided
the original work is attributed by the Insights Publisher.

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 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

Introduction

“
SOCIOSCIENTIFIC issues (SSIs) are up-to-date scientific issues that
closely affect societies and their lives (Sadler, 2004). In other words,
these issues include situations where there is a dilemma, no clear an-
swer, and where decisions may depend on individual values (Zeidler et al.,
2009). Nuclear power plants, nanotechnology, global climate change, clon-
ing, stem cell applications, genetically modified organisms and vaccine stud-
ies can be given as examples of SSIs. The importance of SSIs in science
education comes from there being an important component in the develop-
ment of scientific literacy (Ke et al., 2021; Zeidler, 2014). Therefore, every
science teacher who educates scientifically literate individuals should know
the methods/techniques used in the teaching of SSIs in their lessons and have
sufficient knowledge in the evaluation of students’ SSI knowledge.
SSIs, which are in science curricula in many countries to ensure sci-
entific literacy, were started to be included in the Middle School Science
Curriculum (Ministry of National Education of Türkiye [MoNET], 2013a),
Physics Curriculum (MoNET, 2013b) and Biology Curriculum (MoNET,
2013d), which were prepared in Türkiye in 2013. It has been seen that there
has been an increasing interest in SSIs since then (Tekin et al., 2016). As in
the Science Curriculum (MoNET, 2018a) developed in 2018, socioscientific
objectives were also included in secondary curricula. The subjects covered
by these objectives can be summarized as follows: thermal insulation, global
climate change, solar cells (MoNET, 2018b), acid rain, convenience foods,
fossil fuels (MoNET, 2018c), viruses, biodiversity, organ transplantation,
biotechnology, cloning, agricultural applications (MoNET, 2018d), envi-
ronmental issues, alternative energy sources, nanotechnology (MoNET,
2018b; MoNET, 2018c; MoNET, 2018d). As it can be seen, science teachers
frequently encounter SSIs in their lessons starting from secondary education.
According to Levinson (2013), one of the main dilemmas in teaching SSIs is
whether SSIs addressed in curricula in schools have real-world counterparts.
According to Zeidler et al. (2011), SSIs can be applied formally outside the
school and formally learned at school. However, teachers who want to en-
courage their students to question SSIs, to argue, to reason and to make in-
formed scientific decisions by using lesson plans are expected to act as a
moderator, not as a provider of scientific knowledge. In this connection,
teachers can make improvements in their pedagogical content knowledge
(PCK) possible by using SSIs in their lesson plans. Minken et al. (2021)
stated that because of five months of training, teachers developed PCK com-
ponents related to SSIs by using lesson plans, but that they had difficulties
balancing the social and scientific aspects of SSIs. Here, PCK has an impor-
tant place in the teaching of SSIs in the curriculum. For this, Lee (2016) cre-

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 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

Figure 1. SSI-PCK Components and Relationships (Lee, 2016).

ated a map showing the SSI-PCK components and the relationships between
them (Figure 1).
According to this map, SSI-PCK can be formed by shaping the in-
formation of students about teaching strategies, evaluation, curriculum,
learning content and students’ learning of SSIs for teaching SSIs. Activities
suggested by Macalalag et al. (2020) made this content more understandable.
Accordingly, discussing on SSIs, creating a lesson plan, planning prior
knowledge expected from students, hands-on activities and evaluation of the
lesson all support the efficient teaching of SSIs (Macalalag et al., 2020).
In order for teachers and pre-service teachers to be more closely in-
terested in SSIs, to focus on these issues in their teaching and to develop
their self-efficacy in this regard, these issues should be included in university
education (Topçu et al., 2014). Not only pre-service teachers but also teach-
ers need in-service training to improve their knowledge and skills on these
issues (Topçu et al., 2014). However, in the study by Uluçınar Sağır and
Dolunay (2021), pre-service teachers stated that they do not consider them-
selves be competent in the teaching of SSIs. They attributed their incompe-
tence to the fact that the education they received was insufficient in teaching
these issues and that they did not conduct individual research on these issues.
Similarly, Evagorou and Puig Mauriz (2017) stated that both pre-service and
in-service teachers have difficulties integrating the social aspects of science
into teaching. Kokolaki and Stavrou (2022) stated that this situation is asso-
ciated with teachers’ limited content knowledge of SSIs (lack of knowledge
about non-scientific aspects of the issues such as social, political and moral
dimensions), lack of knowledge about scientific knowledge (inability to in-
terpret scientific evidence and ambiguities) and limited knowledge of SSI
teaching practices and evaluation strategies. When the renewed Council of
Higher Education (CEH) Teacher Training Undergraduate Programs (CEH,
2018) is examined, it is seen that there is no required course related to SSIs
in science, physics, chemistry and biology teaching undergraduate programs.
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 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

However, these issues are included in the content of two elective courses of-
fered in the Science Education Undergraduate Program and in one elective
course in the Physics Teaching Undergraduate Program. Therefore, both pre-
service teachers and teachers need in-service training to improve their
knowledge and skills on these issues. Project studies based on teacher educa-
tion can open an important door that includes activities that will guide them
in this context. This necessity led the researcher of the current study to con-
duct a teacher education project with the content of SSIs.
When the projects involving teacher education are examined, it is
seen that TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of
Türkiye) funded science-society projects have been conducted on various
subjects in recent years. Projects with the content of SSIs are seen to be fo-
cused on the areas that will contribute to the teaching of these issues (i.e.
Identification and Comparison of Scientific Thinking Habits Using Sociosci-
entific Issues), that will address local SSIs (i.e. Energy Resources in our
Paradise Province of Muğla, Journey to Socioscientific Issues, Argumenta-
tion of Socioscientific Issues in the Eastern Black Sea Region, Konya Plains
Project [KPP] Region Science Teachers are Learning Socioscientific Issues
with Interactive Activities), where one of these issues comes to the fore (i.e.
Recognizing the Energy Resources of the Future with the Architects of the
Future, Teachers of the Future, Biotechnology as the Technology of the Fu-
ture, Bridge from School to Society, Nanotechnology Clubs). Among these
projects, the project titled “KPP Region Science Teachers Learn Socioscien-
tific Issues with Interactive Activities” is the first project coordinated by the
researcher in the current project. These projects have provided guidance to
the research in the creation of the current project. However, in most of these
projects, it is seen that only some objectives addressed in different fields of
science are included. The current study is more comprehensive in terms of
including the objectives of both secondary school science lessons and secon-
dary school physics-chemistry-biology lessons, and the use of various teach-
ing methods/techniques in teaching SSIs. The objectives addressed with the
activities conducted within the project are given in detail in the methods sec-
tion.
In teaching SSIs, many studies are focused on argumentation (Capki-
noglu et al., 2020; Dawson & Carson, 2020; Namdar & Shen, 2016), dilem-
mas (Rydberg et al., 2017), reasoning (Cian, 2020; Karahan & Roehrig, 2017;
Ozturk & Yilmaz -Tuzun, 2017), critical thinking (Gul & Akcay, 2020) and
decision making strategies (Altmeyer & Dreesmann, 2021; Dauer et al.,
2017; Sutter et al., 2019; Yapıcıoğlu & Aycan, 2018). From these studies,
Capkinoglu et al. (2020) evaluated the 10-week argumentation process of
students in their study of local environmental SSIs. Because of their study,
they concluded that the quality of argumentation of each group varied de-
pending on the data sources and SSI context. For example, while hydroelec-
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tric power plants was a challenging issue for the groups participating in the
study, the researchers found that high-quality arguments were made on is-
sues such as artificial lakes and base stations. In another study, Chan (2020)
informed teachers about different approaches to teaching SSIs depending on
the issue and emphasized that students should be introduced to many SSIs.
In another study, Gul and Akcay (2020), using a model based on SSIs, exam-
ined the change in pre-service teachers’ critical thinking skills and tenden-
cies in relation to the issue of climate change. Because of their studies, they
concluded that the applied model increased the critical thinking tendencies of
pre-service teachers. Yapıcıoğlu and Aycan (2018) examined the effects of
teaching activities related to nuclear power plants on the decisions, positions
and informal reasoning of pre-service teachers. In their study, they con-
cluded that the pre-service teachers had decided that no nuclear power plant
should be established. Another result related to the current study is that the
pre-service teachers stated that the activities used led them to change their
position. Therefore, the use of various teaching techniques in different SSIs
is effective in the quality of argumentation, critical thinking tendency and
changing decisions.
When the relevant literature is reviewed, it is seen that not including
SSIs in the renewed teacher training undergraduate programs and their not
having being introduced to SSIs before starting their professional career re-
sult in their having difficulty in creating the course content. The importance
of teaching SSIs effectively by using various teaching methods/techniques in
in-class activities, and therefore the need of teachers for these meth-
ods/techniques, created the current study. When the role of science-society
projects in teacher education is considered, it is important to support science
with out-of-school studies and teaching science in formal settings. In the
studies conducted, it has been seen that the projects and research are mostly
aimed at middle school students or teachers. It is seen as an important neces-
sity to increase the number of studies on teaching SSIs in different branches
of science starting from middle school by including physics, chemistry and
biology teachers in the study. In this respect, it is valuable to ensure informa-
tion sharing by referring to SSIs with the participation of teachers from al-
most every region of Türkiye, with both theoretical and practical training.
Therefore, through this project, the following purpose was determined in ac-
cordance to create SSI awareness in teachers from different branches of sci-
ence through interactive activities, their learning the nature and characteris-
tics of SSIs, choosing activities to do so and including applications that they
can use more easily in their lessons.
The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the views of science
teachers about the teaching of SSIs and about the project carried out within
the scope of a TUBITAK funding project that includes a teacher training

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 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

program for teaching SSIs. To this end, the following questions were deter-
mined as the research questions:
 Did any changes occur in the views of science teachers about the teach-
ing of SSIs after the project?
 Did any changes occur in the views of science teachers about the project
after the completion of the project?

Materials and Methods

Research Design
The current study was designed using a single-group pre-test post-test ex-
perimental design, which is one of the quantitative research methods. The
single-group pre-test post-test experimental design is based on the measure-
ment of the dependent variable through the administration of scales as a pre-
test before the intervention and as a post-test after the completion of the in-
tervention (Büyüköztürk et al., 2008). In this study, the Project Participation
Form, the Scale of Views on Teaching Socioscientific Issues and the Know
and Want stages of the Know-Want-Learn Form were administered as a pre-
test, while the Scale of Views on Teaching Socioscientific Issues, the Want
stage of the Know-Want-Learn Form and the Project Evaluation Form were
applied as a post-test.

Participants
The study group of the current research comprises 24 teachers from different
branches of science and from different provinces of Türkiye. Demographic
information of the participating teachers is given in Table 1.
As shown in Table 1, the numbers of female teachers (n = 13) and
male teachers (n = 11) participating in the project are similar to each other.
More than half of the participating teachers are doing/have done their post-
graduate degrees (n = 15). The teaching experiences of the participating
teachers are as follows; 6–10 years (n = 8), 0–5 years (n = 5), 11–15 years (n
= 4), 21 years and more (n = 4) and 16–20 years (n = 3). More than half of
the teachers participating in the project are teachers from the branch of sci-
ence (n = 15). Almost half of the teachers were from the Central Anatolian
Region (n = 10). After the Central Anatolian Region, the Marmara Region (n
= 6) had the highest number of participants. The lowest participation was
from the Black Sea Region (n = 1) and there was no participation from the
Eastern Anatolian Region. All the teachers participating in the project de-
clared that they had not been involved in a project related to SSIs before.

Research Instruments

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 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

Table 1. Demographic Information of the Participating Teachers.

Characteristic N %
Gender Female 13 54.2
Male 11 45.8
Educational degree Undergraduate 8 33.3
Postgraduate 15 62.5
Doctorate 1 4.2
Teaching experience 0–5 years 5 20.8
6–10 years 8 33.3
11–15 years 4 16.7
16–20 years 3 12.5
21 years and beyond 4 16.7
Branches Science teachers 15 62.5
Physics teachers 3 12.5
Chemistry teachers 2 8.3
Biology teachers 4 16.7
Region Marmara 6 25.0
Aegean 2 8.3
Mediterranean 2 8.3
Central Anatolia 10 41.7
Black Sea 1 4.2
South-eastern Anatolia 3 12.5
Participation in the previous project Yes 0 0.0
No 24 100.0

The Project Participation Form, the Scale of Views on Teaching Socioscien-

tific Issues, the Know-Want-Learn Form and the Project Evaluation Form
were used as data collection tools in the current research. Detailed informa-
tion about the data collection tools used in the study is given below.

Project Participation Form

This form was used during the science teachers’ process of application to the
project. The form consists of demographic information and project participa-
tion application sections. The application section was created by the re-
searcher to obtain information about the teachers’ expectations from the pro-
ject and methods-techniques they use in their lessons. In the study, the sec-
tion of expectations from the project of this form was used as a pre-test in
accordance with the research questions.

The Scale of Views on Teaching Socioscientific Issues

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 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

Table 2. Distribution of Activities, Aims and Learning Outcomes in Sci-

ence Curricula.
Activity Title Aim Learning outcome*
Introduction to So- Introducing teachers to socioscientific issues and Teachers were introduced to soci-
cioscientific Issues establishing their place in the context of science- oscientific issues in the science
society curriculum.
Which Socioscien- To raise awareness among teachers about soci- F.6.4.3.4. Discusses the impor-
tific and Decision- oscientific issues, their history, their place in the tance of thermal insulation in build-
making Criteria curriculum and criteria for decision-making about ings in terms of family and country
these issues. To introduce different methods and economy and effective use of re-
techniques used in teaching these issues to sources.
teachers F.6.4.4.2. Discusses the effects of
the use of different types of fuels
for heating purposes on humans
and the environment.
F.8.7.3.4. They Generates ideas
about the advantages and disad-
vantages of power plants.
F.8.7.3.5. Discusses the impor-
tance of conscious and efficient
use of electrical energy in terms of
family and the national economy.
9.5.4.3. Designs for insulating the
living space for energy saving.
12.6.2.5. Designs a system that
facilitates daily life and uses solar
cells.
Preparing a Lesson To enable teachers to acquire the ability to pre- F.8.2.5.1. Relates genetic engi-
Plan according to pare a lesson plan using the 5E Learning Model neering and biotechnology.
the 5E Learning and to prepare a sample lesson plan suitable for (Examples of breeding, vaccina-
Model: Vaccines the 5E Learning Model related to vaccines as a tion, gene transfer, cloning, gene
socioscientific issue therapy are emphasized)
F.8.2.5.2. We Discusses the di-
lemmas created within the scope of
biotechnological applications and
the beneficial and harmful aspects
of these applications to humanity.
Turkey's Policy on Implementing a sample SBK-based Jigsaw activ- F.8.2.5.3. Predicts what future
GMO Foods ity for teachers genetic engineering and biotech-
nology applications might be.
12.1.2.4. We evaluated the effects
of genetic engineering and bio-
technology applications on human
life.
Nanoscience Teachers' discovery of the basic components for
12.4.4.1. Evaluates developments
Nanotechnology the use of nanoparticles, in biosensor technol-
in nanotechnology in terms of their
Education: I'm De- ogy, which is a nanotechnological application
effects on science, society, tech-
signing a Nanobio- and increasingly involved in our daily lives
nology, environment and economy.
sensor!
Our Space Trash Discussing the pollution in the world based on F.7.1.1.2. We express the causes
critical thinking skills of space pollution and predict the
possible consequences of this
pollution.
Designing an Activ- Designing an activity involving socioscientific F.5.6.1.2. discusses the factors
ity on Socioscientific issues in the Ihlara Valley that threaten biodiversity based on
Issues in the Ihlara research data.
Valley 9.5.4.5. Develops a project for
measures to be taken against
global warming.
12.4.1.1. We offered solutions to
reduce the harmful effects of fossil
fuels on the environment.
*: Numbering such as "F.6, F.8" indicate middle school level learning outcomes, and numberings such as "9,
12" indicate high school-level learning outcomes.

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 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

This scale was used to determine the views of the participating teachers
about the teaching of SSIs. The 5-point Likert-type scale, adapted by Kara
(2012) from the study by Lee et al. (2006), consists of 20 items and three
sub-dimensions: Views on the necessity of SSIs in the content of the pro-
gram (9 items, Cronbach alpha = 0.72); Views on the factors hindering the
teaching of SSIs (7 items, Cronbach alpha = 0.78) and Belief in the personal
efficacy of teaching SSIs (4 items, Cronbach alpha = 0.67). In this study, the
Cronbach’s alpha value of the scale was found to be 0.79 for the pre-test and
0.71 for the post-test. The scale was administered using paper and pencil in
two stages as pre-test and post-test.

Know-Want-Learn (KWL) Form

It was used to determine what information the participating teachers had and
what information they needed about the project subject before the project
and what information they learned after the project. The form consists of
three sections. Among these sections, the “Know” and “Want” sections were
administered before the activities and the “Learn” section was administered
after the activities.

Project Evaluation Forms

This was used to determine the participants’ views about the project activi-
ties and the project at the end of the project. This form consists of two sec-
tions: “Evaluation of Activities,” where the contents of the activities and the
project team (project coordinator, experts, trainers and guides) are evaluated
and “Additional Services,” where the location of the activities, transportation
service, accommodation services, and catering services are evaluated. In this
study, the “Evaluation of Activities” section of this form was used as a post-
test in accordance with the research questions. For reliability, this form was
submitted to the review of three experts in the field of science education,
who have studied on SSIs and their teaching, and it was finalized with 100%
agreement (Miles & Huberman, 1994).

Pilot Study and Processes

In this study, the project in which the research data were collected was cre-
ated as the continuation of the first project conducted on science teachers in
the KPP region in 2020. Therefore, the project conducted in 2020 can be
considered a pilot study for this study. According to the first project (Tekin,
2022) of the first author, a significant increase was observed in the examples
given by the science teachers in the KPP region for SSIs after being involved
in activities. Additionally, it was concluded that teachers generally had posi-
tive views about the project process and project services. Based on these re-

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sults, the content of the project was enriched by adding new activities in this
study. Furthermore, the most important feature of the current study that
makes it different from the first project was the inclusion of physics, chemis-
try and biology teachers from all geographical regions of Türkiye in the
study group, as well as middle school science teachers. Additionally, the pro-
ject team (project coordinator, experts and guides) checked the time required
for the activities, the usefulness of the materials to be used and the use of the
places of activities.
The data collection process includes a pre-project activity period,
during-project activity period and post-project activity period. In the pre-
project activities period, the Project Participation Form was sent to receive
the applications from teachers from different branches of science via Google
Forms. After the determination of the teachers who would participate in the
project, on the first day of the project, the Scale of Views on Teaching Soci-
oscientific Issues and the Know and Want sections of the Know-Want-Learn
Form were administered to the teachers as a pre-test. The project activity
process was started with drama activities. After the interaction of the teach-
ers was ensured, activities with the content of SSIs were carried out. Table 2
shows some activities, their aims and the distribution of these activities
across the objectives in the science curricula (MoNET, 2018a; MoNET,
2018b; MoNET, 2018c; MoNET, 2018d).
According to Table 2, some activities conducted during the project
process can be summarized as follows: “Introduction to socioscientific issues”
focused on the features of SSIs, “Preparing a lesson plan according to the 5E
learning model: Vaccines,” “Which socioscientific and decision-making cri-
teria” aiming at the use of SSIs in the decision-making process, “Designing
an activity related to SSIs in Ihlara Valley” related to the implementation of
SSIs in out-of-school learning environments. Additionally, “Instructional
SSI selection and teacher action research,” which includes the meth-
ods/techniques used in teaching SSIs and will help teachers in their selection
of SSIs, “How to evaluate an argument?” focused on the evaluation during
the argumentation process, “Socioscientific reasoning and its evaluation”
grounded in the reasoning process, “Blood transfusion timeline,” which es-
tablishes the connection of SSIs with the nature of science and “Trade game,”
which establishes the connection between SSIs and sustainable development
were also other activities included in the project. After these activities, the
project team divided the teachers into groups and they asked them to create
lesson plans with SSIs content and evaluated these lesson plans. After the
activities and evaluations were completed, the Scale of Views on Teaching
Socioscientific Issues, the Learn section of the Know-Want-Learn Form and
the project evaluation form were administered as a post-test.

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Data Analysis
Quantitative data obtained from the Scale of Views on Teaching Socioscien-
tific Issues were analyzed with the SPSS 19.0 statistical program. Shapiro
Wilk test was used to check the assumption of normality in the analysis of
the data. The test results showed normal values for the pre-test and post-test
(p > 0.05) p and that the skewness and kurtosis coefficients took the values
between -1.50 and +1.50 recommended for social sciences (Tabachnik &
Fidell, 2013). Therefore, data showed a normal distribution. Accordingly,
paired samples t-test was used in the analysis of the Scale of Views on
Teaching Socioscientific Issues since it was administered to the science
teachers as a pre-test and post-test in the project. Qualitative data obtained
from the Project Participation Form, Know-Want-Learn Form and Project
Evaluation Form were analyzed according to descriptive analysis. While the
descriptive analysis was performed, it was ensured that the project coordina-
tor and project experts made comparisons by using independent coding. Af-
ter the comparison, using the formula suggested by Miles and Huberman
(1994), the percentage of agreement was calculated to be 90%. According to
the rate suggested by Miles and Huberman (1994), it was concluded that the
reliability was at an acceptable level.

Ethics
This research was approved be in compliance with ethical principles by the
Human Research Ethics Committee of Aksaray University (Ethical Approval
No: 2021/05-40). For confidentiality, information is not included here. Addi-
tionally, the personal information of the teachers participating in the study
was kept confidential and the data collected from the project were used only
for research purposes.

Findings
In this section, the findings related to the science teachers’ views on the
teaching of SSIs and the project carried out are presented to answer the re-
search questions.

Findings related to the Science Teachers’ Views on the

Teaching of SSIs
The statistical information derived from the participants’ views on the teach-
ing of SSIs is given in Table 3.
As shown in Table 3, there is a difference of 5.25 points between the
pre-test (Mean = 82.04) and post-test scores ((Mean = 87.29) of the partici-
pants’ views on the teaching of SSIs because of the one-week project active-

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Table 3. Comparison of Pre-Test and Post-Test Scores of Participant

Teachers’ Views on Teaching Socioscientific Issues with Paired Sample T-
Test.
Variable N Mean SD df t p
Pre-test 24 82.04 8.02
VTSSI 23 -3.00 0.006
Post-test 24 87.29 5.99

Table 4. Distribution of the Answers Given by the Participant Teachers

about Their Expectations from The Project.
Expectations of the Project f %
Learning in-class activities for SSIs 14 26.92
To gain a different perspective 7 13.46
Raising the awareness of students 7 13.46
Providing professional development 5 9.62
Providing academically development 4 7.69
Arouse students' curiosity 4 7.69
Guiding students 3 5.77
Share the learned information from this project with society 2 3.85
Learning new developments 2 3.85
Developing students' citizenship skills 2 3.85
Get project experience 1 1.92
Developing a project 1 1.92

Table 5. Answers to the Question “What Do You Know about the Project
and Its Subjects?”
What Do I know? (K-Know) f %
Examples of socioscientific issues 12 37.50
Features of socioscientific issues 8 25.00
Methods/techniques for teaching socioscientific issues 4 12.50
Preparing a lesson plan with the content of socioscientific issues 4 12.50
Impact of socioscientific issues of society 3 9.38
Science-society interaction 3 9.38
Instructional difficulty of socioscientific issues 1 3.13

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 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

ties. This difference was found to be statistically significant because of the t-

test (t(23) = -3.0; p < 0.05). Considering these results, implemented project
activities contributed to the development of the participants in terms of their
views on the teaching of SSIs.

Findings related to the Science Teachers’ Views on the

Project
The data obtained from the Project Participation Form, the Know-Want-
Learn Form and the Project Evaluation Form were evaluated together to ob-
tain the findings regarding the views of the science teachers about the project.
According to the answers given by the science teachers in the project partici-
pation form, the findings regarding their expectations from the project are
shown in Table 4.
As shown in Table 4, what is expected by the science teachers from
the project is to learn in-class activities for SSIs (f = 14), to gain a different
perspective (f = 7) and to raise awareness in students (f = 7). Some excerpts
related to the teachers’ expectations from the project are given below:
“I think that I will improve myself in SSI teaching as there will be
practice-based activities. In this context, I think that I will gain
more competence and that I can transfer this to my classroom
practices. Also, I like to improve myself academically.” (T1)
“I want to increase the students’ scientific curiosity. I have been
involved in many projects before. I find interacting with students
through projects valuable for their development and that of mine.”
(T13)
“The most important feature of science is that it must be based
on provable and repeatable data. My expectations from this pro-
ject are to be more productive in science for the children of my
country by learning from the right people what the contribution
of socioscientific issues to teaching is.” (T15)
“I believe that there will be experiences that I can learn from
this project to raise awareness of socioscientific issues (vaccines,
organ donation, nuclear energy, stem cells, space pollution,
global climate change, GMOs, etc.) that we touch upon in our
lessons from time to time, to arouse students’ curiosity and to at-
tract students’ attention and to use methods and techniques that
are unusual for them.” (T18)
“To provide a classroom environment where my students can ex-
press themselves more easily with different activities.” (T24)

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 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

Table 6. Answers to the Question “What Do You Want to Learn about the
Project and Its Subjects?”
What do I want? (W-Want) f %
Activities for teaching socioscientific issues 12 21.82
Exercises of socioscientific issues in the course 7 12.73
Conveying socioscientific issues to students 6 10.91
Preparing material for socioscientific issues 3 5.45
Active processing of lessons on socioscientific issues 3 5.45
Integration of socioscientific issues with science 3 5.45
Ensuring environmental awareness in students 3 5.45
To raise social awareness in students 2 3.64
Promoting an interest in socioscientific issues 2 3.64
Arousing students' curiosity 2 3.64
Providing professional development 2 3.64
Obtaining content knowledge 2 3.64
Sharing project content with colleagues 1 1.82
Developing different perspectives for students 1 1.82
To learn about the current developments in socioscientific issues 1 1.82
Preparing lesson plans about socioscientific issues 1 1.82
To make the issues permanent 1 1.82
To learn about the features of socioscientific issues 1 1.82
To learn about the relationships of socioscientific issues with other fields 1 1.82
Evaluation of students' competencies in socioscientific issues 1 1.82

The answers provided by the science teachers about what they knew
about the project content and activity topics before the project is classified in
Table 5.
As shown in Table 5, the teachers participating in the project stated
that they knew about the examples of SSIs (f = 12), features of SSIs (f = 8),
preparing lesson plans with SSIs (f = 4), and methods and techniques used in
teaching SSIs (f = 4). Sample excerpts about their knowledge before the pro-
ject are given below:
“…Generally, the argumentation method is used in the teaching
of these issues. It has gained increasing popularity recently. Is-
sues such as nuclear energy and organ donation can be given as
examples of socioscientific issues.” (T24)
“Regarding the project, I know that the formation of socioscien-
tific issues is scientifically based and their results are social. I
know that the activities will be based on interaction rather than
classical teaching.” (T19)
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 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

“A project that deals with issues such as vaccines, global warm-

ing, sustainable development, and issues that affect all living
things in the world.” (T4)
“I know what socioscientific issues are dealt with in the project.
However, I learned about some activities to be conducted or de-
veloped in relation to these issues of social media. I am not fully
aware of their contents.” (T17)
The answers through which the teachers stated what information they
needed while participating in the project are classified in Table 6.
According to Table 6, the science teachers stated that they most
wanted to learn about the activities that can be used in the teaching of these
issues (f = 12), classroom implementation of SSIs (f = 7) and how to convey
SSIs to students (f = 6). Below are given sample excerpts about what teach-
ers want to learn about the project and its subjects:
“I want to increase my experience and knowledge about the
transfer of socioscientific issues to students in an activity-based
way that will arouse their curiosity students.” (T6)
“I want to know what I can use in classroom activities. I want to
know how I can increase the students’ interest.” (T19)
“I want to compensate for my incomplete knowledge and elimi-
nate my misconceptions about socioscientific issues and convey
the correct information to my students. I want to produce activi-
ties to make these issues more interesting (for students). I have
participated in this project to achieve my goals.” (T4)
“I want to implement these activities through the active partici-
pation of students in classroom environments where students can
be instructed in such a way as to accomplish the objectives set in
the science curriculum. I want to offer students the opportunity to
learn by doing rather than conveying raw knowledge. I want to
learn from the project content how to make lessons more enjoy-
able and not monotonous.” (T17)
The answers through which the teachers stated what they learned af-
ter participating in the project are classified in Table 7.
As shown in Table 7, the science teachers stated that they most
learned about the methods/techniques to be used in the teaching of these is-
sues (f = 39), examples of these issues (f = 11) and the features of SSIs (f = 9)
from the project and activity topics. Among the methods-techniques to be
used in the teaching of SSIs, teaching SSIs with Web 2.0 tools (f = 10), us-
ing argumentation in the teaching of SSIs (f = 8) and using action research in
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 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

Table 7. Answers to the Question “What Did You Learn About the Project
and Its Subjects?”
What I Learned? (L-Learn) f %
Methods/techniques for teaching socioscientific issues 39 39.00
Examples of socioscientific issues 11 11.00
Features of socioscientific issues 9 9.00
Activities on socioscientific issues 6 6.00
Preparing a lesson plan with the content of socioscientific issues 5 5.00
Differences between socioscientific issues and other topics 4 4.00
Dimensions of socioscientific issues 3 3.00
Edges of socioscientific issues 3 3.00
Socioscientific issues in out-of-school learning environments 3 3.00
Decision making on socioscientific issues 3 3.00
Recognizing incomplete information about socioscientific issues 2 2.00
The aim of socioscientific issues 2 2.00
Awareness of socioscientific issues 2 2.00
Integration of socioscientific issues into science lessons 2 2.00
Content knowledge 2 2.00
Importance of socioscientific issues 2 2.00
Socioscientific issues-nature of science connection 1 1.00
Human-environment interaction 1 1.00
Evaluation of students in courses on socioscientific issues 1 1.00
Clarification of existing conceptual confusions 1 1.00
Effective classroom management 1 1.00

Table 8. Answers from Participant Teachers about “Evaluation of Activi-

ties” in the Project Evaluation Form.
Contributed Not Contributed
Characteristics
n % n %
Learn socioscientific issues 24 100.00 - -
To learn about the features of socioscientific issues 24 100.00 - -
To teach socioscientific issues 24 100.00 - -
To evaluate socioscientific issues 24 100.00 - -

the teaching of SSIs (f = 6) come to the fore. Below are given sample ex-
cerpts about what the teachers learned about the project and issues:
“I learned which subjects are socioscientific by nature. I learned
how to convey socioscientific issues to our students and what
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 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

kind of activities to conduct. I learned how to teach subjects of

nanotechnology within the scope of socioscientific issues. I
learned about Web 2.0 tools, how to prepare puzzles and how to
use them in lessons. I learned that when discussing socioscien-
tific issues, a definite conclusion cannot be reached.” (T13)
“I learned many methods and techniques to be used in the teach-
ing of SSIs in the classroom. I was delighted to be informed about
Web-based applications in particular. I learned about subjects
such as argumentation, Web 2.0-based applications such as
crossword lab, and how to create a discussion environment in the
classroom.” (T2)
“I learned what socioscientific issues are, how we can transfer
socioscientific issues to our lessons, the usage areas of Web 2.0
tools and that socioscientific issues cannot be fully answered,
and clear judgments cannot be reached.” (T21)
“I learned the different aspects of SSIs specified in the project,
what kind of activities I will do in the teaching of SSIs, how stu-
dents will be evaluated before, during and after the teaching of
SSIs.” (T9)
According to the answers given by the teachers to the project evalua-
tion form, the findings regarding the evaluation of the activities are shown in
Table 8.
As shown in Table 8, all of the science teachers stated that the pro-
ject contributed to the learning of SSIs (n = 24), the learning of the features
of SSIs (n = 24), the teaching of SSIs (n = 24) and evaluation of SSIs (n =
24). Below are given sample excerpts from the answers of the teachers about
the evaluation of activities:
“We covered the dimensions of SSIs in depth through the activi-
ties.” (T7)
“The definition of socioscientific issue is rooted in my mind, I
can now distinguish which issues are socioscientific and which
are not.” (T24)
“Because I learned and heard the term ‘socioscientif issues’ for
the first time in this project.” (T4)
“Teaching through the presentation of arguments and counter-
arguments caused me to learn the features of socioscientific is-
sues.” (T10)

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 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

“It made me think that there is no single right answer, that it

should be handled impartially and that we are maximally affected
by the individual-society-environment interaction.” (T17)

Results
The following results were obtained in the current study, which consisted of
the results of a TÜBİTAK funding project based on teacher education, which
was carried out using interactive activities, and which investigated the views
of science teachers on the teaching of SSIs and the project.
This project activity contributed to the development of the partici-
pants in terms of their views on the teaching of SSIs. Additionally, it is seen
that the expectations of the participating teachers from the project are to
learn in-class activities for the teaching of SSIs, to gain a different perspec-
tive and to raise awareness among students. Additionally, the teachers stated
that they knew the examples and features of SSIs before the project, and that
they wanted to learn the activities and classroom practices to be used in the
teaching of these issues and in their transfer to students. Accordingly, it is
seen that the teachers knew the features and examples of SSIs before the pro-
ject and they needed to learn the methods/techniques to be used in the teach-
ing of SSIs. After the project, they stated that they learned the meth-
ods/techniques to be used in the teaching of SSIs, their examples and fea-
tures. The fact that many examples of methods/techniques to be used in the
teaching of SSIs were shown by the participating teachers after the project is
an indication that the project led to a positive change in the views of the
teachers. Additionally, all the teachers stated that the project contributed to
the learning and teaching of SSIs, learning and evaluation of the features of
SSIs. Therefore, the project activities carried out were effective in the devel-
opment of the teachers’ views on the project.

Discussion
In this section, discussion and conclusions for the research are given on the
basis of the above-mentioned results. The implemented project activities
contributed to the development of the science teachers’ views on the teach-
ing of SSIs. It is useful to remind again that the project conducted here was a
one-week intensive activity process. In the literature, there are similar studies.
Wu et al. (2022) conducted a study on pre-service science teachers and in
this study they developed a short-term teaching module to develop the pre-
service teachers’ competence in teaching SSIs. In this module, the research-
ers adopted a two-week process that includes pre-service teachers discussing
teaching topics with each other, reviewing the topics with a science educa-
tion expert, and experiencing practices with in-service training. Because of
their study, they concluded that both the pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy
SIEF, Vol.14, No.1, 2023 2031
 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

beliefs about teaching SSIs and their pedagogical content knowledge levels
improved. This study supports the effectiveness of the project activities dis-
cussed in the current study in terms of achieving a positive development in a
short time. In another study, Leung (2022) implemented a 12-week teacher
training program for pre-service science teachers. Leung (2022) stated that
there was a shift toward the view that these issues should be taught, as the
pre-service teachers, who stated that SSIs are excluded in science education,
experienced SSI teaching in this process. Similarly, Karahan (2022) re-
searched the experiences and comments of pre-service science teachers in
the design and implementation processes of SSI-based teaching. In the study,
it was concluded that the views, ideas and practices of the pre-service teach-
ers were transformed and changed during this process. The progress made in
this process demonstrates the importance of practice/activity supported SSI
teaching. From another viewpoint, to integrate these issues into science
teaching in classrooms through practices, they should be presented to pre-
service teachers and teacher education starting from the university. Bor-
gerding and Dagistan (2018) stated that although pre-service teachers were
willing to participate during methods to be used in teaching these issues,
they confused SSIs with subjects that were rejected by society (for example,
evolution). As in the project discussed here, collaborations on these issues in
a practice-oriented environment in the community of teachers with similar
scientific knowledge can help overcome such misconceptions. However, Si-
bic and Topcu (2020) in their study on pre-service science teachers stated
that pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs in dealing with these subjects
in real classroom environments are not at a sufficient level. Similarly, Aydın
and Karışan (2021) stated that science teachers do not have enough knowl-
edge about SSIs and they can define these issues only superficially. The fact
that both pre-service teachers and teachers do not have sufficient knowledge
to teach these issues demonstrates the importance of determining their needs
in this regard. Although the number of studies conducted with the participa-
tion of science teachers and pre-service science teachers is higher, it is pos-
sible to come across studies in the field of secondary education. However,
they are few. Compared to the curricula of secondary education physics,
chemistry and biology, SSI-related objectives are given more space in the
science curriculum (Et & Gömleksiz, 2021). Therefore, the acquaintance of
secondary school teachers on these issues may be lower. Including physics,
chemistry and biology teachers and science teachers in the projects provided
an opportunity to improve their views, perceptions, or teaching motivations
on these issues. When the above-mentioned studies are compared with the
results of the current project, the importance of practice-based education for
all science fields is revealed once more. Owens et al. (2021) stated that in
addition to the need for teachers to develop content knowledge in their class-
rooms and the methods/techniques that should be used while teaching these
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 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

subjects, there is also a need for classroom environments that contextualize

learning and teaching and enable students to address the subject from multi-
ple perspectives. Therefore, it is seen that there is a need for studies on how
teachers implement these practices in their classrooms. Thus, it can be sug-
gested to investigate the practices that teachers include in their classrooms
longitudinally. Additionally, depending on the result obtained from the cur-
rent study, it can be suggested that science teachers be included in larger-
scale programs where they can evaluate themselves about teaching SSIs. As
it is known, these projects are carried out with teachers who apply and par-
ticipate voluntarily. Therefore, the initial motivation of the teachers partici-
pating in the project may have been high. In this connection, a holistic teach-
ing package based on SSI that will appeal to all teachers can be created by
examining the classroom practices of other teachers who both participate and
do not participate in these projects.
TÜBİTAK funding projects are very supportive studies in presenting
interactive activities for the professional development of teachers. From this
perspective, the teachers’ views on the project developed positively. The par-
ticipating teachers stated at the beginning of the project that they had expec-
tations and desires to learn the activities to be used in the teaching of SSIs.
After the project, the teachers’ expressing that they learned the meth-
ods/techniques to be used in the teaching of SSIs may be an indicator of
positive development. Additionally, the fact that the teachers used the meth-
ods/techniques in their examples after the project proves that the project was
effective. The statements of the participants about the project contributed to
the learning and teaching of SSIs supported this result. Numerous TÜBİTAK
funding projects involving teacher training have been carried out. In many
studies, it has been seen that there are positive developments about the issue
addressed and the project carried out (Aşkım Kurt et al., 2019; Fettahlıoğlu,
2019; Karakoç Topal, 2022; Sapsaglam & Kaya, 2022; Yoloğlu & Uçar,
2015). For example, Aşkım Kurt et al. (2019) in their study on Web 2.0 tools
concluded that the teachers used Web 2.0 tools more after the project and
they used these tools more easily in in-class activities. They also stated that
the participants were satisfied with the training given. Similar results are also
supported in the study of Karakoç Topal (2022). Karakoç Topal (2022)
stated that the activities carried out were found enjoyable by the participants,
that the activities aimed at creating products were liked more and that their
awareness of the issue was increased. As mentioned above, there is no doubt
that these projects are carried out with teachers who are aware of the subjects
and willingly participate in the project. Participants are included in the study
by focusing only on these activities, away from all work and daily life
stresses. Moreover, it is normal for them to share their views with teachers
from their fields and agree on a common point, and reason for the subjects
covered. Therefore, it can be seen as an expected result that the participants
SIEF, Vol.14, No.1, 2023 2033
 Tekin et al. (Turkey). Views of Science Teachers Trained in a Project on SSIs.

will gain the highest level of benefit in their field. The important point here
may be to increase this knowledge sharing and to encourage all teachers. By
using the results obtained from these projects, it can be ensured both to share
information among colleagues and to increase the professional development
of teachers in their own fields by developing projects as research teachers.

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Received: 12 October 2022

Revised: 19 November 2022
Accepted: 23 November 2022

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