Abstract
Belief systems of teachers may be shaped by religious beliefs or personal conviction and can influence the educational process (Mansour, 2008). Life Sciences teachers are known to have low interest when teaching controversial topics and little is known about the content used to deliver the lessons, which also translates into their teaching practice (Aivelo & Uitto, 2019). Thus, it is important to identify the impact that the teachers’ beliefs on cloning has on their instructional practices carried out in the classroom. This study was aimed at exploring How Life Sciences teachers’ beliefs about cloning influence their teaching of the topic. This study was underpinned by a socio-cultural model of embedded belief systems by Jones and Carter (2007), as the main focus was on teachers’ beliefs about cloning and their influence on their instructional practices. The sample included three Grade 12 Life Sciences teachers situated at schools in Johannesburg, South Africa. The researcher collected data using two modes. Firstly, the three teachers were observed conducting lessons in order to explore and identify the teaching practices adopted when teaching the topic of cloning. Secondly, the three teachers’ beliefs on cloning were explored and administered by the researcher through the means of semi-structured interviews. The findings from both the lesson observations and the interviews showed a clear relationship between the teachers’ beliefs and their preferred teaching methods to teach the topic of cloning. The findings of this study indicated that Life Sciences teachers’ beliefs on cloning influence their instructional practice which also impacts the learners’ learning about the topic.
M.Ed. (Science and Technology Education)