Comparing Socioscientific Teacher Roles, Communicative Approaches, and Discourse Patterns While Teaching Socioscientific Issues as well as Standard Science Subjects

Abstract

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the roles preferred by science teachers in the teaching of socioscientific issues (SSIs) in relation to the communicative approach and discourse patterns in the context of SSI and non-SSI. In this qualitative study, the holistic multiple case study design was used. The study group consisted of three science teachers and their students. Video recordings of lessons, semi-structured interviews, and vignettes about teacher roles on socioscientific issues were used as data sources. The communicative approach and discourse patterns of the teachers were analysed by discourse analysis in the context of the roles they preferred. At the beginning of the study, two teachers seemed to prefer the same role, whereas one preferred a different role. As a result of the analysis of the video recordings of the teachers’ classes, it was determined that one of the teachers enacted a different role from the one stated as her preferred role. The results of this study can provide a basis for professional development activities for teachers who are interested in improving the use of the dialogic interactive communicative approach and the discourse patterns based on this approach in their teaching.