Codesign of technology-enriched place-based SSI lesson plans

Abstract

One of the major challenges for teachers is the lack of experience with incorporating technology into socioscientific issues (SSI). In-service and preservice teachers may not have the required expertise and resources to make the most of these digital tools and technology. Thus, they may require assistance and additional support to effectively utilize these technologies and tools within their teaching practices, specifically with SSI. In light of these, this study aims to provide support in the form of a professional development program to preservice biology teachers and examine their experiences in developing co-designed, technology-enriched, place-based SSI lesson plans. The participants were 17 (16 female;1 male) senior preservice teachers studying in the undergraduate biology teaching program at a university located in Istanbul, Türkiye. An 11-week professional development program was designed and delivered with the content of the theoretical background of SSI and opportunities provided to experience practical implementations into classroom practices through the development of lesson plans. The preservice teachers chose two SSI contexts, namely biodiversity and water pollution, to be integrated into the lesson plans, drawing inspiration from local issues. Lesson plans and interviews were the two main data sources of the study. Results showed that preservice teachers embedded numerous digital tools in their lesson plans for various purposes, and their repertoire diversified, especially when co-designing with their peers. It was found that the co-design aspect of the study allowed them to learn from each other and increased their level of expertise in terms of incorporating digital tools. In sum, the study created a rich learning environment where they could build collaborative relationships with their peers, improve the quality of their tangible work, and increase their level of expertise with digital tools.