Building a professional learning community in elementary science education using a socioscientific issue case-based pedadogy

Abstract

This study was conducted in response to the need of creating a professional learning community (PLC) among elementary science educators that engage in addressing socioscientific issues (SSI) using case-based pedagogy (CBP). The study was conducted in an elementary school in one of the districts of the Province of Iloilo. Five elementary science teachers regularly met for the discussion of written cases that embody situated knowledge involving societal issues that have conceptual links to science. The discussion of cases commenced with the presentation of cases of the teacher participants who experienced the dilemma themselves. This was followed by the focus group discussions involving tensions and dilemmas in teaching inquiry-based socioscientific issues (SSI). The sources of data included written cases authored by the teacher himself, minutes of the meetings, transcripts of focus group discussions, audio recordings and photographs. Multi-layered narrative analysis was employed to clearly represent the data. The findings of the study revealed that there are various societal, environmental, and moral issues that have influenced the science classroom. These issues of tension and dilemma included (a) tension of community practice versus ideal practice, (b) confusion of conviction, (c) poverty; (d) tension of locality, (e) morality code; and (f) tension of authority. In this regard, teacher participants learned that (a) a PLC is a needed learning space that provides a collaborative bottom-up professional development context that is most supportive of the learning of science educators, and (b) the utilization of socioscientific-based case experience as a context for the PLC is an eye-opener to the science-linked contemporary, and sometimes even controversial societal, environmental, and moral issues that influence and challenge science teaching and learning. The teacher participants recognized that they have a significant role in educating the learner's minds and hearts, and guiding them to use this knowledge to become responsible citizens. Furthermore, the group connected their learnings into practice which included the creation of inquiry-based SSI lesson plans. Finally, a model of the SSI-based case experience was created that outlined the progression and flow of the PLC activity. In all its value, this study is but a slice of a larger undertaking and pursuit aimed towards the professional development of elementary science educators.