1. Student and Teacher Perspectives on
Stem Cells, Cloning and Other
Controversial Issues in a Secondary
Science Classroom
Danielle Anticev
SEYS 777
2. Introduction
• Biotechnology is
constantly advancing
• The need to discuss
controversial topics in
the secondary science
classroom is increasing
• Controversial issues can
be uncomfortable or
awkward for students
and teachers
4. Questions
• Should controversial topics become a larger
part of the science curriculum?
• Are some topics too controversial for the
middle/high school classroom?
• What is the best method to teach
controversial topics?
• Do teachers and students from different
science content areas have different opinions?
5. Literature Review Common Themes
• Mixed Methods- Qualitative &
Quantitative (written survey and
interview)
• Similar Questions
• Open Ended Questions
• Similar Teaching Methods- Debate
• Variety of Teachers
(grades, experience, etc)
• Controversial Topics
• Teachers Only
6. Literature Review Differences
• Varied Sample Sizes (n=6-317)
• Varied Degrees of Teaching Experience
• Demographic Differences (UK, US)
• Questionnaire Differences
• Analysis of Results
7. Appendix A -Sadler et al.
Interview Protocol
1. (a). What roles do values play in science? (b). How are ethics involved in science?
2. (Given positive answers to #1) Describe a specific case or issue in which values and/or
ethics contribute to science?
3. What are some value-laden issues within your discipline?
4. (a). Ideally, how should values and ethics be handled in the science classroom? (b) How
do you deal with values and ethics in your classroom?
5. What are some specific incidents during which values and/or ethics were addressed in
your classroom? Describe what happened.
6. Some science educators suggest that controversial scientific issues such as cloning and
gene therapy should be made an important part of the science curriculum. What do you
think about this suggestion? What are the strengths of this proposal? What are some
problems that might result from this approach? To what extent should science teachers
highlight the moral and ethical components of scientific issues in their classrooms?
7. (If elaboration has not been offered) How might you convince colleagues that dealing
with ethics and values in the classroom is central to science education?
8. How do you handle your own values relative to issues discussed in the classroom? Do
you have a right to express your opinions and beliefs?
8. Table 4: Teachers’ questionnaire: UK Study
• Count % • Over prescription of antibiotics
• AIDS/HIV 286 73.3% 129 33.1%
• Genetic engineering 214 54.9% • Genetic fingerprinting 125 32.1%
• Eating disorders 212 54.4% • Animal to human transplantation
• In vitro fertilization 189 48.5% 113 29.0%
• Reproductive technologies 183 • Human genome project 99 25.4%
46.9% • Depression 96 24.6%
• Animal experiments 175 44.9% • Behavioral genetics 58 14.9%
• Nature/nurture 169 43.3% • Other topics dealing with soc. and
• Dolly the sheep 162 41.5% eth. issues in
• Genetic testing, e.g. for sickle cell • science
148 37.9% • 47 12.1%
• Consumption of GM foods 141 • Dementia 44 11.3%
36.2% • Brain tissue transplants
• Prenatal screening 131 33.6%
N=390
9. Appendix: Likert Evolution Learning Experience Items
1. Evolution should not be taught in high school biology.
2. I like learning about evolution in class.
3. My biology teacher thinks students should learn about
evolution in high school biology.
4. Most people in my family think evolution is true.
5. My biology teacher does not think evolution is true.
6. In biology class, we did labs about evolution.
7. In biology class, we watched movies about evolution.
8. We mostly learned about evolution when my teacher
lectured about it.
9. Evolution came up in many class discussions in biology
class.
10. I had chances to talk about my personal views on evolution
in biology class.
Note: Response categories: strongly agree, agree, disagree,
and strongly disagree.
10. Proposed Study
• Survey & Interview Middle/High
School Science Teachers and Students
about their opinion on controversial
topics in the science classroom
• Determine whether more time needs
to be spent on controversial topics
and what the best methods are to
teach those topics
• Determine if there are differences in
opinion across different science
content areas and grade levels
11.
12. References
• Donnelly, L. A., Kazempour, M., & Amirshokoohi, A. (2009). High School Students’
Perceptions of Evolution Instruction: Acceptance and Evolution Learning
Experiences. Research in Science Education, 39, 643-660. Retrieved December
10, 2012, from the Springer Science & Business Media database.
• Philpott, S., Clabough, J., McConkey, L., & Turner, T. N. (2011). Controversial Issues:
To Teach or Not to Teach? That is the Question!. The Georgia Social Studies
Journal, 1(1), 32-44. Retrieved December 10, 2012, from the ERIC (EBSCO)
database.
• Sadler, T. D., Amirshokoohi, A., Kazempour, M., & Allspaw, K. M. (2006).
Socioscience and Ethics in Science Classrooms: Teacher Perspectives and
Strategies. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 43(4), 353-376. Retrieved
December 10, 2012, from the Wiley InterScience database.
• Levinson, R. (Director) (1999, December 2). The Teaching of Social and Ethical
Issues in the School Curriculum, Arising From Developments in Biomedical
Research: a Research Study of Teachers. The Teaching of Social and Ethical Issues
Arising From Biomedical Research. Lecture conducted from The Wellcome Trust-
Institute of Education University of London, London, England.
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