The goal of science education is emphatically positioned on promoting science literacy. The rationale is learners should not only learn about scientific knowledge and processes but also on how to apply the knowledge when making decisions about heterogenous societal and personal issues. Previous research has indicated that by addressing socioscientific issues (SSIs) when teaching controversial science topics, it provides a suitable context for developing scientific literacy in learners. Scientifically literate learners are well-informed citizens with regards to the social, ethical, economic, and political issues impacting on contemporary society. The theory of evolution is one such Life Sciences topic deeply embedded with SSIs. Teachers are conflicted when teaching this topic due to the controversy surrounding the theory as they view the teaching of evolution as a way of negating the legitimacy of their religious and cultural convictions. It is against this background that the study sought to answer the research question: How do Life Sciences teachers conceptualise socioscientific issues embedded in the topic evolution? In an explanatory mixed method approach, a questionnaire with both quantitative and qualitative questions was administered to 28 randomly selected grade 12 Life Sciences teachers. Data was analysed and descriptive statistics were obtained, and themes generated. The findings showed that all the participants were knowledgeable about the SSIs embedded in the topic evolution. In justifying their conceptions 61% of the teachers perceived SSIs as important in improving learners’ reasoning and argumentative skills; developing learners’ critical thinking skills; and in informing learners in decision making. There were however 11% of the teachers who pointed out that SSIs as too sensitive to deal with hence not suitable to teach young learners. Though the teachers were knowledgeable about the SSIs embedded in the theory of evolution, it does not mean that they could address them when teaching the various concepts of evolution. The main source of the controversy rose from the evolution of humankind versus the Christian belief in the six-day special creation. The participants (25%) indicated that evolution challenges peoples’ religious and cultural convictions, which conflicts both the teachers and learners to question or go against their religious beliefs. Several teachers pointed out that some of the concepts on evolution such as ‘living organisms share common ancestry (18%) and ‘the formation of new species from existing species’ (11%), undermine the superiority of human beings over other organisms. The findings have implications for both pre-and in-service teacher professional development.

The South African life sciences curriculum envisages a teacher who negotiates through controversial issues in the topic of evolution and helps learners reconcile the content and their religious or cultural aspects. Previous studies have found that teachers are conflicted to teach evolution concepts due to socioscientific issues (SSIs) emanating from sociocultural and religious beliefs and those of their learners. Consequently, the current paper reports a study that sought to establish life sciences teachers’ topic specific pedagogical content knowledge when teaching some concepts in the topic evolution. This is against the backdrop that teachers are conflicted about teaching the theory of evolution. In a qualitative study, an open-ended questionnaire designed to assess science teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Biological socioscientific issues (PCK-BSSIs) was administered to selected 28 life sciences teachers who had taught the topic evolution for some time. The findings showed that the teaching of SSIs in evolution through debates, argumentation, and discussions, provides a platform for learner critical thinking, problem-solving and the ability to make informed decisions. Some teachers failed to realise the need for inclusion of evolution in the curriculum considering its invasive and challenging nature with regards to sociocultural and religious beliefs. Teachers therefore used textbook knowledge without engaging learners. Based on these findings, the researchers recommend that teachers be equipped with not only the pedagogical skills to address controversial issues but should also be developed in the subject matter knowledge.