The Impact of Innovative Teaching Approaches on Biotechnology Knowledge and Laboratory Experiences of Science Teachers

Abstract

The current study presents an evaluation of the laboratory instructional tasks prepared based on innovative teaching approaches (research-inquiry, problem solving, project, argumentation and web-based interdisciplinary learning approaches) designed to enhance science teachers’ biotechnology knowledge, awareness and laboratory experiences. The laboratory instructional tasks developed by the researchers aim to improve the laboratory experiences, as well as support the teaching of biotechnology through innovative teaching approaches. For this purpose, in-service training course titled Biotechnology Education Practices was conducted with the voluntary participation of science teachers (n = 17). The current study employed the embedded design. The quantitative part of the embedded design is designed as the single group pretest-posttest model and the qualitative part of it is designed as the case study. The data of the current study were collected through the Biotechnology Awareness Questionnaire, Biotechnology Evaluation Questions, The Laboratory Self-Evaluation form and worksheets. The results obtained from the analyses revealed that the instructional tasks conducted within the context of the Biotechnology Education Practices resulted in significant effects on the science teachers’ biotechnology knowledge and awareness and that the innovative teaching approaches were effective in developing the science teachers’ laboratory experiences. It would be useful to use laboratory instructional tasks enriched with innovative teaching approaches in teaching biotechnology subjects.

Self-evaluative Scientific Modeling in an Outreach Gene Technology Laboratory

“…After determining the DNA's representation and building the handcrafted model, model evaluation-1 phase was organized as a reciprocal self-evaluation. As combining sketching and handcrafting models proved to be important (e.g., Prabha 2016, Orhan andSahin 2018), modellers-1 and modellers-2 evaluated their handcrafted DNA model based on their earlier paperand-pencil version. Another effective method for encouraging self-evaluation is reflective writing (Kovanović et al 2018).…”

Reflective Practices in Inquiry Learning: Its Effectiveness in Training Pre-Service Teachers' Critical Thinking Viewed from Cognitive Styles

“…Along with the needs of 21st-century learning in achieving critical thinking, the priority of science learning leads to inquiry activities identified as a promising approach (Sergis et al, 2019), as an innovative learning approach (Orhan & Sahin, 2018), even as the best teaching practice of critical thinking (Cleovoulou & Beach, 2019). The inquiry positively impacts critical thinking skills in science learning (Duran & Dökme, 2016;Naezak et al, 2021).…”

Student Primary Teachers’ Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Biotechnology—Are They Prepared to Teach Biotechnological Literacy?

“…In the case of biotechnology, this has been illustrated within higher education (Solli et al, 2014). Teachers with more positive attitudes towards science include science topics more often in the classroom and use active learning methodologies (Haney et al, 2002;Orhan & Sahin, 2018). In order to enable all teachers to promote biotechnological literacy in primary education, we therefore first need to know pre-service primary school teachers' existing knowledge and attitudes.…”