Investigating Greek Biology Teachers’ attitudes towards Evolution Teaching with respect to their Pedagogical Content Knowledge: suggestions for their Professional Development

Panagiotis K. Stasinakis; Kyriacos Athanasiou

doi:10.12973/eurasia.2016.1249a

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Panagiotis K. Stasinakis ¹, Kyriacos Athanasiou ² ^*

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¹ 4th Lyceum of Zografou, Athens, Greece² University of Athens^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Background:
Evolution Teaching (ET) among in-service teachers in Greece was examined in an attempt to evaluate their Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Evolution teaching is a problematic issue.

Material and methods:
For this purpose, we constructed a questionnaire that was distributed to the target population and to which 181 teachers responded. We used quantitative method to determine factors that may characterize the ET milieu and which of the factors of PCK apply or not to ET.

Results:
Our research finds that Biology teachers although strive to teach evolution, face specific difficulties due to lack of PCK.

Conclusions:
The research results may be useful when organizing and implementing professional development programs of teachers on ET.

Keywords

evolution teaching
pedagogical content knowledge (PCK)
quantitative research
biology teaching

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 12, Issue 6, June 2016, 1605-1617

https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2016.1249a

Publication date: 02 Jul 2016

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APA

Stasinakis, P. K., & Athanasiou, K. (2016). Investigating Greek Biology Teachers’ attitudes towards Evolution Teaching with respect to their Pedagogical Content Knowledge: suggestions for their Professional Development. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 12(6), 1605-1617. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2016.1249a

Vancouver

Stasinakis PK, Athanasiou K. Investigating Greek Biology Teachers’ attitudes towards Evolution Teaching with respect to their Pedagogical Content Knowledge: suggestions for their Professional Development. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2016;12(6):1605-17. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2016.1249a

AMA

Stasinakis PK, Athanasiou K. Investigating Greek Biology Teachers’ attitudes towards Evolution Teaching with respect to their Pedagogical Content Knowledge: suggestions for their Professional Development. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2016;12(6), 1605-1617. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2016.1249a

Chicago

Stasinakis, Panagiotis K., and Kyriacos Athanasiou. "Investigating Greek Biology Teachers’ attitudes towards Evolution Teaching with respect to their Pedagogical Content Knowledge: suggestions for their Professional Development". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2016 12 no. 6 (2016): 1605-1617. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2016.1249a

Harvard

Stasinakis, P. K., and Athanasiou, K. (2016). Investigating Greek Biology Teachers’ attitudes towards Evolution Teaching with respect to their Pedagogical Content Knowledge: suggestions for their Professional Development. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 12(6), pp. 1605-1617. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2016.1249a

MLA

Stasinakis, Panagiotis K. et al. "Investigating Greek Biology Teachers’ attitudes towards Evolution Teaching with respect to their Pedagogical Content Knowledge: suggestions for their Professional Development". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 12, no. 6, 2016, pp. 1605-1617. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2016.1249a