Science education for citizenship: A case study

Abstract

The aim of this study is to discover the topics/contexts covered in the science course with respect to citizenship education. This study was carried out using a case study design, a qualitative research approach. Since this study was designed as a case study, the primary data collection technique was the participant observation technique. Critical case sampling was used to collect qualitative data during the observations. The observational data were obtained from two classes in 2009 during the fall semester. Also, several semi-structured interviews were conducted with the teachers in 2010 during the spring semester to support observation data and increase the credibility of the study. Criterion sampling was used to determine the teachers to enroll in the study, and a total of 24 teachers participated in the interviews. The study data were analyzed through content analysis. In the content analysis, a conceptual framework was formed in light of the literature on the relationship between citizenship education and citizenship education within a science course. The coding stage in this study was based on this conceptual framework. The results showed that, as a part of citizenship education, science course could deal with the topics of ScienceTechnology-Society-Environment, Scientific Literacy, Socio-Scientific Issues, Rights and Duties.