Integrating socio-scientific issues in STEM education: science teachers’ decision-making processes and perspectives

İngilizce (OpenAlex)

This study explored the impact of a socio-scientific issues (SSIs)-based STEM activity on science teachers who attended a professional development program. The focus was on examining their decisions, the multidimensional nature of these decisions, and their informal reasoning patterns regarding the topic of nuclear power plants. Additionally, the study investigated teachers’ views on implementing this activity in the classroom. Conducted as a case study, the research involved 35 science teachers from the Black Sea Region in Türkiye. Over a 5-week program, teachers’ decision-making processes, reasoning patterns, and experiences with the activity’s classroom applicability were analyzed. Findings revealed that teachers predominantly used rational informal reasoning in their decisions about nuclear power plants. Teachers also viewed the activity as well-aligned with SSI, effectively integrating STEM disciplines, enhancing decision-making skills, enriching the learning experience, and raising social and environmental awareness.