PRESERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS’ OPINIONS AND ETHICAL PERCEPTIONS IN RELATION TO

Öz Cloning is a reproductive method that raises many important ethical questions. As our future science teachers, preservice science teachers will experience with cloning technologies in their lessons and also part of the society, many of them may become decision makers related these issues. Therefore preservice science teachers need have scientific literacy about cloning studies and also they need to be able to evaluate critically the potential benefits, risks and ethical implications of these technologies.Considering the importance of these issues, the aim of this study is to find preservice science teachers’ ethical peceptions and knowledge in relation to the application of cloning technologies. 112 preservice science teachers attended to this study, their perceptions and knowledge were assessed using dilemmas and questions. It was found that most of the preservice science teachers get their knowledge on cloning technology from informal resources, their knowledge were found limited and they found cloning as risky. In addition, their opinions and reasons related to the dilemmas were differentiated.

___

Arda, B. (2004) Ethical respects of biotechnology and the case of Turkey. Journal of Biotechnology and Law, 1, 210-214.

Balas, A.K. & Hariharan, J. (1998). Cloning: What are their attitudes? A report on the general attitudes of a sample of Midwestern Citizens. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST). San Diego, CA.

Beauchamp, T.L., Kahn, J.P. (2008). Ethical theory and bioethics. In T.L.Beauchamp, L.Walters, J.P. Kahn, A.C. Mastroianni (Ed), Contemporary issues in bioethics (pp.1-32).Thomson Wadsworth Seventh edition.

Cajas, F. (1999). Public understanding of science: using technology to enhance school science in everyday life. International Journal of Science Education, 21(7), 765-773.

Chabalengula, V.M., Mumba, F., Chitiyo, J. (2011). Elementary education preservice teachers’ understanding of biotechnology and its related processes. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 39(4), 321-325.

Concannon, J.P., Siegel, M.A., Halverson, K., Freyermuth, S. (2010). College students’ conceptions of stem cell research and cloning. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 19(2), 177-186.

Costa, E.F., Dınız, N. M., Siqueira, J.E. (2006). The cloning of human beings: Ethical and legal issues. Journal of Medical Ethics, 14, 72-76.

Dawson, V. (2001) Addressing controversial issues in secondary school science. Australian Science Teachers’ Journal, 47(4), 38-44.

Dawson, V. (2007). An exploration of high school (12-17 year old) students’ understanding of, and attitudes toward biotechnology process. Research in Science Education, 37(1), 59-73.

Dawson, V., Taylor, P. (2000). Do adolescents' bioethical decisions differ from those of experts? Journal of Biological Education 34(4): 184-188.

Dawson, V. & Taylor, P. (1997) The inclusion of bioethics education in biotechnology courses. Eubious Journal of Asian and International Bioethics, 7, 171-175

Dawson, V., Schibeci, R. (2003). Western Australian high school students' attitudes towards biotechnology process. Journal of Biological Education, 38(1): 7-12.

Driver, R., Newton, P., & Osborne, J. (2000). Establishing the norms of scientific argumentation in classrooms. Science Education, 84, 287-312.

Dybas, C. L. (2003). Bioethics in a changing world: Report from AIBS's 54th Annual Meeting. Bioscience 53(9): 798-802.

Gunter, B., Kinderlerer, J., Beyleveld, D. (1998). Teenagers and biotechnology: A survey of understanding and opinion in Britain. Studies in Science Education, 32, 81-112.

Jimenez-Aleixandre, M.P., Rodriguez, A.B., & Duschl, R.A. (2000). Doing the lesson or doing science: Argument in high school genetics. Science Education, 84, 757-792.

Kolsto, S. D. (2001). To trust or not to trust - pupils' way of judging information in a socio-scientific issue. International Journal of Science Education, 29(9), 877-901.

Macer, D. (2004). Bioethics education for informed citizens across cultures. School Science Review, 86(315), 83-86.

Macer, D. Why bioethics is needed and what bioethics is needed: Results of IUBS member survey. Eubios Ethics Institute.

Retrieved from http://www.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/~macer/index.html (accessed September 2008)

Mascazine, J.R., Titterington, L., Khalof, A.K. (1998). Cloning: What do they know? A report on the generel knowledge of a sample of Midwestern Citizens. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST). San Diego, CA.

Pedretti, E. (1999) Decision making and STS education: exploring scientific knowledge and social responsibility in schools and science centers through an issues-based approach. School Science and Mathematics, 99(4), 174-181

Pedretti, E., & Hodson, D. (1995) From rhetoric to action: Implementing STS education through action research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 32, 463-485.

Reiss, M. & Straughan, R. (1996). Public understanding of genetic engineering. What can education do? Improving nature? The science and ethics of genetic engineering. Cambridre, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Russo, M.T., Sunal, C.D., Sunal, D. (2004) Teaching Bioethics. Science Activities, 41(3), 5-12.

Sadler, T. D. & Zeidler, D.L. (2003) Weighing in on Genetic Engineering and Morality: Students reveal their ideas, expectations, and reservations. Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching. Philadelphia, PA.

Sadler, T. D. (2004) Moral sensitivity and its cotribution to the resolution of socio-scientific issues. Journal of Moral Education, 33(3), 339-358

Teacher Guide: The Bioethics of Human Cloning. Genetic Science Learning Centre. Retrieved from http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu (Accessed May 2007)

Topcu, M.S., Yılmaz-Tuzun, O., Sadler, T.D. (2011). Turkish preservice science teachers’ informal reasoning regarding socioscientific issues and the factors influencing their informal reasoning. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 22(4), 313-332.

Zohar, A. & Nemet, F. (2002). Fostering students’ knowledge and argumentation skills through dilemmas in human genetics. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39, 35-62.