Pedagogical Practices Adopted by Novice Life Sciences Teachers When Teaching Genetics in Grade 12 Classrooms

Abstract: This study examined pedagogical practices adopted by novice Life Sciences teachers when teaching Genetics in grade 12 classrooms. The inquiry adopted a generic qualitative design located within the interpretivist paradigm and involved 3 purposively selected novice Life Sciences teachers from urban South African schools. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and lesson observations. Key findings of the study demonstrated that novice Life Sciences teachers adopted a variety of instructional strategies such as demonstrations, analogies and role playing to teach Genetics in grade 12 classrooms. However, novice Life Sciences teachers’ inadequate professional experience hampered their ability to meaningfully implement adopted instructional strategies. The abstract nature of Genetics as a Life Sciences key knowledge domain posed formidable instructional challenges for novice Life Sciences teachers in the classroom. In addition, novice Life Sciences teachers’ inadequate pedagogical content knowledge made it increasingly difficult for them to skillfully deploy selected instructional resources to enhance meaningful teaching and learning of Genetics in the classroom. The empirical investigation was underpinned by constructivism as the underlying theoretical framework. Theoretical implications for sustainable professional development of novice teachers are discussed