Caring and its role in effective life science teaching: A case study

The focus of this inquiry was to explore, analyze, and describe the reciprocity of caring as it is embedded in and shapes the culture of the high school life science classroom. The data collection and analysis was guided by the theoretical underpinnings of phenomenology and heuristics, while following a multiple case study design. The case study involved two life science teachers, one male (Mr. Gene Fischer) and one female (Mrs. Carrie Sanders), who are perceived to be effective and caring educators. They were selected purposely, along with two of their classes (an upper level genetic/molecular biology class and a lower level freshman biology course), which included 82 students. Data were collected in the form of field notes, videotapes and documents at each site. Grounded theory generated from the study was analyzed by following a case analysis (Merriam, 1988), and cross-case analysis (Merriam, 1988) approach, while also using the tenets of the constant comparative method by Glaser and Strauss (1967). By studying experienced, effective and caring teachers (and their students) over time, it was hoped to expand the extant theory about the ethic of care to better understanding the impact caring has in a variety of teaching and learning situations within the life science classroom