Teaching of mitosis in South African classrooms : instructional strategies and challenges

Abstract

Mitosis is a fundamental biological process that underpins various concepts in Life Sciences (Biology). Consequently, fostering a strong scientific foundation is widely recognised as essential for learners to develop logical reasoning skills. The current study examines the instructional strategies used and challenges faced by teachers in teaching mitosis topics in the FET (Further Education and Training) phase in South African Grade 10 Life Sciences (Biology) classrooms. Eight teachers in one of the circuits of the Gert Sibande District, Mpumalanga Province, participated. An interpretive approach was adopted, with the conceptual framework of pedagogical content knowledge guiding the research. Interview data underwent content analysis, while thematic analysis was used for the lesson observation data. The study identified a deficiency in creative, topic-specific instructional strategies, particularly those incorporating technology. Additionally, the study revealed that teachers struggled with mitosis-related content and terminology, demonstrating limited pedagogical content knowledge. The subject advisers are encouraged to conduct workshops for teachers on challenging Life Sciences (Biology) content as well as training teachers to use of technology in teaching Life Sciences (Biology) topics such as mitosis.