an innovative approach

CHAPTER V
IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPACT OF
PHOTOSYNTHESIS TEACHING INTERVENTION
This chapter illustrates biology teacher contexts, and teacher perceptions
before, during and after implementing the intervention. Then, three case studies of
three biology teachers, Mrs. Engka, Mr. Vyn and Mrs. Amp, have been described.
The teacher’s school contexts, background information, beliefs about teaching and
learning and planning are initiated to discussion of teacher’s implementation. The
implementation is showed in terms of the teacher’s practices in classroom, and in
parallel with the impacts on the students’ understanding. The discussion focuses on
the expanded range of objectives of the intervention. The objectives based on the six
principles: 1) correcting Grade 11 students’ misconceptions about introductory
photosynthesis, 2) enhancing Grade 11understanding about advanced photosynthesis,
3) integrate nature of science into photosynthesis and using historical narratives to
illuminate the nature of science based on the National Science Curriculum (IPST,
2002), 4) enhancing students to relate photosynthesis knowledge to conserve the
environment, 5) having regard to culture and society as Socio-cultural perspectives on
teaching and learning, and 6) encouraging students to learn photosynthesis actively.
The following is biology teacher contexts.
Thai Biology Teacher Contexts
As results of the educational reform, the National Science Curriculum (IPST,
2002) required the school to develop its own science curriculum. The school science
curriculum organized teaching photosynthesis into the Grade 11 advanced biology
subject. Teaching Photosynthesis had taken place in the beginning (Nov 2004) of the
second semester or before the school midterm examination (the end of Dec 2004) of
the schooling year of 2004. The teachers had different number of the teaching periods