Didactic content knowledge of biotechnology of a teacher from Bogotá. Complexification of its representation in relationship maps

Abstract

Biotechnology (BT) has gained considerable relevance in recent decades due to its influence on fields  such as health, agriculture, and industry, as well as the ethical and social debates about its applications. Although no formal teacher training programme for biotechnology teaching exists within the Colombian educational context, some natural science teachers have incorporated this content into upper secondary education. This research arose from the need to understand how teachers apply their Biotechnology Pedagogical Content Knowledge (BT-PCK) in the classroom. Its main objective was to characterize the declarative and in-action BT-PCK of an experienced teacher, referred to as Alejandra, who teaches biotechnology at a public school in Bogotá.

The study adopted a hermeneutic approach. To characterize the teacher’s  PCK in-action, non-participant observations were conducted during twelve biotechnology lessons taught to high school students aged 15–17, which were recorded using audio and video. The lessons were transcribed, and examined through content analysis. The Content Representation (CoRe) instrument was used to describe the teacher’s declarative PCK. In both cases, systematization matrices were constructed to identify the components of BT-PCK and the relationships among them, determining the frequency, directionality, and levels of complexity of those relationships ( using a previously developed progression hypothesis as a reference). Finally, representative maps of both declarative and enacted PCK were created.

Within the teacher’s declarative BT-PCK, the teaching content component played a central role as the main destination of the relationships, particularly  in terms of strategies. The teacher demonstrated knowledge of a wide range of teaching strategies, aligned with the students`academic and career development goals. Likewise, the assessment component also appeared recurrently and was represented primarily through the use of closed-ended questions and peer-assessment and self-assessment activities.

The analysis showed that the teacher’s enacted PCK was dynamic and complex, with teaching strategies emerging as the predominant component and establishing the greatest number of relationships, particularly with content and objectives. Although knowledge of the context appeared less frequently, it was distinguished by its high level of complexity, as it enabled biotechnology to be connected with socioscientific issues such as biofuels and bioremediation. The “student knowledge” component appeared in interactions that reflected the recognition of students’ prior ideas and the promotion of classroom debates, although these discussions were not always critically explored in depth.

The study revealed that Alejandra’s BT-PCK integrates several components, among which strategies emerged as the central organizing element, while the context, though less frequently cited, provided a critical perspective by linking biotechnology to social and environmental issues.

The teacher’s professional experience, life history, academic background, and reflection on her own practice have enabled her to develop a broad repertoire of teaching strategies, guided by human-centered and contextual considerations, including the realities and needs of the country and her students, as well as the school’s infrastructure and educational goals.