Mapping Values in Life Sciences: Empowering Preservice Teachers through Experiential Learning
Keywords:
competence assessment task; experiential learning; Life Sciences; preservice teachers; value mapping competence; values pedagogyAbstract
There are global trends in curriculum goals that align with the teaching of Life Sciences, not as isolated or standalone content, but as an avenue for nurturing values targeted towards values, education and sustainable citizenship. Preservice teachers often struggle to recognize and explicitly articulate these embedded values and integrate them into teaching practice. This study explored how experiential learning can enhance the competence of 60 preservice teachers within a South African university context to map values embedded in Life Sciences concepts. A qualitative intervention-based design grounded in experiential learning theory was employed. Preservice teachers engaged in structured experiential learning activities involving selected Life Sciences topics, followed by guided reflection and value-mapping tasks. Data collected from policy curricular documents and participants’ responses to pre-intervention (baseline) and post-intervention (endline) competency assessment tasks were analyzed using a hybrid of thematic analysis and inductive coding. Findings indicate that experiential learning enhanced participants’ ability to identify and interpret values embedded in Life Sciences concepts. Participants demonstrated deeper conceptual understanding, transforming their values by mapping competence from concept-independence to concept-embedded articulation of values. This study concludes that experiential learning supports preservice teachers’ competence for value mapping within Life Sciences education. This competence has the potential to foster values-based education by equipping teachers with the skills to nurture learners with appropriate values and contribute to efforts to ameliorate social ills. The study introduces a conceptual framework on how experiential learning processes can align with values pedagogy, leading to the development of value-mapping competence in preservice teachers.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.8.24
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