Assessment of Pre-Service Science Teachers' Knowledge of In-Vitro-Fertilization and Surrogacy for Teaching Human Reproduction among Colleges of Educations in Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated pre-service science teachers' knowledge of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy and examined the implications of their knowledge levels for the teaching of human reproduction in Colleges of Education in Kwara State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. A sample of 150 pre-service science teachers (biology education students) was drawn from two Colleges of Education using multi-stage sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-designed questionnaire titled "Pre-Service Science Teachers' Knowledge and Perceptions of IVF and Surrogacy Questionnaire (PSKPIVFSQ)," which comprised four sections covering demographic information, knowledge of IVF (10 items), knowledge of surrogacy (10 items), and perceptions of IVF and surrogacy (15 items on a 4-point Likert scale). The instrument was validated by three experts in science education and educational measurement, and reliability coefficients of 0.78 (KR-20) for IVF knowledge, 0.81 (KR-20) for surrogacy knowledge, and 0.84 (Cronbach's alpha) for perceptions were obtained. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages), independent samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that the majority of pre-service science teachers had moderate knowledge of IVF (Mean = 4.32/10) and low knowledge of surrogacy (Mean = 3.48/10). Pre-service science teachers expressed an overall positive perception of IVF and surrogacy (Grand Mean = 2.70/4.00), but held negative perceptions regarding the legalization of commercial surrogacy and expressed discomfort about discussing these topics in the classroom. There was no significant difference in knowledge based on gender (t = 0.874, p = 0.384 > 0.05), but a significant difference was found based on academic level (F = 4.38, p = 0.014 < 0.05), with NCE III students scoring significantly higher than NCE I students. The study concluded that pre-service science teachers' knowledge of IVF and surrogacy is inadequate for effective teaching of contemporary human reproduction topics. It was recommended that the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) should update the NCE biology curriculum to include assisted reproductive technologies, and that Colleges of Education should organize workshops, develop relevant instructional materials, and integrate bioethics education into teacher training programmes to enhance pre-service teachers' preparedness to teach human reproduction.