Relegated to the Margins? The Place of STSE Themes in Québec Secondary Cycle One Science Textbooks

Abstract

Science, technology, society, and environment (STSE) themes occupy a prominent place in the reformed Quebec junior high school science curriculum. However, studies have demonstrated that STSE curriculum reforms are often not translated into meaningful changes in classroom practice. Although there are multiple possible reasons for this gap between curriculum theory and teaching practice, one reason that is especially worthy of investigation is the fidelity of the curriculum materials that are provided to classroom teachers. Do the available textbooks convey the STSE curriculum goals, or is the STSE content effectively relegated to the sidelines? This analysis attempts to resolve this question using traditional content analysis techniques as well as a critical qualitative approach. We find that although the texts manage to address STSE goals to some extent, there is a significant occlusion of critical perspectives on STSE.