SDG’s Quality Education Approach: Comparative Analysis of Natural Sciences Curriculum Guidelines between Taiwan and Colombia

José Molina,Nguyen Viet Hai,Ping-Han Cheng,Chun-Yen Chang

doi:10.3390/su13063352

Abstract

In this comparative analysis, the cases of Taiwan and Colombia display two paths for designing a natural sciences curriculum related to quality education goals. Their differences are based on their central concepts, definitions of learning stages, delimitations of cross-subjects and cores of scientific knowledge, and alignment with international assessments. The core practices in Taiwanese curriculum guidelines are to develop inquiries, research, and experimentations to promote scientific literacy and citizenship. In contrast, the core Colombian practices construct explanations based on scientific ideas, gathering information, and using evidence. Between both countries, there is also a concordance over practices related to obtaining and communicating information. These results show the importance of curriculum policy factors such as epistemological definitions, diagnostics and representations of social expectations, alignment instruments, curriculum definitions, and design criteria of teaching processes. The differences between national curriculum policies are identified in a comparative strategy of contexts, medium-term processes to reform the national education systems or schooling features. Curriculum guidelines respond to their intellectual traditions, theoretical and pedagogical influences, and current requirements of policies. These criteria allow for the identification of cooperative issues in specific areas of science education between both countries, such as teacher education, technological and pedagogical knowledge, and curriculum alignment.

Highlights

The framework coding of science education standards was taken as the main reference to observe their concordance; the “Practice” concept offers indicators and observation statements to analyze the curriculum goals and definitions in a comparative perspective
The comparative analysis of the curriculum guidelines in natural sciences is based on the encounter between Taiwan and Colombia in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), allowing us to ask about similarities between two systems and sets of education policies that belong to the same knowledge area, political space, and international assessment
This comparative analysis delimited a framework to tackle the component of practices and performances in curriculum guidelines for natural sciences from Taiwan and Colombia

Summary

Introduction

The target number 4.7 from the quality education goal refers to a fundamental and substantial relationship between knowledge and political, normative, cultural, and economic aspects in contemporary society. The quality education goal demands that each national education system implement policies to develop lifelong learning through multiple pathways. In this context, the practices required to construct student’s proficiency and appreciation for science at school [1] and the types of knowledge to develop scientific literacy are crucial aspects for designing, implementing, and evaluating curriculum policies in different countries [2].

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Conclusion