School Science Curriculum Research Articles

How the Finnish compulsory school science curriculum emphasises scientific literacy

Soome põhikooli ülemise astme riiklikus õppekavas käsitletakse loodusaineid eraldi õppeainetena. Õppekava keskendub hoiakute kujundamisele, mis toetavad teaduslike teadmiste kasutamist erisugustes uurimuslikes olukordades ja kontekstides. Õppekava kohaselt on loodusainete õpetamise eesmärk anda õpilastele loodusteaduslik pädevus, mis võimaldab neil teaduslikele teadmistele tuginedes kirjeldada, selgitada ja prognoosida loodusnähtusi, märgata ja määratleda elukeskkonnas esinevaid probleeme ning tõlgendada andmeid ja tõendusmaterjale. Õppekavas pannakse suurt rõhku ülekantavate pädevuste omandamisele, näiteks kriitilise ja loova mõtlemisoskuse ning mitmekesiste töötamisviiside omandamisele. Õppekava keskendub ka omandatud teadmiste kasutamisele uurimistöös ning elulistes ja ühiskondlikes olukordades. Üldiselt püütakse loodusainete õpetamise peamise eesmärgi kirjeldamisel ühendada Robertsi esimest visiooni (kontseptuaalne lähenemine) teise visiooniga (kontekstipõhine lähenemine), millega saavutatakse loodusteadusliku kirjaoskuse areng.
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The colours of the Higgs boson: a study in creativity and science motivation among high-school students in Italy

With the increasing shift from STEM to STEAM education, arts-based approaches to science teaching and learning are considered promising for aligning school science curricula with the development of twenty-first century skills, including creativity. Yet the impact of STEAM practices on student creativity and specifically on how the latter is associated with science learning outcomes have thus far received scarce empirical support. This paper contributes to this line of research by reporting on a two-wave quantitative study that examines the effect of a long-term STEAM intervention on two cognitive processes associated with creativity (act, flow) and their interrelationships with intrinsic and extrinsic components of science motivation. Using pre- and post-survey data from 175 high-school students in Italy, results show an overall positive effect of the intervention both on the act subscale of creativity and science career motivation, whereas a negative effect is found on self-efficacy. Gender differences in the above effects are also observed. Further, results provide support for the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between creativity and science career motivation. Implications for the design of STEAM learning environments are discussed.

Analysis of the Nature of Science in Elementary School Science Curriculum and Its Empowerment in Student Book

The nature of Science or NOS is the knowledge that explains how science works and how scientists conduct research. The nature of science has aspects in the form of form and nature, namely aspects of the product, scientific attitude, process, subjective, tentative, empirical, Theory and Law, Social and Culture, Creativity, Scientific Method. It is important to convey aspects of the nature of science into the science curriculum and student books because they are a reference in the learning process so that learning objectives can be achieved properly. Submission of aspects of the nature of good science is to convey it correctly and explicitly. Based on the analysis and comparison results, it shows that aspects of the nature of science in the elementary school curriculum and its embodiment in student books are not explained explicitly, both in the curriculum and in student books. The results of the percentage value of the essence of science in the student curriculum have a value of > 80%, namely product, subjective, creative aspects, and in the student's book, only product aspects have a percentage value of > 80%. Meanwhile, other aspects have a low percentage value of <80%.

Öğretmen Adaylarının Öğrenme Stillerinin Şematik Not Hazırlamalarına Etkisi

The study aims to investigate the effect of the pre-service teachers’ dominant learning styles on their sketchnotes designs prepared for science topics as well as determining their reasons for the visual and written elements used in these sketchnotes. The study was designed following descriptive correlational survey model. The participants consisted of 44 teacher pre-service of science teaching at grades two and three studying at Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University. The quantitative data for the study was obtained through “Verbal and Visual Dominant Learning Style Scale” developed by Akgün et al. (2014) while the qualitative data was gathered from the participants’ sketchnotes prepared for various science topics in the secondary school science curriculum. The findings indicate that the majority of the participants had visual dominant learning style. As the participants with visual dominant learning style gave prominence to visuals by using drawings and various writing styles frequently in their sketchnotes, the ones with verbal dominant learning styles used more words and sentences along with frequent textual detailed explanations. It was also found that the participants with visual dominant learning style placed more importance to process building, grouping, and listing and the ones with verbal dominant learning styles placed more emphasize on explanations. The findings of the study are meant to introduce sketchnotes to teachers and to promote the use of them in their teaching practices.

THE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN THIRD-GRADE PRIMARY SCHOOL SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS AND CURRICULUM STANDARDS IN CHINA AND JAPAN

This study applied the Porter’s alignment model to construct a localized two-dimensional framework based on Anderson's taxonomy. The research chose the third-grade primary school science textbooks from two representative presses in China and Japan, coded the textbooks and curriculum standards, calculated the alignment level between the textbooks of the two presses and their corresponding curriculum standards, and discussed the alignment level from the topic, cognitive demand, and emphasis. The results show that the B version in Japan is significantly aligned with the Japanese curriculum standard, but the A version in China does not have significant alignment with the Chinese curriculum standard. Besides, a common problem is that the ratios of life science in sample science textbooks both exceed the requirements of the curriculum standards, and the problems of exceeding the standard in cognitive demand and not highlighting the key points also need to be concerned. This study provides ideas and references for countries with similar educational situations to study the compilation of science textbooks and fills up the deficiency of the international comparison of the alignment between primary school science textbooks and curriculum standards by using the alignment model. Keywords: alignment evaluation, content analysis, curriculum standards, primary school, science textbooks

Teachers’ Awareness, Attitude and Practice of Teaching Primary School Science Curriculum Vis-A-Vis Constructivist Approach

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ awareness, attitude and practice of teaching primary school science curriculum towards constructivist approach. The study was to see how teachers teach the primary science curriculum at classroom level vis-a-vis constructivist approach, as well as, to identify teachers’ awareness and attitude toward constructivist view of teaching and learning in science education. The sources of the data were selected purposefully from science teachers, who teach from grade one to grade six, of one purposefully selected primary school. Qualitative research paradigm and case study research design were used as the methods of the study. The data was analyzed qualitatively. The result revealed that: 1) Teachers were using the traditional approach, lecture as pivotal tool in their classroom episodes; 2) Teachers did not have the understanding of constructivist approach in-depth. Teachers perceived as their direct teaching/purveying of scientific findings could develop the understanding of scientific concepts and skills; 3) Teachers’ attitude towards students’ motivation and capabilities in their learning with respect to constructivist view of learning reflected more of pessimistic views. This attitude is the result of the deep rooted thoughts of positivist/objectivist view and lack of awareness towards constructivist view of learning. Finally, the following solutions were recommended for the identified problems as:1) The Regional Education Bureau, the Zonal Education Office and the Town administration Education Office ought to provide workshops, short term trainings on constructivist approach as referent thinking in science education. 2) The Schools’ Administrators also need to arrange experience sharing among science teachers on content pedagogy in line to constructive view of learning. 3) Teachers educators ought to develop the understanding of the would-be teachers towards constructivist approach. Keywords: Constructivist approach, Awareness, Attitude and Practice DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-13-06 Publication date: May 31 st 2021

Upper Primary Students’ Views Vis-à-Vis Scientific Reasoning Progress Levels in Physics

The purpose of this study was to explore grade eight students’ views in terms of different scientific reasoning progress levels. To explore students’ views, phenomenographic study was used. The qualitative analysis of students’ interviews elicited three major themes of students’ views about scientific reasoning progress levels: naïve, mixed, and scientific, along with the underlying ways of reasoning patterns. It was revealed that students think that scientific knowledge is static, fixed, universal, certain, and unchangeable. It is recommended that a need to consider an inquiry-based teaching in combination with the contextualized approach of nature of science in school science curriculum and classroom instruction to promote students’ scientific views on the nature of science and higher scientific reasoning abilities.

All STEM-Ed up: Gaps and Silences around Ecological Education in Australia

Similar to much of the world, the Australian Government has a vision for society to be engaged in and enriched by science which has, as its prime focus, building skills and capabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Simultaneously, the Government’s policies and projects, including in education, ignore intergovernmental environmental initiatives, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). This article critically analyses the Australian Government’s STEM and climate change education policies and programs, including Citizen Science activities, through an ecological education lens and finds many, and growing, gaps and silences in these areas. It compares the Australian situation with STEM and ecological education-related developments in several other countries. In the context of significant global changes such as the COVID-19 pandemic, this article argues that it is time for the Australian education agenda to take the Government’s international responsibilities seriously, include meaningful engagement with climate change and biodiversity related topics through ecological education in the school curriculum, and discusses what a reimagined school science curriculum could look like.

Service Learning Opportunity for Undergraduate Science Students: Integrating Problem-Based Learning in the High School Science Curriculum

A service learning course has been developed through which undergraduate science students create problem-based learning materials for use in high school science classes. Undergraduate students research active learning pedagogies with a specific focus on problem-based learning, create original materials to be used in grades 11 and 12 chemistry and environmental science classes, and work in coordination with secondary school teachers to facilitate the use of their original problems in high school classes. For many of the participating students, this is their first experience with self-directed learning and a rare opportunity to develop pedagogical content knowledge. Beginning through a partnership with a single high school teacher, this program has expanded to include nine teachers at five different schools, and interest continues to grow. This article presents the motivations and goals of the course for participating students, the structure and outline of the course, sample works that have been created by students, as well as some student outcomes from past sessions of the course.

Teaching material and energy topics in Grade 5 science curriculum based on STEM education

STEM-oriented education is one of the inevitable trends of world education in order to improve the quality of human resources in the 4.0 industrial era. In this orientation, learners have many opportunities to apply their knowledge into practice, know how to apply and synthesize knowledge of science, technology, technology and mathematics to create products on demand within their ability. Currently, STEM education in Vietnam has gradually been applied to a number of subjects at all educational levels. Science curriculum in elementary schools has very suitable content in STEM orientation. In this study, we conduct a research on theoretical basis and design teaching process for some contents under the topic “Material and energy” in the science program of grade 5 oriented to STEM education which contributes to the improvement of teaching science subjects at elementary schools.

Rethinking the High School Biology Curriculum

Rethinking the High School Biology Curriculum

The Impact of High-Level Teacher Questioning on Elementary School Students’ Achievement, Retention and Attitude in Science

This research aimed to investigate the impact of high-level teacher questioning on 6th grade students’ science achievement, retention of learning and their attitudes toward science. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed in this research. Participants consisted of 43 students enrolled in two intact 6th grade classes of a science teacher in a public elementary school. Two classes were assigned as either an experimental group or a control group randomly. Students in both groups were taught electricity concepts through student centered activities aligned with the national elementary school science curriculum. Difference between the two groups was the type of questions used by the teacher during the instruction. Background Questionnaire, Science Achievement Test, Attitude Scale and Structured Interview Form were used to collect data. ANCOVA results revealed a significant difference in science achievement and retention of learning across two groups, in favor of experimental group. However, independent t-test results demonstrated that students’ attitudes toward science were not significantly different across the groups. Moreover, interview results supported the findings obtained from the achievement test.

Using Explicit Teaching of Philosophy to Promote Understanding of the Nature of Science: A Case Study from a Chinese High School.

Adopting an explicit and reflective approach to the teaching of the history and philosophy of science is useful in promoting high school students’ understanding of the nature of science. Whereas the history of science is usually signposted clearly in the school science curriculum, the philosophy of science is considered to be embedded in and integral to science education. This article argues that philosophical topics also need to be explicitly signposted and discussed in the teaching of the nature of science in high schools. This study investigates an interdisciplinary course on the nature of science in a Chinese senior high school. The course involved explicit teaching of philosophy of science topics with subject knowledge in each lesson. This mixed method design of the research included a modified version of the Views on Science, Technology and Society questionnaire as reported by Aikenhead and Ryan (Science Education, 76(5):477‑491, 1992) and phenomenographical analysis. Although the sample size is small, the results suggest that explicit teaching of philosophy of science topics helps students better understand both the nature of science and the relationship between science, technology and society.

Comparison of Astronomy school education curricula between Philippines and Japan

As a case study for developing countries aiming at improving science and Astronomy school education, we compare the Philippine and Japanese school science curricula. The Philippines recently changed its national curriculum with a view of strengthening science education. Japan, on the other hand, already has a reputable national curriculum and continues to be one of the outstanding countries in science education. Likewise, higher education and informal Astronomy education of the two countries were reviewed for similarities and differences. The Philippine and Japanese National Curriculum Standards and government approved science books were used in the analysis of their respective Astronomy learning competencies. The findings show that the Astronomy-related topics in both countries are almost the same, but Filipino students have more time and exposure to Astronomy concepts compared to Japanese students. On the other hand, Japan is rich in student research presentation in high school. Japan offers more opportunities and facilities to students who would like to pursue both Astronomy education and research. It seems that these backgrounds are the basis for richer Astronomy research environment in Japan.

Design and Evaluation of the Environmental Outreach Activity for Middle School Students.

The design and development of an outreach activity targeted at 6th grade middle school students, which aims to determine the level of phosphate in samples of water from nearby lakes and streams, are detailed. Several parameters were noted as key to the successful implementation of this activity in a school setting and to it being well-received by both students and teachers. These include the hands-on nature of the experiment, the use of professional scientific equipment and protocols, and the relevance to everyday life and nearby societal issues. Incorporation of the activity into the middle school science curriculum and educational standards are discussed. Qualitative data indicate that the outreach activity was positively received by students and teachers alike. Statistical differences were found between schools and gender even before performing the activity, suggesting that not all student audiences have the same predisposition for science. Overall, the outreach activity appeared to increase stronger endorsements of positive attitudes toward science. Cumulatively, these results suggest that the outreach activity was well-received and engaging and indicate that it increases positive attitudes toward science, though more in-depth and longitudinal analyses are necessary for future studies.

Delphi Technique in the Development of Emerging Contents in High School Science Curriculum

Science serves as a primary launching pad for emerging content in education. This paper examines how the Delphi technique is used in the development of emerging content in the high school science curriculum. A systematic review allowed for the search, assessment, analysis, and synthesis of related studies. The results showed that, aside from its classical form, the Delphi technique has been modified by either simplification or extension of its stages. It was further disclosed that most modified forms have deviated from the key trait of the Delphi technique of maintaining the anonymity of the involved participants, adopting a panel discussion. This deviation, however, is an answer to the weakness typically criticized for the classical form that does not account for active interaction among the participants. The recommendation for curriculum developers on how to combine the strengths of the varying Delphi techniques is offered in the study.

Research on the Integration of STEM Education into the Rural Elementary School Science Curriculum: An Example from Rural Elementary Schools in Western China

Research on the Integration of STEM Education into the Rural Elementary School Science Curriculum: An Example from Rural Elementary Schools in Western China

Windows and mirrors: three images of the US science curriculum as reflected through Kenya’s Jua Kali

In this article, the authors draw on their experience in an international, cross-cultural visit to ponder similarities and differences in educational systems in both the USA and Kenya. During the visit, one feature of Kenyan society that stood out and became a frequent topic of discussion was the existence of the Jua Kali. Presenting their ponderings through the metaphor of windows and mirrors, the authors use the Jua Kali to (a) muse about the impact of school structure and science curriculum on Kenyan society and (b) reflect on the impact of school structure and science curriculum on US society. Through these muses and reflections, the authors suggest that science curriculum in the USA is structured to be irrelevant and inefficient, and it does not yield the results that it promises. The authors conclude by drawing from the history of the science, technology, and society movement to advocate for small-scale, local reform efforts.

Fijian Pre-Service Teachers’ Ideas about Science and Scientists

ABSTRACTThis paper reports findings from a small study with Fijian pre-service teachers about their perceptions of science and scientists. No known study of this nature has been conducted in Fiji nor in other Pacific Island Countries. The study drew on previous studies using Draw-A-Scientist Test as well as critiques of the instrument using qualitative methods associated with critical literacy approach to understand the relationship between Fiji school science curriculum and pre-service teachers’ knowledge of science and scientists. 88 pre-service teachers participated in this study. Data collection included participants’ drawings and written descriptions of scientists, notes taken during group discussions about their knowledge of science and scientific activities, and transcripts of interviews with some of the participants. While the findings resonate with similar studies conducted elsewhere, they have particular significance in a Pacific context where countries are attempting rapid technological transformations.

Research on the Integration of STEM Education into the Rural Elementary School Science Curriculum: An Example from Rural Elementary Schools in Western China

Due to the limitation of social economic conditions, the teaching effect of science in rural elementary schools remains unsatisfactory and poorly studied. This research integrates STEM education into rural elementary school science courses to explore whether STEM courses are effective in improving students' knowledge and ability, asking: Are STEM courses better than traditional science courses in improving students' knowledge and abilities? An experimental study of STEM curriculum teaching was conducted in science education at Jiujiang elementary School in Shuangliu County, Chengdu, China. The experimental group receiving STEM classes had increased total score, basic knowledge, and ability expansion compared to the control group receiving traditional classes. This shows that the integration of STEM education into rural elementary school science courses is feasible and effective.