Science for the 21st Century: Designing a school science curriculum that meets the needs of citizens
Robin Millar
University of York, UK
In England, as in many countries, science is part of the core curr iculum which all school students follow between the ages of 5 and 16. Many students, however, say that they find the science curriculum uninteresting, and the numbers choosing to study the sciences (particularly physics and chemistry) in upper secondary school are falling. The underlying problem is that the curriculum is trying to satisfy two requirements: to improve the 'scientific literacy' of all students, and to provide a sound basis for more advanced study for some students. By attempting to do both through the same curriculum, it does not succeed in doing either well.
This talk will look at two recent developments in England, which are exploring ways of tackling this situations. The upper secondary school course Science for Public Understanding (SPU) aims to attract more students to continue the study of science beyond age 16. It uses a series of thematic modules, each dealing with a topical issue or concern, to build on students' science knowledge from primary and lower secondary school. The course emphasises a broad, descriptive understanding of the 'big ideas' of science, rather than the recall of details, and aims to develop students' understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge, the processes of scientific enquiry, and the issues involved as individuals and society decide how to manage the applications and implications of science.
The 21st Century Science course has grown out of this. Designed for the final two years of compulsory schooling (ages 15-16), it consists of a core science course, which all students take, plus an optional additional science course which some students can choose to take. The core course is 'science for citizens', and is based on similar principles to Science for Public Understanding. The additional science course provides the more subject-centred understanding that students need to progress to more advanced science courses. By separating these two aims, both curriculum strands can be made more 'fit for purpose'. A national pilot of this course, involving 80 schools, began in September 2003 and will run until Summer 2006.
This talk will outline these two developments, explaining the principles on which they are based. Some examples of teaching materials will be presented to give a flavour of the kinds of classroom activity involved. An independent evaluation of Science for Public Understanding has been carried out, and evaluation studies of several aspects of 21st Century Science have been commissioned. The main findings of the SPU evaluation study, and issues emerging from the 21st Century Science pilot, will be discussed.