TAJUK 1 Isu-isu dalam Pendidikan Sains

SINOPSIS Topik ini membincangkan beberapa isu-isu dalam pendidikan sains. Isu-isu ini berkaitan dengan matlamat pendidikan sains, kandungan pendidikan sains, pengajaran sains dan literasi saintifik. HASIL PEMBELAJARAN 1.Mengenal pasti dan membincangkan isu-isu dalam pendidikan sains. 2. Analisis kesan-kesan isu-isu yang berkaitan dengan pendidikan sains dalam pengajaran sains di sekolah-sekolah rendah.

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Raja 1!" Ke#an$ka %ajuk

ISI KAN&UNGAN 1!" Isu- isu Ku#ikulum Sains Preparing a national science curriculum that will help school students develop their scientific competencies alongside their acquisition of science knowledge requires attention to four issues. 1. Selection of science content (knowledge, skill, understanding and values) e There is a consistent criticism that many of the pro lems and issues in science education arise from the structure of science curricula which tend to knowledge!heavy and alienating to a significant num er of students. " curriculum that covers an e#tensive range of science ideas hampers the efforts of even the est teachers who attempt to provide engaging science learning for their students. The effect of such knowledge!laden curricula is for teachers to treat science concepts in a superficial way as they attempt to cover what is e#pected in the curriculum. $ather than developing understanding, students therefore have a tendency to rely on memorisation when taking tests of their science learning. The challenge is to identify the science concepts that are important and can e realistically understood y students in the learning time availa le. %ne of the realities faced in science education is that scientific knowledge is rapidly increasing. &hile this is valua le for our society, it adds to the pressure on the science curriculum. There is a reluctance to replace the old with the new. $ather, there is a tendency to simply add the new science ideas to the traditional ones. "ccompanying this desire to retain the traditional knowledge ase is a feeling that understanding this content e#emplifies intellectual rigor. % viously such a situation is not sustaina le. The consequence is that many students are losing interest in science. The question then needs to e asked' what is important in a science curriculum( This paper argues that developing science competencies is important, understanding the ig ideas of science is important, e#posure to a range of science e#periences relevant to everyday life is important and understanding of the ma)or concepts from the different sciences

is important. *t is also acknowledged that there is a core ody of knowledge and understanding that is fundamental to the understanding of ma)or ideas. The paper also proposes that it is possi le to provide fle#i ility and choice a out the content of local science curriculum. The factors that influence this choice include conte#t, local science learning opportunities, historical perspectives, contemporary and local issues and availa le learning resources. *n managing this choice, there is a need to e conscious of the potential danger of repetition of knowledge through a student+s school life and ensure repetition is minimised and that a alanced science curriculum is provided for every student. ,inally, e allocated to when selecting content for a national science curriculum it is important to determine how much time can reasona ly and realistically concepts and skills for learning in primary and secondary school. -. $elevance of science learning a curriculum is more likely to provide a science and within this time constraint what is a reasona le range of science

asis for the development of scientific competencies if it is relevant to individual students, perceived to have personal value, or is presented in a conte#t to which students can readily relate. *nstead of simply emphasising what has een descri ed as .canonical science concepts+, there is a need to provide a meaningful conte#t to which students can relate ("ikenhead -//0). ,urthermore, students will e etter placed to understand the concepts if they can e applied to everyday e#periences. To provide oth conte#t and opportunities for application takes time. To increase the relevance of science to students there is a strong case to include more contemporary (and possi ly controversial) issues in the science curriculum. *n doing so, it is important to note that the comple#ity of some scientific issues means that they do not have clear!cut solutions. %ften, the relevant science knowledge is limited or incomplete so that the questions can only e addressed in terms of what may e possi le or pro a le rather than the certainty of what will happen. 1ven when the risks inherent in making a particular decision are assessa le y science, the cultural or social aspects also need to e taken into consideration. The school science curriculum should provide

opportunities to e#plore these comple# issues to ena le students to understand that the application of science and technology to the real world is often concerned with risk and de ate ($ennie -//0). Science knowledge can e applied to solve pro lems concerning human needs and wants. 1very application of science has an impact on our environment. ,or this reason, one needs to appreciate that decisions concerning science applications involve constraints, consequences and risks. Such decision!making is not value!free. *n developing science competencies, students need to appreciate the influence of particular values in attempting to alance the issues of constraints, consequences and risk. &hile many students perceive school science as difficult, the inclusion of comple# issues should not e avoided on the asis that there is a potential for making science seem even more difficult. The answer is not to e#clude contemporary issues, ut rather to use them to promote a more sophisticated understanding of the nature of science and scientific knowledge. *t is important to highlight the implications of a science curriculum that has personal value and relevance to students. This means that the curriculum cannot e a .one si2e fits all+, ut rather a curriculum that is differentiated so that students can engage with content that is meaningful and satisfying and provides the opportunity for conceptual depth. *n this respect the science curriculum should everyday world, and e uilt upon knowledge of how students learn, have demonstrated relevance to students+ e implemented using teaching and learning approaches road cohort of students and a range of delivery uild their science inquiry skills that involve students in inquiry and activity. &ithin the fle#i ility of a science curriculum that caters for a conte#ts, there is a need to define what it is that students should know in each stage of schooling. *n this way, students can endeavour. ased on an understanding of the ma)or ideas that underpin our scientific

3.

4eneral capa ilities and science education There is an argument, ased etween the traditional knowledge!focused science and a more

on research within science education, that curriculum needs to achieve a etter alance

humanistic science curriculum that prepares students for richer understanding and use of science in their everyday world (,ensham, -//0). 5eyond the science discipline area there is also pressure in some "ustralian )urisdictions to develop a roader general school curriculum that em races the view of having knowledge and skills important for future personal, social and economic life. &hile there is much value in such futuristic frameworks, there is the danger that the value of scientific understanding may e diminished. 6nless the details of the general capa ilities refer specifically to science content, the importance of science may e overlooked and the curriculum time devoted to it decrease. The science curriculum can readily provide opportunities to develop these general capa ilities. Such general capa ilities as thinking strategies, decision!making approaches, communication, use of information and communication technology (*7T), team work and pro lem solving are all important dimensions of science learning. There is an increasing num er of teachers who will require assistance to structure their teaching in ways that ena le students to meld the general life capa ilities with the understanding and skills needed to achieve scientific competencies. Such assistance will e found in the provision of quality, adapta le curriculum resources and sustained effective professional learning.

8.

"ssessment &hen a curriculum document is prepared there is an e what is taught and what is assessed. etween intended e

e#pectation that what is written will

6nfortunately, there is sometimes a considera le gap

curriculum, the taught curriculum and the assessed curriculum9 what can

assessed often determines what is taught. This disconnect is a result of the different pressures and e#pectations in education system. "n o vious goal in curriculum development is that the intended, taught and assessed dimensions of curriculum are in harmony. The importance of assessment in curriculum development is highlighted in the process referred to as . ackward design+ in which one works through three stages from curriculum intent to assessment e#pectations to finally planning learning e#periences and instruction (&iggins :

;cTighe, -//<). This process reinforces the simple proposition that for a curriculum to e successfully implemented one should have a clear and realistic picture of how the curriculum will e assessed. "ssessment should serve the purpose of learning. 7lassroom assessment, however, is often translated in action as testing. *t is unfortunate that the summative end!of!topic tests seem to dominate as the main tool of assessment. Senior secondary science assessment related to university entrance has long reinforced a content! ased summative approach to assessment in secondary schools. To improve the quality of science learning there is a need to introduce more diagnostic and formative assessment practices. These assessment tools help teachers to understand what students know and do not know and hence plan relevant learning e#periences that will e eneficial. Summative testing does have an important role to play in monitoring achievement standards and for accounta ility and certification purposes, ut formative assessment is more useful in promoting learning. "ssessment should ena le the provision of detailed diagnostic information to students. *t should show what they know, understand and can demonstrate. *t should also show what they need to do to improve. *t should e noted that the important science learning aspects concerning attitudes and skills as outlined in the paper cannot e readily assessed y pencil and paper tests. ,or that reason, it is important to emphasise the need for a variety of assessment approaches. &hile assessment is important, it should not dominate the learning process. Structure of the curriculum There is value in differentiating the curriculum into various parts that are relevant to the needs of the students and the school structure (,ensham, 1==8).

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*n regard to the school structure, the nature of the teacher+s e#pertise

ecomes a factor to consider. ,or early childhood teachers, their e#pertise lies in the understanding of how children learn. Secondary science teachers have a rich understanding of science while senior secondary teachers have e#pertise in a particular discipline of science. 1ach part would have a different curriculum focus. The four parts are' > early childhood > primary > )unior secondary > senior

secondary. ?eveloping scientific competencies takes time and the science curriculum should reflect the kinds of science activities, e#periences and content appropriate for students of different age levels. *n sum, early science e#periences should relate to self awareness and the natural world. ?uring the primary years, the science curriculum should develop the skills of investigation, using e#periences which provide opportunities to practice language literacy and numeracy. *n secondary school, some differentiation of the su !disciplines of science may e appropriate, ut as local and community issues are e the est approach. Senior interdisciplinary, an integrated science may

secondary science curricula should e differentiated, to provide for students who wish to pursue career!related science speciali2ations, as well those who prefer a more general, integrated science for citi2enship. 1arly 7hildhood 7urriculum focus' awareness of self and the local natural world. @oung children have an intrinsic curiosity a out their immediate world. They have a desire to e#plore and investigate the things around them. Purposeful play is an important feature of their investigations. % servation is an important skill to e developed at this time, using all the senses in a dynamic way. % servation also leads into the idea of order that involves comparing, sorting and descri ing. -. Primary7urriculum focus' recognising questions that can e investigated scientifically and investigating them. ?uring the primary years students should have the opportunity to develop ideas a out science that relate to their life and living. " road range of topics is suita le including weather, sound, light, plants, animals, the night sky, materials, soil, water and movement. &ithin these topics the science ideas of order, change, patterns and systems should e developed. *n the early years of primary school, students will tend to use a trial and error approach to their science investigations. "s they progress through their primary years, the e#pectation is that they will egin to work in a more systematic way. The notion of a .fair test+ and the idea of varia les will e developed, as well as other forms of science inquiry. The importance of measurement will also e fostered. 3. Aunior secondary7urriculum focus' e#plaining phenomena involving science and its applications. ?uring these years, the students will cover topics

associated with each of the sciences' earth and space science, life science and physical science. &ithin these topics it is e#pected that aspects associated with science for living, scienceinquiry and contemporary science would e integrated in the fields of science. &hile integration is the more pro a le approach, it is possi le that topics may e developed directly from each one of these themes. ,or e#ample, there may e value in providing a science unit on an open science investigation in which students conduct a study on an area of their choosing. &hile there may e specific topics on contemporary science aspects and issues,teachers and curriculum resources should strive to include the recent science research in a particular area. *t is this recent research that motivates and e#cites students. *n determining what topics students should study from the road range of possi ilities, it is important to e#ercise restraint and to avoid overcrowding the curriculum and providing space for the development of students+ science competencies alongside their knowledge and understanding of science content. Topics could include states of matter, su stances and reactions, energy forms, forces and motion, the human ody, diversity of life, ecosystems, the changing earth and our place in space. The ig science ideas of energy, sustaina ility, equili rium and interdependence should lead to the ideas of form and function that result in a deeper appreciation of evidence, models and theories. There are some students ready to egin a more specialised program science in )unior secondary and differentiation as early as @ear = may need to e considered to e#tend and engage these students+ interest and skills in science. 8. Senior Secondary. There should e at least three common courses across the country' physics, chemistry and iology. There could also e one roader! ased course that provides for students wanting only one science course at the senior secondary level. *t could have an emphasis on applications. The integrating themes of science for life, scientific inquiry and contemporary science should e em edded into all these courses where realistically possi le. %ther specialised courses could also e provided. 1#isting courses in the states and territories are among the possi ilities availa le. Bational adoption would improve the resources to support the individual courses.

!umber" #ational $urriculum %oard 2&&'(. Bational Science 7urriculum' *nitial advice. )etrie*ed 1& !ept. 2&&+ from ,,,.acara.edu.au-*er*e-....-S'ien'e.Initial.Ad*ice./aper.pdf)

La%i an(1jam)

1.%aca kandungan diatas. 2. #yatakan isu-isu dalam pendidikan sains yang ditemui dalam kandungan di atas. 0. %incang dan tuliskan refleksi sebanyak dua halaman tentang kesan daripada isu-isu pengajaran sains rendah.