In this commentary, summarized from a recent interview, the author reminisces about a career dedicated to critical exploration in the classroom. She discusses the formation of the Moon Group, a group of teachers who met over a period of 25 years to study the behaviour of the moon. Duckworth later describes an exercise in which her students…

This viewpoint commentary, written from the perspective of a teacher who has helped to educate students in a wide variety of educational environments, is a reaction to the article published in Anatomical Sciences Education on developing of core syllabuses for the anatomical sciences. After reflecting on the definitions of both curriculum and…

In this essay I elaborate on three ideas that emerged from reading the work of Sylvie Barma. These points are in response to curriculum reform and the use of activity theory: (a) curriculum reform as a public policy; (b) a reflection about the process followed by teacher implementation of that reform in a biology classroom; and (c) the sense of…

Science education in Papua New Guinea has been influenced by neo-colonial practices that have significantly contributed to the silencing of the Papua New Guinea voice. This silencing has led to the production of science curriculum documents that are irrelevant to the students for whom they are written. To avoid being caught up in neo-colonial…

This paper offers a commentary upon a number of recent documents from different countries concerned with the reform of school science education. It identifies and considers in turn four issues drawn from the documents: the way in which science is defined; the reference to science as a whole rather than as discrete disciplines; the nature of…

This article presents an interview with Michael Hacker and David Burghardt, codirectors of Hoftra University's Center for Technological Literacy. Hacker and Burghardt address issues related to technology and engineering. They argue that teachers need to be aware of the problems kids are facing, and how to present these problems in an engaging…

Comments on the criticisms of Fensham (2002) of scientific literacy curricula being designed by scientists and science educators. Suggests that an analysis of literacy leads to several propositions from which the analogy with scientific literacy can be drawn. (Author/YDS)

The "layer-cake" curriculum of yearlong science courses and the "good science" approach are outdated. A new scope sequence is warranted, in which all sciences are taught every year K-12 and instruction proceeds systematically from concrete through empirical to theoretical. (SK)

Identifies a number of possible epistemological perspectives that can be taken on the changing nature of curricular knowledge in science and considers some of the normative characteristics of each. The varieties of knowledge and value perspectives associated with each inform teachers and students how they are expected to think about the subject.…

In this article, I argue that the enacted curriculum in the United States of America is driven by a politics of domestication--a negative process of acculturation by which individuals are required to conform uncritically to established norms in a community of practice, and by which they are prevented from using their own craft and/or professional…

Describes the use of microcomputers to develop a comprehensive K-12 science curriculum. Claims that the use of computer-assisted curriculum development reduces the cost of designing original curriculum. (JK)

Reflects on the implications of the changes that the Dearing review proposed for 16-19 education. Attempts to stimulate further discussion on the structure and content of the 16-19 physics curriculum for the next century. (JRH)

Examines the ideal ecology curriculum in terms of education rationale, goals, and content. Reviews available data sources with regard to environmental education. (KHR)

In April 1990 a group of 30 educational researchers, sociologists, scientists, analysts, and fund agency staff convened for a meeting to discuss issues critical to science curriculum reform. The meeting, stimulated by national calls for science curriculum reform to prepare a scientifically literate citizenry, had as its objective to generate a…

Students in grades K-12 must be taught basic science information and concepts related to potential energy resources and conservation measures, and skills in problem solving and social decision making. Also needed are value clarification skills that would enable people to reexamine their attitudes in the light of new information. (Author/GC)