Integration: An approach to Science in primary schooling

Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 2, Issue 1, Article 10 (Jun., 2001)
Peter J FENSHAM
Integration: An approach to Science in primary schooling

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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND : MID 1990s - on
- More demands on the curriculum
This new estate for primary science had hardly begun to be recognised by schools when another twist of the external pressures on primary education occurred. Although language and number learning have always been the central features of primary school education, there was suddenly a new international concern for "Literacy" and "Numeracy". There were calls for national literacy targets and regular national testing in these two areas of learning. Deficiencies in them were highlighted, although the research evidence did not always show that deterioration over time was occurring. The demand was for even more attention to be given to these two areas.
At this time also, the impact of computers on education, which had been rather haphazard for at least a decade, crystallised in the form of Information Technology (IT), a whole new area of knowledge and expertise to be introduced in the primary years for mastering during schooling.
With these three pressing demands on primary schooling, it was inevitable that there would be a downplaying of the newly established Science as well as of several other areas of knowledge, like social, physical and aesthetic education that primary schools try to include in their curriculum. The systems have not, however, as yet cut back their intentions for Science in the primary years proportionately. With less time and so much content to cover, the already, not very confident teaching of Science becomes even more transmissive and superficial. A recent study in Australia found that language regularly commanded nine hours per week, number 5-6 hours, and science 1-2 hours. In such a situation, the thematic approach above, that integrates within the science curriculum becomes much less tenable, since its extended investigations need regular connected time, and the thread of the theme and its conceptual learning is constantly broken when it is not being extended on a daily basis.