Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 4, Issue 2, Article 12 (Dec., 2003)
Man-Tak CHAN and Ping-Wai KWOK
Facilitating active learning through a thematic science curriculum
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Introduction

Since the 1990s, school science curricula in most developed countries have been renewed (Bentley, 1995) because preparing students for continued studies in science disciplines was no longer the exclusive aim of science education. Scientific literacy for all students then came more to the foreground (Fensham, 1985). Science education reform efforts worldwide share a common feature of the 'science for all' approach which caters for the needs of all citizens rather than future scientists or engineers. The impacts of western science curriculum reforms in the 1990s took place in Hong Kong about a decade later. For example, a group of science teachers and educators conducted a SMILE project developing science curriculum materials "to make school science a motivating and invigorating learning experience for students" (Law, Wong, Lo & Yung, 1996, p.1) between 1994 and 1995. This project was an effort of school-based curriculum development to enhance the quality of science education in Hong Kong. For the part of centralized science curriculum, a new Hong Kong Junior Secondary Science Curriculum (JSSC) (CDC, 1998) has been implemented since 2000, echoing the aims of science education for the 21st century proposed by the Curriculum Development Council (CDC, 2000). The main aim of the JSSC is to help Hong Kong students to "develop the necessary scientific and technological knowledge and skills to live and work in the 21st century" (CDC, 1998, p.2). This study examined the official curriculum documents of the JSSC (e.g. CDC, 1986; CDC, 1998; CDC, 2000) in order to identify the purposes and strengths claimed by the centralized science curriculum in Hong Kong. All the curriculum features from the official documents were then compared with the literature. It was found that the JSSC included three major features for the learning and teaching of science:

1. Relevancy to learners' life

The JSSC emphasized the linkage between science and the daily-life experiences of students. Literature (e.g. Jacobs, 1989; Shoemarker, 1989) argued that pupils would find their learning meaningful and be motivated if the subject content was linked with their daily-life experiences. The content of science curricula should hence be more relevant to pupils' daily lives. This assertion was consistent with Carin's (1993) findings in a study about the curricula developed in the 1990s when elite education came to its end in most education systems around the world. The introduction of the compulsory education not only made the school rolls expand rapidly but also make many teachers struggle for methods to motivate those academically less able students in the classrooms. The JSSC (CDC, 1998) therefore aimed at providing students with more stimulating learning experiences by infusing more content that was relevant to students' daily lives.

2. Development of problem-solving and thinking skills

Another perspective supporting recent science curriculum reforms is about the development of learners' ability to think independently and to solve problems. One of the main emphases of science education is "placed on enhancing students' scientific thinking and strengthening their science process skills" (CDC, 2000, p.7). The JSSC actually promotes an investigative approach (CDC, 1998, p.2) for developing students' thinking and problem-solving skills and focuses on the quality of activities that can provide "minds-on" and "hands-on" learning processes for students.

3. Adopting the Science-technology-society (STS) approach

STS education began in North America early in the 1980s. There are four major strands made up the argument for the STS approach to science:

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) of the USA defined STS education as "the teaching and learning of science and technology in the context of human experience" (NSTA, 1990, p.47). The appeal to adopt the STS approach in science teaching aims at preparing children for the challenge of the fast-changing world in terms of technological and economical advancements. Harms (1977) identified four goal clusters for the teaching of science in schools, viz., science for meeting personal needs, science for resolving current societal issues, science for assisting career choices, and science for preparing for further study. According to Solomon (1993), the STS approach should focus on students' understanding of the environmental threats to the quality of life as well as of the fallible nature of science. It should also focus on the economic and industrial aspects of technology. While students' are challenged with their personal opinions, values and attitudes towards democratic actions, multi-cultural perspectives will also be induced to deal with current societal issues. Therefore, STS education really meets the goals of science teaching identified by Harms. Reviewing the curriculum documents (CDC, 1998; CDC, 2000), it was found that the JSSC also aimed at facilitating STS education to a certain extent. Such objectives are clearly stated in the curriculum document:

1) Students should acquire the basic scientific knowledge and concepts for living in and contributing to a scientific and technological world.

2) Students should recognize the usefulness and limitations of science and the interactions between science, technology and society.

3) Students should develop an attitude of responsible citizenship, including respect for the environment and commitment to the wise use of resources.

(CDC, 1998, p.3)

Between 1998 and 2000, a project was carried out to develop teaching strategies and resources for which were tried out in real classroom situations before the official implementation of the JSSC in 2000. One of the teaching packages developed was for teaching the unit of "The wonderful solvent-water". As the project members thought that the title of this unit did not sound closely to student's daily experience, the science concepts in this unit were organized into a coherent theme entitled "Clean Water". To cater the diverse learning abilities of students attending the 9-year compulsory education, the teaching package extensively adopted student-centred learning activities which intended to help students to overcome short attention span by constantly injecting different stimuli to keep up with their motivation. A variety of learning activities were developed to facilitate students to discover, investigate, and explore science about this theme in order to make the lessons more appealing to students.

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