KCF 2007

       NCF 2005 and the position papers provided ground for introspection and formulation of the Kerala curriculum frame work 2007.  The curriculum reform was based on the vision of education as a social process. The methodology outlined by the curriculum stresses on activity based process oriented learning. It also stresses on enquiry based learning and liberal democratic learner- friendly approach that leads to the overall development of the learner. 

The aims of education in our society can be stated as:

·         Social justice

·         The education system that is envisaged should be capable of promoting a social order based on equality and justice.

·         Awareness on environment

·         We need to develop an attitude in our learners to see meaning in all developmental activities in tune with the environment.

·         Citizenship

·         There is a need for empowering each child to grow up and develop as a responsible citizen of the society.

·         Nationalism

·         Creating a generation upholding nationalism rooted in a Universal vision.

·         Awareness of one’s rights

·         Education needs to actualize the rights ensured in our constitution and also the rights enumerated in UN conventions on children’s rights, women’s rights.

·         Awareness of Science and Technology

·         All learners should get opportunity to acquire current developments in the fields of science and technology and apply the same in real life situations.

·         Scientific temper

·         There is a need to differentiate between science and pseudo science. Education should play a key role in freeing the society from superstitions and prejudices and should propagate the need for a scientific outlook the need for a scientific outlook in life.

·         Cultural identity

·         Regional and traditional forms of knowledge can be utilized for the development of the society.

·         Vocational skills

·         Education should focus on the development of a positive attitude to labour and inculcate in all children the ability to work.

·         Democratic values

·         Education should help the learner in imbibing democratic values.

·         Resistance

·         Strength to resist all sorts of invasions and desirable tendencies triggered by globalization.

·         Construction of knowledge

·         The process of education must develop in learners, the ability to construct knowledge through interaction and sharing.

·         Critical education

·         The education should have the space for learners to engage in critical dialogue. The educational system should prepare the learners to shift from the position of passive listeners to active constructors of knowledge.

Learning Science

        While handling over the wealth of science to the next generation, it is important that the following ideas are considered.

·         The process oriented method of learning helps the learner construct new forms of knowledge.

·         Concepts and ideas in science that the learner constructs should have linkage with real life situations.

·         Considering the nature of content, science is organized in terms physics, chemistry and biology.

·         The prevailing dichotomy of theory and practices needs to be replaced by creating opportunity to form theory based on practical experience.

·         The study of science in a competitive society should enable the learner to realize his/her identity.

·         Science education should aim at equipping the learner against the misuse of science.

Aim of science education as in KCF 2007

o   Development of scientific temperament and its application in daily life

o   Engagement in scientific methods like observation, experimentation, data collection, interpretation of data, analysis, theorising, examining for construction of knowledge

o   Nurturing the ability to examine scientifically the problems of daily life as well as social issues and seeking logical solutions

o   Recognising and developing one’s own interests and abilities in technical and vocational fields

o   Encouraging the development of logical thinking

o   Imbibing a humanistic outlook and developing a world view based on it               

o   Recognizing the importance of understanding historical   development of ideas.

o   Nurturing lateral thinking ability for enabling the learners to look at   things from different perspectives and to seek new solutions

o   Developing scientific literacy that provides for building awareness of scientific process

The importance of scientific enquiry as given in KCF 2007

           The pivot of science education should be the development of the spirit of scientific enquiry. With the help of science education, all learners should acquire. skills like investigating, planning and execution of experimental study and identification of the tools and equipment to be used and data collection.

Learning methodology as given in KCF 2007

          Science education should be an active learning process. There can be three methods for Science Learning:

·        Individual learning: Every student fixes a specific aim and works towards the achievement of it.

·        Competitive learning: Students compete with each other and learn.

·        Co-operative learning: Students co-operate and work towards the achievement of a common goal.

The relevance of the history of science

This is necessary for the student to understand how science works, and for the recognition that the present advanced state of science and technology is the accumulated result of the work of many scientists over the centuries.                                 

Relevance of laboratory as given in KCF 2007

A well-equipped laboratory is an indispensable factor at the lower level to make science education effective. Providing the learner the opportunity to do the experiments instead of the teacher doing all experiments for the learners.

Evaluation

 A comprehensive and continues evaluation is the practice of evaluation we put forward for the entire subject. The traditional method of class test is not sufficient to evaluate a child. All the abilities of the child should be subjected to evaluation.

Issue domains that are felt throughout the state

• Lack of scientific land water management

• Issues related to agriculture

• Lack of cohesive universal vision

• Lack of human resource development

• Lack of cultural consciousness

• Lack of eco-friendly industrialization and urbanization

• The issues of the marginalized

• Issues related to health and public health

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HISTORY OF SCIENCE EDUCATION

SCIENCE EDUCATION – A GLOBAL VIEW

Science education from the 16^th century

·         Roger Bacon was the first to lay emphasis on the value of experiments & inductive enquiry; it was Francis Bacon who brought them to the notice of the world. He advocated sense training as part of education & a real start in science teaching was made through the inductive method.

·         Galileo Galilei, William Harvey, & Audreas Vesailus also have contributed significantly for the growth of science education.

·         Comenius, emphasized the importance of objects & pictures in teaching.

·         The establishment of the Royal Society in 1664 is a landmark in the history of science education.

·         During the 17^th century various scientific academies were established.

·         The industrial revolution that started in the 18^th century brought science closer & closer to the common man.

·         The University of London was opened in 1827, where natural science was taught T.A.Huxely, John Tyndall & Faraday are the three eminent scientists who urged for the spread of science education during this period.

·          Science gained a place in the school curriculum by its introduction for the first time at Rugby school of England in 1849. Botany, Geology, Physics & Chemistry were started in that school.

·         The most outstanding contribution to the teaching of science towards the close of the 19^th century was that of H.E.Amstrong. The Heuristic method of teaching was advocated by him.

·         In 1916 the British Government appointed a committee under the chairmanship of Sir.J.J.Thomson to enquire into the position of natural science in the educational system & its report ‘Thomson Report’ was published under the title ‘Natural Science in Education’.

·         The 20^th century is the age of rapid propagation of science education all over the world.

LANDMARKS IN THE DEVELPOMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION IN INDIA

The history of science can be said to have begun with the history of human existence. India has had flourishing tradition of scientific research and technological development. Takshasila (6^th Century BC) one of the earliest Universities in the world, attracted students from across the continents.

The development of modern science in India is not en organic extension of the earlier tradition. It is an implant by the British in a language that was alien to its people. Science education in India has been greatly accelerated after independence. The important landmarks in the development of science education are the following:

·         Report of the secondary education commission (1953) – recommended the teaching of general science as a compulsory subject in high schools & higher secondary schools.

·         All India seminar on teaching science - held at Tara Devi in 1956 made serious discussions on almost all the aspects concerning the teaching of science in schools. It had suggested a unique & uniform system of science teaching for the entire country, suite to its needs & resources.

·         National scientific policy resolution (1958) – envisaged the cultivation of science & scientific research in all its aspects.

·         Indian parliamentary & scientific committee – was set up in 1961 under the chairman ship of Shri. Lal Bahadur Shastri. The committee took up the study of ‘science education in schools’, with a view to find out the relation between the policies and decision of the centre & the states, & the courses offered in the schools.

·         National council of educational research & training (NCERT) – established in 1961 has a separate department of science education.

·         UNESCO planning mission – in 1963 the USSR experts of the UNESCO planning mission visited India on technical assistance projects. Three reports prepared by them. These reports gave the total picture of position of science & mathematics education in India & suggested ways to improve it.

·         Indian education commission (1964-66) – recommended compulsory science as part of general education & stressed that methods of teaching science should be modernized & that science teaching should be linked with agriculture & technology.

·         A review committee under the chairmanship of Sri Ishwarbhai Patel in 1977 recommended that science at the secondary stage should be offered through two equivalent alternate courses. The ‘Cource B’ was to be a composite course in science to be taught through a single text book. For ‘Cource A’ it recommended a discipline orientated approach in which physics, chemistry and biology were to be taught as separate subjects.

·         National policy on education (1986) – has given much stress on science education & has recommended that science education should be designed to enable the learner to aquire problem solving & decision making skills as well as the ability to correlate science with health, agriculture, industry & other aspects of daily life. It has also been stressed that concerted effort be made to extend science education to all those who had to remain outside the pale of formal education.

·         Navodaya vidyalayas – were conceived in 1986 by Rajiv Gandhi. The scheme aims at setting up well equipped well staffed schools in rural areas, almost one in every district to provide better quality science education to the talented children.

·         University grants commission - The University Grants Commission (UGC) of India is a statutory organization set up by Union government in 1956, for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education.

·         All India council for technical education  - The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is the statutory body and a national-level council for technical education, under Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development. Established in November 1945 first as an advisory body and later on in 1987 given statutory status by an Act of Parliament, AICTE is responsible for proper planning and coordinated development of the technical education and management education system in India. The AICTE accredits postgraduate and graduate programs under specific categories at Indian institutions as per its charter.

·         Institute of technology - Institute of technology is a designation employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable levels of the educational system. It may be an institution of higher education and advanced engineering and scientific research or professional vocational education, specializing in science, engineering, and technology or different sorts of technical subjects. It may also refer to a secondary education school focused in vocational training. There are 16 autonomous Indian Institutes of Technology in addition to 30 National Institutes of Technology which are Government Institutions. In addition to these there are many other Universities which offer higher technical courses. The Authority over technical education in India is the AICTE.

·         Indian institute of science - Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is a public institution for scientific and technological research and higher education located in Bangalore, India. It was established in 1909. It acquired the status of a Deemed University in 1958.

·         Advance centers for science & technology – a few senior scientists & industrialists have proposed setting up advanced centers for science & technology. These are composite science & technology education & research centers.  

·         Inter university centers – one of the most innovative steps taken by the UGC for promoting excellence was the setting up of inter university centers with most modern experimental facilities or providing national facilities such as accelerators & nuclear reactors to students & teachers from various universities.

·         Exploratory – An experiment in learning by doing science – a unique institution called exploratory has been developed Pune by a few dedicated educators. It is a place where school & college children can explore & experiment, invent & innovate & design & fabricate.

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HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT OF CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Until 1976, Indian constitution allowed the state governments to take decisions on all matters pertaining to school education including curriculum. The centre could only provide guidance to the states on policy issues. It was under such circumstances that the initial attempts of National Education Policy of 1968 and the Curriculum Framework designed by NCERT in 1975 were formulated. NCERT developed NCF in 1975 following the recommendations of Education Policy on 1968. In 1976, the constitution was amended to include education in the concurrent list, and for the first time in 1986 the country as a whole had a National Policy on Education (NPE-1986) which envisions National Curriculum Framework as a means of modernising education. The Policy proposed a national framework of curriculum as a means of evolving a national system of education capable of responding to India’s geographical and cultural diversity while ensuring a common core values and a comparable standards of education. NPE-1986 emphasised a relevant, flexible and learner-centred curriculum.

It recommended a common core component in school education throughout the country. The policy also entrusted the NCERT with the responsibility of developing the National Curriculum Framework and reviewing the framework at frequent intervals. Hence, in 1988 NCERT prepared the National Curriculum Framework for school education based on the recommendations of NPE-1986. After that it was felt that curriculum needs to be flexible and relevant to meet the needs of diverse learners. Also issues of curriculum load and examinations stress needed attention. Therefore, National Curriculum Framework was reviewed in the year 2000 and then in 2005 and the latest NCF-2005 appeared as a result of this review.

 NCF-1975 Following recommendation of Education Policy in 1968

 NCF-1988 Following recommendation of Education Policy in 1986

 NCF-2000 Revised NCF-1988

 NCF-2005 Revised NCF-2000

In India, NCERT develops National Curriculum Framework which provides guidelines for developing syllabi and textbooks and school curriculum. NCF-2005 prepared by NCERT discusses a wide range of issues concerning school education. The framework discusses aims of education; epistemological assumption about nature and forms of knowledge; and assumptions about learner and learning. It places learner at the centre and gives primacy to voices and experiences of learners. The framework views that knowledge is evolving in nature and is created involving learners as active participants in the process of knowledge construction. NCF-2005 recommends curricular areas to be taught at different stages of school education. The NCF-2005 also recommends that Arts education and Physical and Health education should be made curricular subjects at elementary and secondary stage and optional subjects at higher secondary stage. It also discusses the objectives and pedagogy of these subjects. It recommends that assessment of learner should be made an integral part of school life. It also discusses the necessary systemic reforms including examination reforms and teacher education reforms to achieve the aims of education. Some discussion about enabling school environment is also given in NCF-2005. NCF-2005 reiterates the recommendations of National Policy on Education (NPE-1986).

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NCFS ON SCIENCE CURRICULUM

The NCF of 1975 recommended 10+2 system of school education with general education of 10 years. The NCF of 1975 also recommends that general science should be a core compulsory subject up to Class X. The framework suggests activity-based integrated science up to Class X.

            The 1988 National Curriculum for Elementary and Secondary Education (NCESE): A Framework recommends learner-centered science curriculum. It also recommends that general science should be a compulsory subject up to class X. The 1988 NCESE suggests that science

education should aim at developing well-defined abilities in cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains such as spirit of inquiry, creativity, objectivity, the courage to question and aesthetic sensibility. At the primary stage during the first two years (Classes I and II), study of science should form an integral part of environmental studies. In Classes III, IV, V, it should be one of the two parts of environmental studies – one devoted to science and the other to social studies. At upper primary stage (Classes VI to VIII), learner is expected to consolidate and strengthen the abilities acquired at the primary stage. Science education at this stage should help the learner to develop skills of manipulation, handling simple science equipment and designing of simple experiments to seek explanations of natural phenomena. At the secondary stage (Classes IX and X), the aim of teaching science would be primarily directed towards problem solving and decision making through the learning of key concepts which cut across all disciplines of science.

            The National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE)-2000 recommends teaching of science and technology at upper primary and secondary stage. At the primary stage, science should form an integral part of environment studies. NCFSE-2000 recommends teaching science and technology in Classes VI to X as a single discipline. It was felt that technology is increasingly influencing our lives and therefore, needs to be included in the science course. At the senior secondary stage, teaching-learning of science takes a disciplinary

approach as physics, chemistry and biology.

            The National Curriculum Framework-2005 recommends hands-on, inquiry-based science curriculum. NCF-2005 also addresses the issues of curriculum load, rote memorisation and rigid examination system. NCF-2005 suggests flexible examination system and time schedule, reducing curriculum load and integration of theory and practical work in teaching-learning of science. NCF-2005 recognises learner as constructor of knowledge and suggests that learners be provided with learning-experiences which enable them to inquire, solve problems and develop their own concepts.

            NCF-2005 recommends that emphasis should be laid on the active participation of the learner in the construction of their knowledge. While developing science curriculum in 2005, it was decided not to combine technology with science. The information load in syllabus was reduced and only age appropriate concepts were included. The syllabus was prepared in the light of NCF-2005 and recommendations of the report ‘Learning without Burden’ were also considered. A thematic approach was adopted to organise the content and the syllabus was framed along cross disciplinary line. The themes included in the syllabus were Food, Materials, The World of the Living, How Things Work, Moving Things, People and Ideas, Natural Phenomenon and Natural Resources. These themes run from upper primary to the secondary stage and there is consolidation of themes at the secondary stage. The 2005 syllabus has been presented in four columns titled as questions, key concepts, suggested resource and suggested activities.

            At the primary stage, the child should be engaged in joyfully exploring the world around and harmonising with it. The main objectives at this stage are to arouse curiosity about the world (natural environment, artifacts and people) and to engage the child in exploratory and hands on activities.

            At the upper primary stage science education should provide a gradual transition from environmental studies of the primary stage to elements of science and technology. Science content at the upper primary stage should not be governed by disciplinary approach. At this stage the child should be engaged in learning the principles of science through familiar experiences, working with hands to simple technological models.

            At the secondary stage, students should be engaged in learning science as a composite discipline, in working with hands and tools to design more advanced technological models than at the upper primary stage.

            At the higher secondary stage, science should be introduced as a separate discipline, with emphasis on experiments/technology and problem solving.

CRITERIA FOR AN IDEAL SCIENCE CURRICULUM (NCF-2005)

Good science education is true to the child, true to life and true to science. This simple observation leads to the following basic criteria of validity of a science curriculum:

a) Cognitive validity requires that the content, process, language and pedagogical practices of the curriculum are age appropriate, and within the cognitive reach of the child.

b) Content validity requires that the curriculum must convey significant and correct scientific content. Simplification of content, which is necessary to adapt the curriculum to the cognitive level of the learner, must not be so trivialized as to convey something basically flawed and/or meaningless.

c) Process validity requires that the curriculum engage the learner in acquiring the methods and processes that lead to generation and validation of scientific knowledge, and nurture the natural curiosity and creativity of the child in science. Process validity is an important criterion since it helps the student in ‘learning to learn’ science.

d) Historical validity requires that science curriculum be informed by a historical perspective, enabling the learner to appreciate how the concepts of science evolve with time. It also helps the learner to view science as a social enterprise and to understand how social factors influence the development of science.

e) Environmental validity requires that science be placed in the wider context of the learner’s environment, local and global, enabling him/her to appreciate the issues at the interface of science, technology and society and preparing him / her with the requisite knowledge and skills to enter the world of work.

f) Ethical validity requires that the curriculum promote the values of honesty, objectivity, co-operation, freedom from fear and prejudice, and develop in the learner a concern for life and preservation of environment.

SCIENCE CURRICULUM AT DIFFERENT STAGES

Consistent with the criteria above, the objectives, content, pedagogy and assessment for different stages of the curriculum are summarized below.

At the primary stage the child should be engaged in joyfully exploring the world around and harmonizing with it. The objectives at this stage are to nurture the curiosity of the child about the world (natural environment, artifacts and people), to have the child engage in exploratory and hands on activities to acquire the basic cognitive and psychomotor skills through observation, classification, inference, etc.; to emphasize design and fabrication, estimation and measurement as a prelude to development of technological and quantitative skills of later stages; and to develop the basic language skills: speaking, reading and writing not only for science but also through science. Science and social science should be integrated as ‘Environmental Studies’ as at present, with health as an important component. Throughout the primary stage, there should be no formal periodic tests, no awarding of grades or marks, and no detention.

At the upper primary stage the child should be engaged in learning principles of science through familiar experiences, working with hands to design simple technological units and modules (e.g. designing and making a working model of a windmill to lift weights) and continuing to learn more on environment and health through activities and surveys. Scientific concepts are to be arrived at mainly from activities and experiments. Science content at this stage is not to be regarded as a diluted version of secondary school science. Group activity, discussions with peers and teachers, surveys, organization of data and their display through exhibitions, etc. in schools and neighbourhood are to be an important component of pedagogy. There should be continuous as well as periodic assessment (unit tests, term end tests). The system of ‘direct’ grades should be adopted. There should be no detention. Every child who attends eight years of school should be eligible to enter Class IX.

At the secondary stage the students should be engaged in learning science as a composite discipline, in working with hands and tools to design more advanced technological modules than at the upper primary stage, and in activities and analysis on issues surrounding environment and health. Systematic experimentation as a tool to discover/verify theoretical principles, and working on locally significant projects involving science and technology are to be important parts of the curriculum at this stage.

At the higher secondary stage science should be introduced as separate disciplines with emphasis on experiments/technology and problem solving. The current two streams, academic and vocational, being pursued as per NPE 1986 may require a fresh look in the present scenario. The students may be given an option to choose the subjects of their interest freely, though it may not be feasible to offer all the different subjects in every school. The curriculum load should be rationalized to avoid the steep gradient between secondary and higher secondary syllabus. At this stage, core topics of a discipline, taking into account recent advances, should be carefully identified and treated with appropriate rigour and depth. The tendency to superficially cover a large number of topics of the discipline should be avoided.

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