Global survey: Many teachers feel science curriculum is not relevant

A survey by the Oxford University Press (OUP) of science teachers in 22 international locations on their respective nationwide science curricula discovered that fewer than half of the respondents (46%) imagine that the science curriculum of their nation ready kids for the longer term.

Only 31% of teachers surveyed stated science schooling was match for the longer term. In India nonetheless, 80% of respondents agreed that the curriculum enabled college students to turn into scientifically literate and energetic residents, versus 59% within the U.K. and 67% in Hong Kong. Of the 398 teachers that responded within the report, 74 had been from India.

Sivaramakrishnan Venkateswaran, Managing Director – Oxford University Press India stated in a press release: “The study of science helps to fuel curiosity in young minds and makes them think about solutions to challenges in everyday life. Its relevance in a pandemic-afflicted world has only grown. It was important to sense check what science teachers felt about how their subject needed to evolve. We are delighted with the strong participation of science teachers from India in our survey and their belief that the current curriculum is helping students to become scientifically literate and active citizens.”

The analysis was undertaken alongside OUP’s energetic involvement in growing the science framework for the Programme for International Assessment (PISA) 2025, a worldwide analysis train to match studying evaluation of school-going kids.

Teachers had been requested to suggest methods wherein science curricula might evolve to stay relevant. Their suggestions included:

Ensuring that science schooling prioritise sensible abilities by way of experimentation within the classroom, updating content material repeatedly, rising the connection between the science that was being taught within the classroom and what is occurring on the planet exterior.

Teachers additionally requested a “rebalancing of exams” — away from the present deal with information, in the direction of assessing the appliance of science.

Practical experimentation

COVID-19, teachers stated, had an impression on science instructing within the final yr, in making them unable to carry out sensible experimentation within the lecture rooms.

The science teachers and educators had been from the U.K., India, Hong Kong, Pakistan, the U.S., Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, U.A.E., Estonia, Greece, Japan, Norway, the Philippines, Portugal, Sweden and Thailand.