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CHAPTER 3
Current Developments in Primary Science

Intended Learning Outcome (ILO):

At the end of the chapter, the pre-service teacher (PST) must have discussed the current
state of primary science --- the status and provision of science education in elementary
schools (BTI 1.1.1; 1.2.1; CLO A)

Preparation

Introduction

Science education aims to develop

scientific literacy among students that will
prepare them to be informed and
participative citizens who are able to
make judgments and decisions regarding
applications of scientific knowledge that may have social,
health, or environmental impacts.

The science curriculum recognizes the place of science and technology in everyday
human affairs. It integrates science and technology in the civic, personal, social, economic,
and the values and ethical aspects of life. The science curriculum promotes a strong link
between science and technology, including indigenous technology, keeping our country’s
cultural uniqueness and peculiarities intact.

Whether or not students pursue careers that involve science and technology, the K to
12 science curriculum will provide students with a repertoire of competencies important in
the world of work and in a knowledge-based society. The K to 12 science curriculum
envisions the development of scientifically, technologically, and environmentally literate
and productive members of society who manifest skills as a critical problem solvers,
responsible stewards of nature, innovative and creative citizens, informed decision makers,
and effective communicators. This curriculum is designed around the three domains of
learning science: understanding and applying scientific knowledge in local setting as well as
global, context whenever possible, performing scientific processes and skills, and
developing and demonstrating scientific attitudes and values. The acquisition of these
domains is facilitated using the following approaches: multi/interdisciplinary approach,
science–technology society approach, contextual learning, problem/issue-based learning,
and inquiry-based approach. The approaches are based on sound educational pedagogy
namely: constructivism, social cognition learning model, learning style theory, and Gestalt
psychology.

Science content and science processes are intertwined in the K to 12 curriculum.

Without the content, learners will have difficulty utilizing science process skills since these
processes are best learned in context. Organizing the curriculum around situations and
problems that challenge and arouse students’ curiosity motivates them to learn and
appreciate science as relevant and useful. Rather than relying solely on textbooks, varied
hands-on, minds-on, and hearts-on activities will be used to develop students’ interest and
let them become active learners.

As a whole, the K to 12 science curriculum is learner-centered and inquiry-based,

emphasizing the use of evidence in constructing explanations. Concepts and skills in Life

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Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, and Earth Sciences are presented with increasing levels of
complexity from one grade level to another (spiral progression), thus paving the way to
deeper understanding of a few concepts. These concepts and skills are integrated rather
than disciplinebased, stressing the connections across science topics and other disciplines
as well as applications of concepts and thinking skills to real life.

Presentation

The Science Framework in the K to 12

Science as a whole, as provided by the national

framework of the DepEd responds to the 21 st century literacy
which is the Science and Technological Literacy. It involves in three important components.
1. Understanding and Applying Scientific Knowledge. Science literacy starts
with acquisition of knowledge (ideas, concepts, generalizations, theories).
However, such knowledge should be understood and applied. Thus, in teaching
science, teachers should remember that although memorization of facts is
important, however, these facts, knowledge, generalization and theories should
be understood and used in the daily lives.
2. Developing and Demonstrating Scientific Attitude and Values. The
development and demonstration of scientific attitudes and values is a very
important component of scientific literacy.
3. Performing Scientific Inquiry Skills. Other than understanding and applying
science knowledge, it is also the foundation of scientific and technological literacy
to perform inquiry skills. Scientific inquiry skills can be seen as a set of skills to be
learned by the students to include the science processes, the performance of the
scientific investigations and the cognitive outcomes the students will achieve.
Based on these phases, all science learners who aim to be scientifically and technologically
literate should be:

 Critical and critical problem solver

 Responsible steward of nature
 Innovative and inventive thinker
 Informed decision maker, and
 Effective communicator.

As a future teacher, you should bear in mind, that you will be assisting or guiding your
learners to acquire these scientific and technological skills.

How are these skills developed? Based on the framework, the foundations of scientific
and technological literacy are characterized by the following models, approaches and
practices which are fully anchored on several learning theories.

1. Multidisciplinary-Interdisciplinary Approach – Interrelationships and interaction

of different disciplines like science and mathematics, science and social studies,
science and history and many more.
2. Science-Technology Society (STS) Approach – One way to appreciate science is
to link it with technology and how it influence people, and their ways of life.
3. Problem/Issue Based Learning – Making use of the identified problem or issues
surrounding the environment will have more meaning in learning science.
4. Inquiry-Based Approach – The basic principle of inquiry-based approach the
leaners’ take ownership of a problem or a need and the desire to solve it.

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 5. Constructivism – Constructivist teaching is based on the belief that learning occurs
as learners are actively involved in the process of meaning and knowledge
construction. Learners are the makers of meaning and knowledge.
6. Social Cognition Learning Model – Learning can be directed to observing others
while interacting and experiencing.
7. Learning Style Theory – All learners are created equally but learn differently. That
each individual has a preference in how they learn. Individual learning depends on
cognitive, emotional, environmental factors, and one’s previous knowledge.
Individualized teaching and learning or differentiated instructions are likewise
anchored on learning styles of learners. The most accepted undertstandings of the
learning style fall into three categories: Visual, Auditory (Oral-Aural) and Tacile or
Kinesthetic.
 Visual learners prefer to use images, maps, and graphic organizers to access
and understand new information.
 Auditory (Oral-Aural) learners best understand new concepts through speaking
and listening. Mnemonic devices, use of repetition, music, discussion, lectures
are some of the strategies learners prefer.
 Kinesthetic (Tactile) learners prefer to touch, move or manipulate. They learn
best through hands on activities, practicum, and other similar activities.
This means that to teach science for learners to learn, a future teacher like you, will use the
above theories, principle, and models in teaching.

Fig. 1 Science Framework in K to 12

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Further Elaboration of the Framework

A. The Components of Scientific and Technological Literacy

1. Understanding and Applying Scientific
Knowledge
To understand better scientific knowledge, it is best to
understand first what science is. Science consists of
two things: a body of knowledge and the process by
which that knowledge is produced. More often, science is defined only as a body
of knowledge. However, science processes is the other component that describes
the way of thinking and knowing about the world. Scientific knowledge is not
absolute or certain. Knowledge, including facts, theories, and laws is all tentative
and subject to change due to new evidence brought about by advances in theory
and technology. Science knowledge is also socially and critically embedded.
2. Developing and Demonstrating Scientific Attitudes and Values
What is scientific attitude? It can be defined as a way of viewing things, a curiosity
to know how and why things happen with an open mind on given facts. It is a way
of thinking, feeling, acting, and a disposition towards science. Attitude can be
positive or negative. Science attitude is oftentimes attributed to characteristics of
scientists, but learners can also develop scientific attitudes. Here are some of the
scientific attitudes.
a. A scientist must be curious about the world. (Curiosity)
b. A scientist admits failures and recognizes that there are better ideas.
(Humility)
c. A scientist listens and respects ideas of others (Open-mindedness)
d. A scientist is intellectually honest. (Intellectually Honest)
e. A scientist works hard and is persistent (Perseverance)
f. A scientist just not jump into conclusions. (Skepticism)
g. A scientist is creative and critical thinker. (Creative and Innovative)
h. A scientist uses reason for logical thinking before giving answers. (Rational)
i. A scientist is willing to suspend judgment until he is sure of his results.
(Objectivity)
j. A scientist tries new approaches to arrive at solutions. (Innovative)
3. Performing Scientific Inquiry Skills
A science oriented mind is a questioning mind. To inquire is to ask a series of
questions and find answers to the questions asked. The series of questioning and
finding answers to the questions refer to science inquiry.

Students’ abilities that are needed to enable them to be science inquirer are
presented for K to 4 and Grade 5 to 8 learners. These are found in the matrix
below:

Kindergarten to Grade 4 Learners Grade 5 to Grade 8 Learners

Ask questions about objects, organism,Identify questions that can be answered
and events in the environment through scientific investigations
Plan and conduct a simple investigation
Design and conduct simple scientific
investigations
Employ simple equipment and tools to Use appropriate tools and techniques to
gather data and extend the senses gather, analyze and interpret data
Use data to construct reasonable Develop descriptions, explanations,
explanation predictions and models using evidence
Communicate investigations and Think critically and logically to make the

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 explanations relationship between evidence and
explanations.

Contents of Elementary Science in Spiral Progression

Republic Act 10533 of the Philippines, otherwise known as the

“Act Enhancing the Philippine Basic Education System”, not only adds
two years to basic education and reiterates universal kindergarten, but
also prescribes the standards and guidelines the Department of
Education must follow in developing a curriculum. One item under this
prescription is: "The curriculum shall use the spiral progression
approach to ensure mastery of knowledge and skills after each
level."

Science in a spiral curriculum design is one in which key

concepts are presented repeatedly throughout the curriculum
but with deepening layers of complexity. The learner tries to
spiral upwards learning as the new knowledge is introduced
as well as the new process skills are developed. This will
increase the breadth and the depth of knowledge achieved.

The content of Science in the K to 12 Curriculum is made up of the four major fields or
disciplines.
a. Chemistry (Matter: Diversity of Materials, Properties and Structures, Changes
and Interactions)
b. Biology (Living Things and Their Environment)
c. Physics (Force, Motion, and Energy); and

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 d. Earth and Space (Surroundings and Land, Water and Air, Weather, Climate and
Solar System)

The subject area contents are not labelled by the major science discipline, instead
these are given titles that are understandable by the learners from Grade 3 to Grade 6 and
even up to Grade 10.

The four quadrants represent the total coverage of Science in the elementary level.
As noted, there is a continuous flow of topics in every quadrant. This implies integration,
interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary nature of Science.

For every grade level, there are four Science areas to be covered. Each area is taken
up in every quarter since there are four grading periods in every school year.

Quarter/Grad Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6

e Level
Quarter 1 Matter Matter Matter Matter
Quarter 2 Living Things Living Things Living Things Living Things
Quarter 3 Force, Motion, Force, Motion, Force, Motion, Force, Motion,
Energy Energy Energy Energy
Quarter 4 Earth and Space Earth and Space Earth and Space Earth and Space

Although science as a subject starts in Grade 3, yet the components of science such
as content and processes, inquiry and science attitudes are also taken up starting in
Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2. These are incorporated in specific areas of learning as
Social Studies, MTB-MLE or in Communication Arts. This is one of the characteristics of the K
to 12 Curricula in the Philippines Basic Education where formal Science Subject begins in
Grade 3.

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 Thus, starting in Grade 3 up to Grade 6 in the elementary level, future teachers
should learn how to teach the science as subject and not merely to embed science in other
subjects.
The Science Curriculum Guide of the Department of Education begins with the Topic
on Chemistry: Matter. How is the big concept of matter presented in the curriculum in its
spiral progression?

Major Area: Chemistry

The chart below shows the different topics that are taken in progression in Chemistry
from one lower grade level to another higher grade level. All the topics are anchored on one
bigger topic as Properties and Structure.

Grade 3 Properties and Structure of Matter

 Characteristics of Solids, Liquids, and Gases
Matter  Changes in Solids, Liquids, and Gases
Grade 4 Properties and Structure of Matter
 Properties used to group and store materials (ability to absorb
Matter water; float or sink; decaying or non-decaying) Regrouping
materials, recycle, reduce, reuse, recover, repair
Changes that materials undergo
 Changes that are useful
 Changes that are harmful
Grade 5 Properties and Structure of Matter
 Properties used to minimize waste
Matter  Importance of reading product label
Changes that matter undergoes
 Evidence of change
 Appropriate ways of storing materials
Grade 6 Properties and Structure of Matter
 Mixture and their Characteristics (heterogeneous mixtures,
Matter solutions, suspensions and colloids
 Separating Mixtures

Major Area: Living Things and Their Environment

Grade 3 Characteristics of Living Things

Parts and Functions of Living Things
Living Things and  Humans
Their Environment  Animals
 Plants
Traits Passed on From Parents
 Humans
 Animals
 Plants
Interactions of Living Things with the Environment
 Basic needs
 Feeding relationships
Grade 4 Parts and Functions
 Humans
Living Things and - Major organs of the body

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Their Environment - Caring for the major organs
- Diseases that affect the major organs
 Animals
- Terrestrial animals
- Aquatic animals

Plants

- Terrestrial plants
- Aquatic plants
Life Cycles
 Humans, Animals, and Plants
Interactions
 Beneficial interactions
 Harmful interactions
Grade 5 Parts and Functions
 Humans
Living Things and - Stages of growth
Their Environment - Parts of the reproductive system
- Development of the secondary sex characteristics
- Menstrual cycle
 Animals
- Parts of the reproductive system of representative groups
of animals and their functions
- Differences in the modes of reproduction: external
fertilization, internal fertilization
- Protecting habitats of animals
 Plants
- Flowering plants
- Non-flowering plants
- Protecting habitats of plants
Interactions Among Living Things
Grade 6 Parts and Functions
 Human Body System
Living Things and - Musculoskeletal
Their Environment - Digestive System
- Respiratory System
- Circulatory System
- Nervous System
 Animals
- Characteristics of vertebrates and invertebrates
- Economic importance of vertebrates and invertebrates in
the community
- Rare animals in the community
- Protecting and caring for animals
 Plants
- Parts of spore-bearing plants
- Life cycle of ferns and mosses
- Vegetative plant propagation
 Interactions
- Physical condition of tropical rainforest, coral reefs and
mangrove swamps
- Plants and animals living in these ecosystems

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 - Feeding relationships in these ecosystems
- Protecting and conserving tropical forest ecosystems

Practice
Take-Away Entry # 05
Understanding the Science Framework!
Name: ______________________________ Course/Yr/Sec: ________________

Date: ___________________ Score: ________

After having seen the coverage of the two science

components, let us understand the framework by answering the following questions that
refer to the two areas of discipline and how they move along in progression from lower to
higher grade level. Let us make a comparison of the two. Agree or disagree to the
observations by ticking on the on the “agree” or “disagree” column and explain or
elaborate further.

Statements about (1) Matter and (2) Agree Disagre Explanation

Living Things in their Environment e
1.) In both topics, the concepts in
Grade 3 are simpler than Grade 4.

2.) There is a consistent title of the

major topic from Grade 3 to 6.

3.) The area on Living Things and

their Environment focused on three
kinds of living things: Humans,
Animals, and Plants.
4.) The Chemistry component of
Elementary Science revolve around
Matter that progressively advance
in complexity from Grade 3 to
Grade 6.
5.) In the Elementary Science
Framework, Chemistry which is
considered by many as difficult
subject is taught in Grade 3.
6.) Elementary Science should lead
learners to scientific literacy.

In summary, what do you understand regarding the spiral progression curriculum in

science for the elementary grades?
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Practice
Take-Away Entry # 06
A Scenario of Science Teaching in the Philippines: How Can We
Do Better?
Name: ______________________________ Course/Yr/Sec: ________________

Date: ___________________ Score: ________

Source: Published on August 3, 2018by Rafael Ambag ( https://www.flipscience.ph/news/features-
news/features/teaching-science-philippines/)

Science education in our country cannot be

considered as a strength. Based on 2014 statistics, the
passing rate for the national achievement test (NAT) for
grade six pupils is only 69.21%. The passing rate for high
school seems far worse, with a passing rate of only
46.38% from 2010 statistics. Moreover, the Philippines
consistently performs abysmally in international surveys.

One example is the Trends in International Mathematics

and Science Study (TIMSS). In 2003, for high school, the
country ranked only 34th out of 38 countries in HS II Math, and 43rd out of the 46 participating
countries in HS II Science. For elementary, fourth grade participants ranked 23rd out of the 25
countries in both math and science. Our country stopped participating in the survey in 2008, perhaps
after getting such lackluster scores.

More recently, the country participated in the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment
(PISA). Conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the
study ranked 79 participating economies based on their students’ performance in reading, science
and math. Filipino students had the lowest mean score in reading comprehension (340 points, below
the 487-point survey average). They also ranked second to the last in science (357) and math (353),
below the 489-point average in both subjects.

This raises an all-important question: Why is this so?

Science educators in the early 21st century are facing a myriad of issues. Some of the
complex issues in the field of science education include the availability of appropriate textbooks and
classroom resources; the preparation and training of science teachers (including both pre-service
training and in-service professional development); political and religious opposition to cutting-edge
science instruction; the need to meet standards and to prepare students for standardized
examinations; and the dramatically increasing use of the internet as a source of information.
(https://sites.nationalacademies.org/cs/groups/dbassesite/documents/webpage/dbasse_072608.pdf)

A long journey for science in the Philippines

Providing competent science education facilitates students to be curious at a young age. It also
cultivates their set of beliefs, based on the answers to their questions. Science pushes for the
concept of objectivity, as opposed to relying solely on emotions that might hinder proper decision-
making. Instead of arguing based on gut feel or emotions alone, we present data and facts. At the

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same time, we remain open-minded about the perspectives of other people. The values of objectivity
and open-mindedness, in turn, enable and encourage people to listen to each other.

With this in mind, the current situation of STEM education in the Philippines proves that we have a
long road ahead of us. Nevertheless, this should not stop us from pausing and admitting that yes,
there is a problem that we should work upon.

We can still improve our textbooks and learning materials. We can still encourage more people to
become STEM educators. And we can still improve our NAT scores, and confidently participate in
international surveys once more.

Improving science education will not only allow our country to have citizens who are thinkers first
and foremost, but also increase the number of STEM graduates to address the glaring industrial and
agricultural needs that will boost the economic growth of our country.

The Philippines is still a developing country; however, that’s not a classification that one should be
ashamed of. It’s an indication that that our country experienced massive setbacks due to
colonization, corruption, and the lack of a properly educated voting population. In fact, we are
completely capable of achieving the successes experienced by countries on the other side of the
globe.

What we should know is that for us to reach such a goal, we need science. Not just science discussed
in textbooks and observed in laboratories, but science in everyday life; science that is evident in how
we handle all of our tasks and decisions. A strong science education is not an option, it is a must.

We must improve the ways we teach science in the Philippines, if we want to see ourselves moving
and thinking forward.

AS A WOULD-BE TEACHER, HOW CAN YOU FULFILL YOUR ROLE AS A FUTURE SCIENCE
TEACHER DESPITE THE PRESSING PROBLEMS OF THE PHIL. SCIENCE EDUCATION?
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