EDSC 305 Assignment I GOALS & CONTENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION By: Edna Mae D. Cruz Ph.

D in Educ (Physics) A. What should be the goal of science education for the following levels: K; Grades 1 6; Grades 7 10 and Grades 11 12? Introduction On 2015, the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Economic Community (AEC) will transform ASEAN into a single market and production base that is highly competitive and fully integrated into the global community. The Philippines is one of the ten member states of the ASEAN. This is one of the reasons why the Philippine Government are prompted to implement the K+12 Basic Education Program (BEP). The proposal to enhance the quality of basic education in the Philippines is urgent and critical (p.3). The poor quality of basic education is mirrored in the low achievement scores of Filipino students in the National Achievement Test particularly in the sciences. But Dr. Josette Biyo, Science Research teacher at the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Western Visayas believes that no country will move forward until it develops a scientific culture. So how can we be ready for the ASEAN Community by 2015 if the absence of science culture has been cited as one of the major factors in our low science achievement? The need to improve science education in the basic education curriculum is as urgent as the K+12 BEP. Research must also be integrated to initiate the so-called science culture. Goals of Science Education in the Kindergarten Kindergarten is a type of education for little children that serves as a transition from home to the commencement of more formal schooling. Children attend kindergarten to learn, play and interact with others and to help them adjust to being apart from their parents. Science offers students to inquire, experience and discover through a variety of simple experiences. Environmentalists and constructivists theory believes that the child's environment shapes learning and behavior, which children learn and develop when they interact with their environment. Thus providing a proper scientific community in the early age will help kindergarten develop and acquire new knowledge from the surroundings. Goals of Science Education in Grades 1 - 6 With the proper exposure and adequate training in the kindergarten, science education in the elementary level can be enhanced by integrating the theory of multiple intelligences where students will be provided by diverse activities. The theory of multiple intelligences was proposed by Howard Gardner in 1983 as a model of intelligence that differentiates intelligence into various specific (primarily sensory) modalities, rather than seeing it as dominated by a single general ability. Children aging from 6 years to 9 are usually on the go, active and eager to act independently. They can already accept moderate responsibilities. Children aging from 10 to 11 years are usually in the pre-adolescent stage so they begin to grow rapidly. They become more social and

are easy to get along with. Eagerness can be sustained by integrating researches in their interactive science subjects. Science and Health must be taught from grades 1 to 4 and gradually incorporating earth science and biology from grades 5 to 6. Goals of Science Education in Grades 7 - 10 Students of grades 7 to 10 are usually aging from 11 to 14 years old. According to Piaget's theory, the formal operational period is the fourth and final of the periods of cognitive development and it commences at around 11 years of age and continues into adulthood. In this stage, individuals move beyond concrete experiences and begin to think abstractly, reason logically and draw conclusions from the information available, as well as apply all these processes to hypothetical situations. The abstract quality of the adolescent's thought at the formal operational level is evident in the adolescent's verbal problem solving ability. The logical quality of the adolescent's thought is when children are more likely to solve problems in a trial-and-error fashion. Adolescents begin to think more as a scientist thinks, devising plans to solve problems and systematically testing solutions. They use hypothetical-deductive reasoning, which means that they develop hypotheses or best guesses, and systematically deduce, or conclude, which is the best path to follow in solving the problem. Science education in the high school should be more focused, more interactive and more challenging by exposing and involving them to more societal concerns. Research should also be intensified by its inclusion in different science subjects. Science electives should also be included in the curriculum. Goals of Science Education in Grades 11 - 12 Guided by the vision that every graduate of the Enhanced K+12 Basic Education Program is an empowered individual who has learned, through a program that is rooted on sound educational principles and geared towards excellence, the foundations for learning throughout life, the competence to engage in work and be productive, the ability to coexist in fruitful harmony with local and global communities, the capability to engage in autonomous critical thinking, and the capacity to transform others and ones self, science education in this level must be more specific learning the necessary skills for future scientific careers. The skills necessary for student to become a teacher, an engineer or a scientist, should be acquired in this level. This level is their essential preparation for future job as well as their indispensable preparation for higher learning. Advance science subjects should be included giving more focus on the technical aspects. B. Goals for Physics in Grades 11 12 COGNITIVE 1. Develop scientific thinking and problem solving skills and communicate scientific ideas and values in meaningful and creative ways. 2. Explain the different physical laws and apply them to real life situations. AFFECTIVE 3. Acquire practical skills on how to carry out given procedures, analyze and present data, draw conclusions and evaluate experimental procedures. 4. Recognize the limitations and importance of lifelong learning in our rapidly changing knowledge-based society.

PSYCHOMOTOR 5. Performs scientific tasks such as assembling of housing circuits, troubleshooting of appliances such as television, radios among others etc. 6. Operate machines such as computers efficiently and accurately. 7. Creates or fabricates energy saving devices or environment friendly solutions for the long term environmental problem. Recommendation: Careful planning and precise execution is needed for the success of the K+12 Basic Education Program. Rigid training for teachers should be initiated the soonest possible time to ensure the effectiveness of the program. The provision of detailed explanations to home-based stakeholders of education is very much needed. References: Ibe, Milagros D. EDSC 305. Seminar: Issues and Trends in Science and Technology Education, UP Open University 1999. en.wikipedia.org http://cids.upd.edu.ph/chronicle/articles/chronv3n2/chronv3n2_infocus05_pg2.html http://www.deped.gov.ph/cpanel/uploads/issuanceImg/K12%20new.pdf http://www.aseansec.org/Fact%20Sheet/AEC/2007-AEC-001-2.pdf http://www.islamonline.net/i3/ContentServer?pagename=IslamOnline/i3Layout&c=OldArticle& cid=1157962462905