- Science teachers in India are more optimistic versus global average that the current curriculum for science is meeting the needs of pupils.
- 80% of Indian respondents agree that the science curriculum taught in schools enables students to become scientifically literate and active citizens’ versus 59% in the UK and 67% in Hong Kong.
The majority of teachers and educators do not believe that science education is fit for the future as the Covid-19 pandemic has brought the role of science into sharp focus.
According to respondents who took part in “The Evolution of Science Education” survey, 398 teachers from 22 countries —with most respondents from the United Kingdom (44 per cent) and India (19 per cent), by Oxford University Press, science teachers in India are more optimistic versus the global average that the current curriculum for science is meeting the needs of pupils.
Only 31 per cent of teachers surveyed believe that science education in their country is fit for the future, curriculum for science is meeting the needs of pupils.
The research was undertaken alongside OUP’s active involvement in developing the scientific framework for the Programme for International Assessment (PISA) 2025. Teachers were asked to recommend ways in which science curricula might evolve to remain relevant to today’s world, and that of tomorrow.
Engaging learners
Teachers surveyed believe the core purpose of science education should be inspiring learners to engage with science, teaching underpinning scientific concepts, teaching skills to enable effective experimentation, and helping learners to achieve a range of desirable outcomes through science.
To ensure science education evolves and remains relevant in the future, teachers believe there should be more focus on climate change as well as tackling fake news and adapting faster to technological and societal change.
“The scientific challenges of the past year with the pandemic and the ever-growing signs of climate change mean that there has never been a more important time to focus on science, empowering students to thrive in a changing world. I look forward to continuing this conversation about the future of science education, particularly when we release the new PISA 2025 science framework next year,” Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills and Special Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary-General at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), said.
Only 59 per cent of respondents in the UK agree that the current science curriculum enables young people to become scientifically literate and active citizens, opposed to a global average of 66 per cent.
Furthermore, only 39 per cent of UK science teachers believe that the current science curriculum adequately prepares students for the future, opposed to 56 per cent of respondents in Hong Kong and 64 per cent of respondents in India.
15 per cent of respondents in India strongly agree that the curriculum adequately prepares students for challenges they will face in the world, opposed to six per cent in Hong Kong and five per cent in the UK. Furthermore, 80 per cent of respondents agree that the science curriculum taught in schools enables students to become scientifically literate and active citizens, opposed to 59 per cent in the United Kingdom and 67 per cent in Hong Kong.
“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,” Sivaramakrishnan Venkateswaran, Managing Director – Oxford University Press India, said.
Key teacher recommendations:
- Focus on instilling practical skills through experimentation in the classroom.
- Review the existing curriculum being used, ensuring that the content is up-to-date and reflects the world that learners live in as well as preparing them for the future.
- Reduce the amount of content to allow for more depth of learning.
- Establish a greater connection between the science that is being taught in the classroom and what is happening in the world outside. Current teaching can be too theoretical, which does not help learners to understand the role that science plays in everyday life.
- Re-examine the exam system. At present, teachers told us that assessment is too knowledge focused, and respondents want exams to place more focus on assessing application. Meanwhile, coursework allows assessment to take place through practical experimentation.