Attitude indicators
Indicators are listed for each general learning outcome for attitudes. Although the indicator lists are not exhaustive, they provide examples of student behaviour that, when observed regularly, indicate a desire to act in certain ways. These behaviours can be considered evidence of attitude development. Attitude indicators are not intended to be used for formal evaluation.
Cluster
The specific learning outcomes are presented in four clusters at each grade. These clusters are designed to show a strong STSE focus and to allow for reinforced relationships between the STSE, skills, knowledge, and attitudes foundations. An illustrative example provides a context for each cluster.
CMEC
The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) is the national voice for education in Canada. The ministers responsible for education established the Council in 1967. Through CMEC, ministers can take collective action in the national interest while, at the same time, maintaining responsibility for individual education systems.
Foundation statements for scientific literacy
The foundation statements form the basis of the framework. They are the starting point for the development of all subsequent work. They identify the key components of scientific literacy. The four foundations are STSE, skills, knowledge and attitudes.
Framework of learning outcomes
A document that identifies what students are expected to know and be able to do that is, their knowledge, skills, and attitudes in a particular subject area.
General learning outcomes
General learning outcomes are set out for the end of grades 3, 6, 9, and 12. They are intended to be broad statements, indicating what students should know and be able to do by the time they reach these key points in their education.
Grade groupings
Grade divisions of K to 3, 4 to 6, 7 to 9, and 10 to 12 are used in the framework.
Illustrative examples
Illustrative examples are intended to show the richness, breadth, and depth of a selection of learning outcomes, particularly with respect to higher-order thinking, applied learning, real-life applications, and problem solving. Each illustrative example has the following format: an introductory paragraph that provides a context for the illustrative example; an exploration section that describes some potential activities that could be used as motivators and activators of prior knowledge; focussing questions that could be raised by students following the exploration section; a development section that formally engages students in their learning; and an application section that engages students in applying their learnings in other contexts.
Pan-Canadian Protocol for Collaboration on School Curriculum
A protocol signed by the Ministers of Education in February 1995. The protocol outlines the assumptions underlying collaboration, the object of collaboration, definitions and operations, and procedures for pan-Canadian collaborative activities related to school curriculum.
Specific learning outcomes
Specific learning outcomes for STSE, skills, and knowledge identify what students are expected to know and be able to do for each particular grade, from K to 10. For grades 11 and 12, specific learning outcomes are only stated for the end of grade 12.
STSE
Acronym for science, technology, society, and the environment.
Unifying concepts
Unifying concepts are meant to integrate big ideas as a way of providing a context for explaining, organizing, and connecting knowledge. unifying concepts link the theoretical structures of the various scientific disciplines and show how they are logically parallel and cohesive; they are also instructional tools that cut across disciplines and may apply equally well to mathematics, technology, business, and politics.
Many national and international initiatives influenced the development
of the Common Framework of Science Learning Outcomes K to 12.
Taken together, they revealed certain trends that influence today's
science education and, consequently, this framework.
Documents
Major initiatives in science education that were considered during the development of the framework include the following.
Science for Every Student. Report 36, Science Council of Canada (Canada)
The Science Council of Canada, in its 1984 report, described the importance of Canadian citizens acquiring a good working knowledge of science concepts and the inquiry skills that would allow them to apply these concepts to the world around them. Since the release of this report, curriculum development in Canada and other countries has emphasized the importance of developing a scientifically literate population, while at the same time providing opportunities for those students with special aptitudes and interests in scientific fields to grow in a challenging learning environment.
Report on Science Assessment, School Achievement Indicators Program (Canada)
The School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP) is an initiative of CMEC. The 1996 assessment was designed to examine the achievement of 13- and 16-year-old students in science. The SAIP framework and criteria were developed to reflect the breadth of what students should know and be able to do in terms of: knowledge and concepts of science, nature of science, relationship of science to technology and societal issues, and science inquiry skills.
Benchmarks for Science Literacy (USA)
Benchmarks for Science Literacy is a companion report of the Science for All Americans publication related to Project 2061, which promotes literacy in science, mathematics, and technology. Considered a major reform document, it provides directions to curriculum designers and describes benchmarks for grades 2, 5, 8, and 12. The major "organizers" for this document are: the nature of science, the nature of mathematics, the physical setting, the living environment, the human organism, the human society, the designed world, the mathematical world, historical perspectives, and habits of mind.
National Science Education Standards. National Research Council (USA)
This document presents a collection of standards that support a vision for a scientifically literate population. The standards outline what students need to know, understand, and be able to do to be scientifically literate at different grade levels. The standards are presented within three clusters, namely K to 4, 5 to 8, and 9 to 12, and are organized according to the following eight categories: unifying concepts and processes in science, science as inquiry, physical science, life science, Earth and space science, science and technology, science in personal and social perspective, and the history and nature of science.
A Curriculum Profile for Australian Schools (Australia)
This document provides a framework for curriculum development. It defines the discipline of science, outlines its essential elements, shows what is distinctive about science, and describes a sequence for developing scientific knowledge and skills. The science profile describes science outcomes in five strands: earth and beyond, energy and change, life and living, natural and processed materials, and working scientifically. These strands are presented across eight levels of achievement representing the years of compulsory schooling (years 1 to 10).
Journal articles and conferences
A variety of journal articles, referenced in the bibliography, was also consulted.
Also considered during the development of the framework was a series of science vision conferences held in participating jurisdictions at the onset of the project. Each jurisdiction was encouraged to use existing processes to involve its education stakeholders in a discussion of a vision and focus for the Common framework of science learning outcomes K to 12. All the participating jurisdictions contributed the results of their vision conferences to the initial stages of the framework's development. This information was used to inform and guide the development of the vision, the introductory material, and the learning outcomes. The vision and introductory material underwent a consultative draft review and received approval from all participating jurisdictions.
Curriculum comparability study
A curriculum comparability study was completed during the project. The study included science curricula from the following participating jurisdictions: the Atlantic provinces, through the Atlantic Provinces Education Foundation and the Fondation des provinces de l'Atlantique; New Brunswick (francophone); Québec; Ontario (anglophone and francophone); Manitoba (anglophone and francophone); Saskatchewan; Alberta; British Columbia; and Northwest Territories. The study summarized the current status of science programs in participating jurisdictions and completed a preliminary analysis of the learning expectations that were part of the jurisdictional curricula. The study was used as an internal document during the development of the framework.
Current trends
From the above resources, the following trends were identified and used as a base for the development of the framework:
1. Scientific literacy is essential for all students, regardless of gender and cultural background.
2. Scientific literacy is a journey on which all students should be encouraged to embark, both formally and informally.
3. A scientifically literate individual needs to acquire certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes; to develop inquiry, problem-solving and decision-making abilities; to become a lifelong learner; and to maintain a sense of wonder about the world.
4. Science education programs should include the science, technology, society, and the environment (STSE) perspective, and should promote skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will ensure the development of scientific literacy in all students.
5. The STSE perspective must be a major driving force in science education, to make student learning relevant and meaningful.
New directions
The Common framework of science learning outcomes K to 12 provides all participating jurisdictions with the opportunity to develop science curricula that will promote a pan-Canadian vision for the development of scientifically literate citizens. The framework provides jurisdictions with a current, high quality set of learning outcomes that establishes a direction for the future of science education in Canada. As jurisdictions develop new science curricula that align with the framework, new directions will include the development of measurable and observable learning outcomes in the following areas: science, technology, society, and the environment; skills; knowledge; and attitudes.
Science, technology, society, and the environment (STSE)
The STSE foundation provides three dimensions for developing curriculum with a strong STSE focus. The dimensions are: the nature of science and technology; the relationships between science and technology; and the social and environmental contexts of science and technology. The specific learning outcomes for each dimension articulate what students should know and be able to do at each grade, from kindergarten to grade 12.
Skills
The skills foundation clearly identifies a set of specific learning outcomes for developing scientific skills. Rather than listing the traditionally accepted skills, the framework articulates a set of outcomes that clearly identifies the skills students should be developing at a particular grade, within a particular learning context.
Knowledge
The framework provides an outline for each of the three science disciplines life science, physical science, and earth and space science. A progression of ideas, developed from kindergarten to grade 12 for each discipline, provides curriculum developers with clear direction for further enhancing the learning experience. The knowledge foundation is intended to reduce the volume of material traditionally covered in science curricula, and to ensure that students are not learning isolated bits of information, but rather are developing a greater understanding of science through the appropriate contexts.
Attitudes
Because attitudes are developed and subsequently observed over a period of time, the attitude foundation in the framework contains only general learning outcomes and their accompanying indicators. The attitudes foundation is intended to provide a variety of opportunities for curriculum developers to include attitude-related learning outcomes and indicators in their science curricula.
Documents
American Association for the Advancement of Science. Benchmarks for Science Literacy: Project 2061. New York: Oxford University Press (1993).
Australia Curriculum Corporation. Science: A Curriculum Profile for Australian Schools. Curriculum Corporation: Carlton, Victoria, Australia (1994).
Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS). Developing Biological Literacy. A Guide to developing Secondary and Post-secondary Biological Curricula. Iowa, Kendall/Hunt, Publishing Company (1993).
California Department of Education. Science Framework for California Public Schools Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve. Bureau of Publications, Sales Unit, California Department of Education (1990).
Conseil supérieur de l'éducation. Améliorer l'éducation scientifique sans compromettre l'orientation des élèves : Les sciences de la nature et la mathématique au deuxième cycle du secondaire. Conseil supérieur de l'éducation, Québec (1990).
Conseil supérieur de l'éducation. L'initiation des élèves aux sciences de la nature chez les enfants du primaire. Conseil supérieur de l'éducation, Québec (1989).
Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. Science Assessment: Framework and Criteria, School Achievement Indicators Program SAIP. Toronto, ON (1996).
National Research Council. National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press (1996).
National Science Teachers Association. Scope, Sequences, and Coordination of Secondary School Science. Vol. II (1992).
National Science Teachers Association. The Content Core: A Guide for Curriculum Designers. Washington, DC (1993).
Orpwood, G. & Souque, J.P. Science Education in Canadian Schools, Background Study 52. Ottawa: Ministry of Supply and Services (1984).
Rutherford, J. & Ahiglen, A., eds. Science for All Americans. AAAS Publications (1990).
Science Council of Canada. Science for Every Student. Report 36. Ottawa: Ministry of Supply and services (1984).
UNESCO. Le développement durable grâce à l'éducation relative à l'environnement. Connexion, 13 (2), June, (1988).
World Commission on Environment and Development. Our Common Future. New York: Oxford University Press (1987).
Journal articles and books
Bingle, W. H. & Gaskell, P. James. Scientific Literacy for Decision Making and the Social Construction of Scientific Knowledge. Science Education, 78 (2) (1994): 185-201.
DÉsautels, J. & Larochelle, M. Qu'est-ce que le savoir scientifique? Points de vue d'adolescents et d'adolescentes. Québec (1989).
DeVecchi, G. & Giordan, A. L'enseignement scientifique: comment faire pour que "ça marche"? Z'éditions (1990).
Driver, R.,Guesne, E., & Thibergien, A. Children Ideas in Science. Open University Press (1985).
Eisenhart, M., Finkel, E., & Marion, S. Creating the Conditions for Scientific Literacy: A Re-Examination. American Educational Research Journal, 33 (2) (1996): 261-295.
Harlen, W. & Elstgeest, J. UNESCO sourcebook for science in the primary school. UNESCO Publishing (1992).
Gaskell, J. & Hilderbrand, G. Teaching Individuals in a Gendered World. Reflect, 2 (2) (1996): 36-42.
Jenkins, E.W. Scientific Literacy and School Science Education. School Science Review, 71 (25) (1990): 43-51.
O'Loughlin, M. Rethinking Science Education: Beyond Piagetian Constructivism Toward a Sociocultural Model of Teaching and Learning. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 29 (8) (1993): 791-820.
Suggested reading for further information
Aikenhead, G. S. Logical Reasoning in Science and Technology. Toronto: Wiley (1991).
Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. Report on Science Assessment, School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP). Toronto, ON (1996).
Fraser, B.J. & Walberg, H.J., eds. Improving Science Education. Chicago: The National Society for the Study of Education (1995).
Hart, E.P. Science for Saskatchewan Schools: A Review of Research Literature, Analysis, and Recommendations. Saskatchewan: Saskatchewan Instructional Development and Research Unit (1987).
Hodson, D. In Search of a Rationale for Multicultural Science Education. Science Education, 77 (6) (1993): 685-711.
Jenkins, E.W. Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy: A Review Symposium. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 27 (4) (1995): 445-461.
Larochelle, M. & Désautels, J. Autour de l'idée de science : itinéraires cognitifs d'étudiants et d'étudiantes. Québec: Les presses de l'université Laval (1992).
Meyer, G.R. Teaching Secondary Biology for Social Relevance. Sydney Australia: GRM Educational Consultancy (1995).
Pedretti, E. Learning About Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Through an Action Research Project: Constructing an Issues-Based Model for STS Education. School Science and Mathematics, 96 (8) (1996): 432-439.
Stinner, A. Contextual Settings, Science Stories, and Large Context Problems: Toward a More Humanistic Science Education. Science Education, 79 (5) (1995): 555-581.