Abstract
Effective teaching and learning of Nature of Science (NOS) has been a curriculum goal for decades and its inclusion into the science education from K-12 is becoming commonplace worldwide, regardless of the differences in the adapted science curricula. However, less attention, if any, has been paid to the holistic representation of NOS at kindergarten schooling level. This study utilizes the Family Resemblance Approach (FRA) on NOS to investigate how NOS is represented in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) science curriculum documents for the kindergarten school years, and the extent of its alignment with the international benchmarks and educational research evidence. Findings from the FRA-based curriculum analysis have demonstrated that the standards include “the nature of science” as one of the key domains of science education in the kindergarten stage. However, the cognitive-epistemic dimensions of NOS appeared to be more dominant than the social-institutional system dimensions. Specifically, the majority of the standards and learning outcomes emphasize learning of scientific methods, scientific practices, and scientific knowledge, alongside very few NOS aspects related to scientific ethos, social values, professional practices, and social organization. Pedagogical and practical implications of these results for science education are presented, along with recommendations to help structure NOS account into the UAE science standards that is more progressive, holistic, and interactive, all which can be of interest to a broader audience for purposes of curriculum policy reform both locally and internationally.
Résumé
Depuis des décennies, l’un des objectifs du programme scolaire est l’enseignement et l’apprentissage efficaces de la nature de la science (NDLS) et son inclusion dans l’enseignement des sciences de la maternelle à la 12e année devient monnaie courante dans le monde entier, quelles que soient les différences entre les programmes scientifiques adaptés. Toutefois, on accorde moins d’attention ou si peu à la représentation holistique de la NDLS à l’école maternelle. Dans cette étude, nous appliquons l’approche de la ressemblance familiale (ARF) sur la NDLS afin d’étudier la façon dont celle-ci est représentée dans la documentation du programme scientifique des Émirats arabes unis (EAU) de la maternelle, et de constater jusqu’à quel point cette représentation s’aligne avec les points de référence internationaux et les produits de la recherche dans le domaine de l’éducation. Les résultats de l’analyse du programme fondée sur l’ARF indiquent que les normes considèrent « la nature de la science» comme l’un des domaines clés de l’enseignement des sciences à l’école maternelle. Cependant, les dimensions cognitives et épistémiques de la NDLS semblent plus dominantes que celles liées au système socio-institutionnel. Plus précisément, la majorité des normes et des résultats d’apprentissage attendus mettent l’accent sur l’apprentissage des méthodes, des pratiques et des connaissances scientifiques, de concert avec très peu d’aspects relatifs à la NDLS liés à l’éthique scientifique, aux valeurs sociales, aux pratiques professionnelles et à l’organisation sociale. Nous abordons les implications pédagogiques et pratiques de ces résultats en ce qui a trait à l’enseignement des sciences et nous formulons des recommandations pour aider à structurer une prise en compte de la NDLS au sein des normes scientifiques des Émirats arabes unis qui est plus progressive, holistique et interactive. Tant du point de vue local qu’international, ceci pourrait séduire un plus large auditoire, intéressé à la question entourant la réforme des programmes d’enseignement.
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This work was supported by the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) (Grant Number G00003448).
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Tairab, H., Takriti, R., Rabbani, L. et al. Magnifying the Scope of Nature of Science (NOS) Toward the Whole: An Investigation of NOS Representation in Early Childhood Science Education Standards. Can. J. Sci. Math. Techn. Educ. 23, 210–227 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42330-023-00282-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42330-023-00282-1