“Curriculum” is a word used with different meanings: some referring to a written document which sets out what is to be taught and/or what is to be learned and some to the full range of experiences that affect what students learn. This entry adopts the first of these and is concerned with the content of documents that set out intended learning experiences and expected learning outcomes across the years of schooling, in this case the first 6 (in some cases 7) years of formal education. Using this approach means that the pedagogy through which the learning goals are to be achieved is something for teachers, curriculum projects, and program developers to decide. Examples of these two components of curricula form the main sections of this entry, following a brief review of the background and rationale for teaching science from the start of formal education.
Background: The Roots of Primary Science
Before the major changes beginning in the 1950s and 1960s, science was included in some...
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References
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2012) Australian curriculum for science. ACARA, Canberra. www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/science. Accessed 23 Sept 2012
Harlen W (2008) Science as a key component of the primary curriculum: a rationale with policy implications. Perspectives on Education 1 (Primary Science), pp 4–18. www.wellcome.ac.uk/perspectives. Accessed 22 Sept 2012
National Research Council (2012) A framework for K-12 science education. National Academies Press, Washington, DC
Next Generation Science Standards (2012) Draft May. (www.nextgenscience.org). Accessed 23 Sept 2012
Scottish Curriculum for Excellence (2010) Sciences: experiences and outcomes. http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/sciences_experiences_outcomes_tcm4-539890.pdf. Accessed 23 Sept 2012
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Harlen, W. (2013). Primary/Elementary School Science Curriculum. In: Gunstone, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Science Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6165-0_168-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6165-0_168-1
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