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Curriculum Emphases:Companion Meanings

Dr. Douglas Roberts

1982 & 1995

as interpreted by Frank Jenkins

Douglas A. Roberts, Science Education 66(2): 243-266 (1982)

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Curriculum Emphases

"A curriculum emphasis is a coherent set of messages about science. … Such messages can be communicated both implicitly and explicitly. … The coherence and flow [of curriculum emphases] are matters of concern as much as the coherence and flow of the subject matter itself." (Douglas Roberts, 1982)

Douglas A. Roberts, Science Education 66(2): 243-266 (1982)

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Companion Meanings (Roberts, 1995)

“the simultaneous communication of two stories;” “double messages”

“always present in textbooks and teaching”not always a “deliberate, systematic

incorporation of companion meanings”two story lines: content and context or is it

content and content parallel stories?may be implicit or explicit (a value choice)

Douglas A. Roberts, Science Education 66(2): 243-266 (1982)

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Companion Meanings

“Surely it is incontestable to say that context is a powerful communicator.”

“Body language, nonverbal communication, and hidden curriculum” are powerful communicators.

E.g., “One default message … is that the program is authoritarian, arbitrary and unreasoned.”

Douglas A. Roberts, Science Education 66(2): 243-266 (1982)

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Original Curriculum Emphases(from goals for science education in curriculum documents)

correct explanationssolid foundationstructure of scienceeveryday copingscience & technology decisionsscientific skill developmentself as explainer

STS Monograph: Unifying the Goals of Science Education

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STSE Curriculum Emphases

Science curriculum emphasis nature of science emphasis

Technology curriculum emphasis science & technology emphasis

Societal curriculum emphasis STS-issues emphasis

Environmental curriculum emphasis society and the environment emphasis

STS Monograph: Unifying the Goals of Science Education

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Alberta Curriculum Emphases(restrictions applied on STSE)

Science curriculum emphasis is nature of science emphasis

Technology curriculum emphasis science & technology emphasis

Societal curriculum emphasis society and the environment emphasis

STS Monograph: Unifying the Goals of Science Education

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STSE: Science, Technology, Society & the Environment

Curriculum Emphases science technology society & environment

(See Alberta Education STS monograph.)

Potential Components knowledge attitudes skills processes problem solving epistemology

theory of knowledge

STS Monograph: Unifying the Goals of Science Education

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A Usual Emphasis of KSAs in a Curriculum Emphasis

Science

Technology

Society

K S A

STS Monograph: Unifying the Goals of Science Education

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Science Curriculum Emphasis

Curricular Components

1. scientific knowledge

2. scientific skills

3. scientific attitudes

4. scientific problem solving

5. nature of science

Natures of Science

1. nature of science: T S

2. problem solving

3. processes

4. skills

A students (S) usually learns from the bottom up, while the teacher (T) usually thinks from the top down.

STS Monograph: Unifying the Goals of Science Education

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Technology Curriculum Emphasis(potential components)

Technological knowledgeTechnological skillsTechnological problem solving & designTechnological attitudesTechnology in scienceTechnology in societyNature of technology (first or last for T/S?)

STS Monograph: Unifying the Goals of Science Education

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Societal Curriculum Emphasis(potential components)

Societal knowledgeSocietal skillsSocietal attitudesSocietal decision makingSociety and scienceSociety and technologyNature of society

Douglas A. Roberts, Science Education 66(2): 243-266 (1982)

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Curriculum Emphases Summary

In summary a curriculum emphasis for each unit:

allows for systematic attention to all of the goals of education; i.e., makes both the inclusions and the omissions obvious

provides students with sufficient time to reach S,T,S or E goals; e.g., 1 mon

allows the teacher to develop a combination of content outcomes—pure science + STSE

Douglas A. Roberts, Science Education 66(2): 243-266 (1982)

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Curriculum Emphases for Each Unit(Exercise: Fill in the chart for different courses.)

Unit/CE

(add unit name)

Unit A: Unit B: Unit C: Unit D: Unit E:

Science

(NoS)

Tech.

(S & T)

Soc/Env

(issues)

Douglas A. Roberts, Science Education 66(2): 243-266 (1982)

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References

Roberts, Douglas. (1982) Curriculum Emphases. Science Education 66(2), pp. 243-266.

Roberts, Douglas et al. (1995) Companion Meanings. xxx

Alberta Education. 1990. STS Science Education. Alberta Education [by Frank Jenkins]