New Trends in Integrated Science Teaching

Book excerpt: This book is the sixth in a series of publications on the subject of integrated science teaching and is based on the proceedings of a consultation meeting held on the theme "Recent Developments in Integrated Science Teaching Worldwide". The meeting was organized by the Australian National Commission for Unesco, in cooperation with the International Council of Associations in Science Education (ICASE) and with the Australian Science Teachers' Association. The intention of the book is to reflect how far integrated science teaching had spread around the world. The chapters in the first part of this book describe key issues in integrated science and broad trends in the approaches to integrated science teaching worldwide. They include the conclusions of five working groups set up during the meeting to discuss the key issues in the following areas: (1) content (developments in science and technology and their implications for science education); (2) curriculum and resource materials; (3) teaching, learning, and assessment; (4) equipment and science teaching facilities; and (5) teacher education. The following articles are included in eight chapters of Part I: "What Is Integrated Science Teaching: Its Beginnings and Its Place Today" (Dennis G. Chisman); "Reflections on the Development of Integrated Science Teaching Projects for 4-16 Year Olds" (Kerst Th. Boersma, and others); "The Integration of Science Teaching through Science-Technology-Society Courses" (John Holman); and "Teacher Behaviours Which Facilitate Integrated Science Teaching" (Ronald J. Bonnstetter). The second part of the book describes national and regional developments in the teaching of integrated science in Africa, the Arab States, Asia and the South Pacific, Europe and North America, Latin America and the Caribbean; and is based largely on the reports and discussions at the meeting. The third part contains some examples of topics and modules of integrated science courses taken from recent courses in Botswana, the Caribbean, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, and the United Kingdom. The fourth part is an annotated bibliography (over 370 entries) which attempts to sample literature relevant to integrated science. (KR)