~~ 4 CHEMICAL EDUCATION R - m S q The International Congress on the Integration of Science Teaching
A Summary Report An International Congress on tho Integration of Science Tcaching was hcld in Varna, Bulgaria, September 11-19, 1968. I t was organized by the Inter-Union Commission on Seienec Tcarhing of thc Intemat,ional Counail of Scientific Unions with thc assistanec of UXESCO in Paris. Ninety-one represcntativos from 21 countries in North America, Fhvope, Africa, tho Middle East, t,hc Far East, and Australia at,tended the Congress. Astronomers, biologists, biochemists, geologists, mathcmaticisns, physicists, and scicncc educators were present. Thc Congrcss was hcld in Bulgaria to enrouragc the attendance of representstivcs from communist countries. Therc were tcn from Rulgsria, thrcc from Hungary, thrce from Roumxnia, three from Ilussis, and onc from Czechoslovakia. Thc Congrcss approved a sct of statcmcnts from which thc following arc sclcctcd. (1) Thc teaching of integrated science is vduablc for general cducat,ion and enhances the pupils' understanding of thc unity of seicnec. Unnceessary repetitions of concepts basic to many scicnccs (such as atomic theo1.y) are avoided and t,ho place of seionec in contemporary society can be made more evident. (2) A coutsc in integrated scicncc eneouragcs t,he pupils to look a t the world about lhcm as a wholc. \Vide ohservation coupled with ineroasod understanding of the whole environment leads pupils to a gn!atcr achievement in scientific thinking and understanding. (3) The bslanco bctwccn eomplctc integration of suhject mat,ter in one eourso and tho eoordinat,ion of scicntifie conccpts taught in different eourscs will dcpcnd upon the age of the pupil (greatest intcgration far pupils in primary schools, least in the universities), typo of school (technical or general), and the surrounding culture (agriculbural or industrial). I n primary school, total integration is dosirablc. Several levels of integrated courses should bo availablc for the general education of alder students, cspccially those not preparing for careers hascd on science. (4) In olcmcntary sehool scicntific concepts must he formulated in tcrms commensurate with the learning capacity of the young child. Abstract concepts should be taught later. (5) ~ a t h c m a t i e should s he included in science courses when it is nccdcd 1.0 help build conceptual models; it should also be taught as a separate discipline since it is used so widoly in fields other than the nat,ural sciences. (6) The prcparation of teachers of mat,hematics should include sciences so tcschers can illustrat,e the applications of mathematics to science in their courscs. (7) The texhing of integrated science may hc especially valuable in developing eountries which cannot waste scientific and pedagogical manpower in repetitious teaching of scientific concepts. Integrated science is especially useful in a a r i c u l t u ~ d(as contrasted to hiehlv - . tochnieali cultures. Studies of the overall culturo in a develooine eount,rv ~, should be made in order to adapt tho teaching of seicnee i b that culturc.
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the teaching of interdisciplinary and borderline topics. Work is being undertaken in the development of new learning materials in the field of crystallography." This plan "is already being followed in Zambia, whcre Unicef aid is being sought for a 'compensrttory education' project a t primary level. In this programme, pupils will undergo erperionces designed to holp thcm develop tho fundamental skills and to understand the processes of seicnce. "Similar devclooments are takine d a c e in Asia and in Latin
able for teaching a n elementary genoral seieneo course. The cart can be conveniently moved from one classroom to another. Unicef funds are now making thcse carts availsble for introducing science into primary schools in Papua, New Guincs. "In Lesat,ho, a. Unesoo science teaching expert assisted tho Ministry of Education to draw up a syllabus, and a n aocompanying teacher's guide and specimen examination papers for a science course. It included a section 'What is Science?' in which illustrations were drawn from various branches of science. Much of thc physics and chemistry was combined in one section 'Matter and Energy'. Applications of physical principles to biological situations were included.. . . This same syllabus was found vcry satisfactory for use in Swaziland. "In Ncpal, a gcncral sseicnec syllahus has becn drawn up based on eight hasic thcmes: (1) variety in the plant and animal kingdom, (2) aetivitics of living organisms, (3) cvolut,ion and interrelations of living things, (4) msttor, (5) sncrgy (exclusive of cloctrieity and magnetism), (6) magnetism and elcetricity, (7) air and wator, (8) oarth and u n i v o ~ d '(1). Intagretion of Science Teaching i n Primary Schools
(Pupil age: 5-11; U.S. grade: kindergarten through 5th gradc) The Nuffield Foundation in England supports a "Centre for Science Education a t Chelsea College of Science and Technology" in London, England. One of the projects under way there is an integrated course called "Junior Science." Since young ihildren vary so much in their interests and ahilities, this project does not prescribe a syllithus hut supplies the teacher with a set of hooks describing what different groups of children have done in trial-run schools and how they can be stimulated to undertake various kinds of studies. Background knowledge on several types of projects and instructions on how to build simple laboratory equipment from common household articles are included. The representatives of the A A A S Commission on Science Education reported on "Science-A Process Approach." Since this course has been extcnsively explained in the United States, i t will not hc described hero. Integrdion of Science Tearhing i n Lower Secondary Schools
(Pupil ago: 11-15; U S . grade: 6-8) Tho Chelsca Science Teaching Centre has developed a course called "Combined Science" for children aged 11-13. ''.Tine main topics hsvc becn selected to link togcthcr the materials UNESCO mnd Integrated Science Courser included in tho course: (1) tho world around us, (2) reproduction, (3) air, (4) water, (5) time, shape, size and movement, (6) elecWith the collaboration of national study groups and Unesco tricity, (7) tho earth, (8) small things, (9) man. The emphasis scicncc! teaching experts in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, a is on a unificd approach to science and it is considered desirable study will he conducted with 8. view to identifying topics suitable that the wholc coursc should he taught by ano person" (8). for a n integrated course in science, both pure and applied, apprqm:,tv t~ tlw ltwvl oi d ~ v ~ l o p nin~ ~~pur i~m ~ rm y d junior The Centre is also working on a course called "Science for the w ~ . m < l a ray d d a l{vwurn mdrvrial~will l,t, ~ m ~ d fur w ~the ~ ~ l Young School Leaver" to provide terminal education in science t,tfwtiv.. ttwl.~npc,it hvar tovicauml rrid ust. crl tlwm n dl 1>t! mad,,. for the large number of British pupils who do not attend school At tho univor&y levcl, ~ n e s c ois promoting innovations "in after age 15.
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Jovrnal of Chemical Education
"This coursc is centered around eight main themes: (1) intcrdepcndencc among living things, (2) continuity of lifc, (3) biology of man, (4) harnessing cnergy, (5) urtonsion of scnse pwception, (6) movement,, (7) using materials, (8) the earth and its place in the univcrsc. Throughout the coursc cmphasis in the labmatory is a n immcdiatc, cwryday expczicnccs." "Introductory Physical Science" has beon prcpartld by the Educational 1)ovcloomcnt Center in Newton. Mass. I t is in-
throughout the course are the concepts of matter and energy, time and space, the incompleteness of evidence, the diffioulties of experimental verification, and the necessity for tentative and speculative conclusions in studying earth processes and materials. Although i t is a coursc in earth science chemical and physioal processes and mathematical relationships are considered basic to an understanding of the forces and processes which a f f e c t . . the earth in space" (6).
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Integration of Srienco Teaching in Colleges and Universities
school lntegrotion of Srienre Teaching in Upper Secondmy Schools
(Pupil age: 15-18; U S . grade: 9-12) The Cholsee. Science Teaching Centre has developed an integrated Physical Sciencc Courso far "pupils aged 16-18, most of whom will have studicd scicncc since the age of 11, and usually physics and chemistry as separate subjcct,wsince the age of 13 or 14. A good alternative title for the coursc would be 'Mattcr, Energy, and Radiation'. Running through it will be the attcmpt to account for and to prodiet macroseofiic properties of matter from microscopic interactions . . . . Duc emphasis will be placed on the applications of science in technology and everyday life" (3). A group a t the University of Sydncy in New South Wales, Australilia, has worked out two integrated courses. The first is a foucycsr coursc for pupils of ago 12-16 and the second a twc-year course far ages 16-18. I n the four-year course astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and physics are treated as a whole. Fundamentd c o n c e p t s s u c h as energy-are studied in relation to all sciences rather than to only one. The two-year course treats biology, ehomistry, geology, and physics as separate scienecs taught by different tcachcrs but is a single coursc involving scgmcnts of these scienccs taught in a scquenccdetermined by a continuing theme. Thus, the study of energy from the point of view of physics is followcd by eonsidcratian of chemical enorgctics; organic chemistry is eonsiderod in some detail and then used in moleoular biology (4). Undor thc loadership of M. Fiasca a t Portland (Oregon) State Collegc a group is working on tho dcvclopmcnt of a three-year intcgratcd course involving biology, chemistry, and physics. Tho first yom includes four main topics: " ( I ) porccption and mcasurcment, (2) properties of mattcr, (3) cnergy in non-living and living systems, (4) ccology of man. The second year develops thc student's understanding of chemical phenomena so that he can eomprehcnd thc eomplcxity of the molecules and the polymeric systems which are the basic stuff involved in biological transformations. Thc phenomena of biological ~.cplication are studicd in considerable detail. In thc third yoar electromagnetic phonamena are considered as a basis for studying electromagnctie radiation and the structures of atoms. Chemical bonding and further st,udies in molecular biology will round out this year (5). " 'Investigating thc Earth' is a course develdpcd under the sponsorship of tho American Geological Inslilute. Emphasiacd
Educators in the United States lead in integration a t this level of study. I n our country 485 institutions offer 551 integrated courses. Of these, 82 courses in 64 institutions are for students planning to major m science; the other 470 courses arc for prospective elementary school teachers, lawycrs, businessmen, politicians, housewives, etc. Reports were given a t Varna on the chemistry-physics courses a t Beloit and Wahash. Roports were also given on the Cooperative General Science Project in Atlanta, Georgia, and the course entitled "Introduction to N s t u r d Science" developed under the leadership of V. L. Parsegian a t Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Since a11 of these courses have been described in various scientific and educational journals in the Unitcd Statcs, they will not be reported on here.
The United Kingdom, Austrah, and thc United States are leading in the devclopmont of seicnec courses whioh involve more than one of the traditional disciplines. There is much interest in such courses in countries with less broadly developed educational institutions and Uncseo is making great efforts to assist thcso countries ta teach science as an integrated wholc. Literdure Cited
Quotations in this report are from doeumonts submitted for discussion a t the Congress by the following authors: (1) UNESCO Division of Science Teaching, Place dc Fontcnoy, Paris 7e, France. D. G., British Council, 59 Piew Oxford St., London, (2) CHISMAN, W. C . 1, England. (3) S m c ~J, . E., Nuffield Project, 12 Kingsgate St. Winchester, Theland. (4) MESSEL,H., School of Physics, Univ. of Sydney, N.S.W., Australia. (5) F I A ~ ~ M., A Portland , State College, P.O. Box 751, Portland, Ore. 97207, U.S.A. (6) HELLERAND GARDNER. Earth Science Curr. Proj., Uouldcr. Colorado, U.S.A
Edward C. Fuller Beloit College Beloit, Wisconsin
Volume 46, Number 3, March 1969
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