Pacific
Standards for Excellence in Science constructs a broad framework to
guide reform of science education during the next decade. A "standard"
is a recognized level of excellence; it can be used to judge quality; it
describes what should be attained. The standards of excellence presented
here define what all students should know, be able to do, and care about
if they are to be scientifically literate.
The general principles that inform these standards are listed below. They articulate a vision of the priorities and emphases that should be contained in the science curriculum and establish the parameters of excellence for science education in the Pacific.
1. Science should be presented as open inquiry engaging both teacher and students in attempting to understand the natural and designed (technological) world around us, to examine how we know what we know, and to learn how we test and revise our thinking.
2. Science should be presented in a way that acknowledges the Pacific as a region of the world that encompasses a variety of island environments, unique cultures, and scientific and technological experiences. Each of these attributes must be recognized, valued, and built upon through the science curriculum.
3. Science should be presented as connected with technology. The implications of the interactions between science, technology, and society should be included in the curriculum.
4. Science education should be connected with the students' own experiences and interests. Hands-on activities that are sequenced to enable students to build their own knowledge play a major role in making these connections.
5. Students should be given opportunities to construct important ideas in science and technology which can then be further developed through inquiry and investigation.
6. Teaching strategies should allow for several ways to learn, so that all students are successful in doing science.
7. The major disciplines of sciencephysical science, biological science, and earth scienceshould be studied each year in an integrated curriculum.
8. Textbooks should not be considered the sole source of information. Ordinary materials and equipment found at school and at home should be used to engage students in experiencing science.
9. Assessment of student learning should be aligned with classroom activities in both content and format. Student performance and investigation play the same central role in assessment as they do in instruction. Assessment and instruction should be closely interrelated.