Science
Introduction
To be human is to be curious about the world we live in, to wonder why it is that way, and to ask about our place in it. A fundamental goal for science education is to stimulate, respond to and nourish such curiosity, wonder and questioning. Science provides us with one view of the world – a view that changes as our knowledge and understanding of science evolves.
Science is a human process influencing and influenced by social values. Science has a long and fascinating history of human attempts to appreciate, understand, control and manage our world. Scientists use techniques of scientific investigation to create an understanding of the world. The resulting cumulative knowledge is part of our human heritage.
Science is dynamic and progressive. Our society is being continually confronted, challenged and redirected by ideas borne from people’s curiosity, imagination and dreams about what might be possible. The work of scientists such as Newton, Einstein, Curie, Darwin, Florey, Macfarlane Burnet and Oliphant began as ‘why’ and ‘what if’. Their work challenged and subsequently changed accepted opinions in the areas of motion and gravity, radioactivity, evolution, medicine, immunology, structure of the nucleus of the atom, and nuclear energy. This and other accepted science knowledge continues to fuel the dreams of a new generation of scientists as they explore the expanding frontiers of science.
Science has had, and will continue to have, successes and setbacks as technologies that provide people with an improved quality of life are developed and implemented.
It is becoming increasingly important that students understand these challenges and redirections, and the implications of these for their own life choices, the environment and the community (local and global) in which they live. Building students’ Science capability is critical to help them develop the skills and understanding necessary to meet these challenges and make responsible, informed choices.
Science extends our understanding beyond what affects us to include what we can’t see, feel, hear or touch but can only imagine. Science capability is multidimensional, consisting of dispositional facets (interest and curiosity), operational facets (creativity and problem solving) and cognitive facets (reasoning and critical thinking). The extent to which we as citizens understand and appreciate these interactions will shape our future.
A set of values inform and govern how scientists operate including respect for the environment (living and non-living) and the opinions and ideas of others, honesty in collecting and presenting data and evidence, and acknowledgment of the work of others. These values are an integral part of a science curriculum that explores and encourages debate about the relationship between science, society and technology.
A major goal of science education is to develop citizens who are capable of engaging in informed debate about science and its applications. Increasing emphasis will be placed on the role of science and the work of Australian and other scientists in addressing issues of sustainability at a local and global level. Science education provides opportunities for students to develop the skills and understanding appropriate to service and good citizenship. It also encourages students to articulate science values and accept the ethical principles embedded in science research. While only some students directly pursue a career in science and scientific research, all students need to appreciate the significance of science for the long-term future of our society.
Structure of the domain
The Science domain is organised into six sections, one for each level of achievement from Level 1 to Level 6. Each level includes a learning focus statement and, from Level 3, a set of standards organised by dimension. A glossary is included which provides definitions of or additional information about underlined terms.
Learning focus
Learning focus statements are written for each level. These outline the learning that students need to focus on if they are to progress in the domain and achieve the standards at the levels where they apply. They suggest appropriate learning experiences from which teachers can draw to develop relevant teaching and learning activities.
Standards
Standards define what students should know and be able to do at different levels and are written for each dimension. In Science, standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement apply from Level 3.
Dimensions
Standards in the Science domain are organised in two dimensions:
- Science knowledge and understanding
- Science at work.
These two dimensions include the traditional science disciplines of biology, chemistry, earth science, environmental science, health sciences, neuroscience, physics and space sciences and the emerging sciences including biotechnology, green chemistry, nanotechnology, and synchrotron science. The dimensions build students’ understanding of how science knowledge in the disciplines has been constructed through time and is applied in practical contexts.
The development of Science knowledge and understanding necessarily involves conceptual and experiential understanding of Science at work, and understanding of the ways the concepts, theories and models of science are used throughout the society in which students live.
Science at work involves students learning the processes of science through the ways they undertake and reflect on their own investigations and those of others.
The two dimensions are interrelated in the ways science affects the broader society in which the students live. Students’ own experience of science assists them to develop an understanding of these interactions. The two dimensions are also interrelated in ways that are central to both pedagogy and content.
Science knowledge and understanding
The Science knowledge and understanding dimension focuses on building student understanding of the overarching conceptual ideas of science. These include understanding:
- the nature of the similarities between, and the diversity of, living things and their sustainable relationships with each other and their environment
- concepts related to matter - its properties and uses, and the production of different substances through chemical change
- concepts of energy and force as a way of explaining physical phenomena
- the place of the Earth in time and space and the interactions between the Earth and its atmosphere
- how scale is important in relating structure to function at microscopic and macroscopic levels.
These understandings enable students to build on their curiosity and answer their own questions about themselves and their interactions with the world while at the same time allowing them to think through contemporary challenges and issues. Through this, students come to understand how science relates to society and the environment.
Science at work
The Science at work dimension focuses on students experiencing and researching how people work with and through science. Students learn to be curious and to use scientific understanding and processes to find answers to their questions. They design and pursue investigations ethically and safely; generate, validate and critique evidence; analyse and interpret ideas and link them with existing understanding; work and reason with scientific models and communicate their findings and ideas to others. They identify and practise the underlying values, skills and attributes of science.
Through their investigations, they gain insight into science as a human activity and the relationship between science, technology and society both now and in the future. They explore how science is used in multiple contexts throughout their lives and its pervasiveness throughout the workplace.
Safety
Students will be exposed to potentially hazardous materials and practices when undertaking scientific activities and investigations. Beginning with their first year at school, students are made aware of safe practices and are encouraged to act responsibly when conducting investigations. As students progress through their schooling they develop skills in the safe use of scientific apparatus, including heating and electrical equipment, the safe handling of living and non-living organic materials and the correct use and disposal of chemicals.
Standards and practices should be consistent with legal requirements including Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S). Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) provide information about the safe handling of hazardous substances used at the workplace. A Scientific Procedures Premises License (SPPL) is required when animals are used to teach science. If keeping animals then the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 and the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans – National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 2001 also apply.
National Statements of Learning
The Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) incorporate the opportunities to learn covered in the national Statements of Learning (www.mceetya.edu.au/mceetya/statements_of_learning,22835.html). The Statements of Learning describe essential skills, knowledge, understandings and capacities that all young Australians should have the opportunity to learn by the end of Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in English, Mathematics, Science, Civics and Citizenship and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
The Statements of Learning were developed as a means of achieving greater national consistency in curriculum outcomes across the eight Australian states and territories. It was proposed that they be used by state and territory departments or curriculum authorities (their primary audience) to guide the future development of relevant curriculum documents. They were agreed to by all states and territories in August 2006.
During 2007, the VCAA prepared a detailed map to show how the Statements of Learning are addressed and incorporated in the VELS. In the majority of cases, the VELS learning focus statements incorporate the Statements of Learning. Some Statements of Learning are covered in more than one domain. In some cases, VELS learning focus statements have been elaborated to address elements of the Statements of Learning not previously specified. These elaborations are noted at the end of each learning focus statement.
Downloads
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Science booklet (
PDF - 260KB)
This booklet includes an introduction to this domain, a description of the structure of the domain, and the learning focus statements and standards at each level.
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Science standards table (Doc - 49KB)
This document provides the standards in this domain in table format to enable quick teacher reference. It includes descriptions of the dimensions and the standards from Levels 1 to 6. It does not include learning focus statements.
- Victorian Essential Learning Standards by Level
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Level 1 ( PDF - 702KB)
Level 2 ( PDF - 591KB)
Level 3 ( PDF - 649KB)
Level 4 ( PDF - 751KB)
Level 5 ( PDF - 755KB)
Level 6 ( PDF - 788KB)
These booklets include the information for every domain at the relevant level. Each level publication includes:- the relevant stage of learning statement
- the relevant level statement
- introductions to each of the three strands
- introductions to every domain
- learning focus statements and standards for every domain.
