The nature and extent of scientific literacy themes coverage in Zambian high school biology curriculum.

摘要

The two purposes for this study were: (a) to investigate the nature and extent of scientific literacy themes coverage in the national high school biology curriculum in Zambia; and (b) to find out whether or not the national biology curriculum has the potential to prepare scientifically literate citizens. Three biology textbooks and two biology syllabi used in grades 10-12, and fifteen grade 12 national biology examination papers for a five-year period (2000-2004) were analyzed using a content analysis framework procedure developed by Chiappetta, Filman, and Sethna (1991a). The four scientific literacy themes used in the analysis were: science as a body of knowledge; science as a way of investigating; science as a way of knowing; and the interaction between science, technology and society.; The results show that the biology textbooks and syllabi content objectives emphasized more on the basic knowledge of science, and investigative nature of science themes. On the other hand, the biology examination papers, and the syllabi aims and assessment objectives emphasized more on science as a way of knowing, and the investigative nature of science themes. All the curriculum materials (textbooks, syllabi, and examination papers) poorly covered the interaction between science, technology and society theme. The de-emphasis of the basic knowledge of science theme in the examinations is a significant finding because it shows that there is lack of both the curricula and instructional validity in biology examinations with respect to the four themes of scientific literacy. The results also show that the biology curriculum has some potential to prepare scientifically literate citizens, though the scientific literacy themes were not equally covered in the curriculum. However, the lack of adequate coverage of interaction of science, technology and society theme in the curriculum materials may pose as an obstacle to a better preparation of scientifically literate citizens.