The science curriculum

To understand how science is taught in the new K to 12 curriculum, we can go to the website of the Department of Education (DepEd), click on “K to 12,” then on “Curriculum Guides,” then on “Grade 1-10,” then on “Science.” We can then download the Curriculum Guide for Science.

We see immediately that those claiming that science is not taught before Grade 3 are wrong. Although there is no particular subject or time slot devoted to science in those early grades, there are competencies or standards related to science that every early learner needs to achieve. Science is integrated in all learning areas.

In the curriculum guide, these “Key Stage Standards” appear for “Kindergarten to Grade 3”: “At the end of Grade 3, the learners should have acquired healthful habits and have developed curiosity about self and their environment using basic process skills of observing, communicating, comparing, classifying, measuring, inferring, and predicting. This curiosity will help learners value science as an important tool in helping them continue to explore their natural and physical environment. This should also include developing scientific knowledge or concepts.”

The rest of the curriculum is divided into three more stages.

These are the Key Stage Standards for Grades 4 to 6: “At the end of Grade 6, the learners should have developed the essential skills of scientific inquiry – designing simple investigations, using appropriate procedure, materials and tools to gather evidence, observing patterns, determining relationships, drawing conclusions based on evidence, and communicating ideas in varied ways to make meaning of the observations and/or changes that occur in the environment. The content and skills learned will be applied to maintain good health, ensure the protection and improvement of the environment, and practice safety measures.”

For Grades 7 to 10: “At the end of Grade 10, the learners should have developed scientific, technological, and environmental literacy and can make rational choices on issues confronting them. Having been exposed to scientific investigations related to real life, they should recognize that the central feature of an investigation is that, if one variable is changed (while controlling all others), the effect of the change on another variable can be measured. The context of the investigation can be problems at the local or national level to allow them to communicate with learners in other parts of the Philippines or even from other countries using appropriate technology. The learners should demonstrate an understanding of science concepts and apply science inquiry skills in addressing real-world problems through scientific investigations.

For Grades 11 and 12: “At the end of Grade 12, the learners should have gained skills in obtaining scientific and technological information from varied sources about global issues that have impact on the country. They should have acquired scientific attitudes that will allow them to innovate and/or create products useful to the community or country. They should be able to process information to get relevant data for a problem at hand. In addition, learners should have made plans related to their interests and expertise, with consideration for the needs of their community and the country – to pursue either employment, entrepreneurship, or higher education.”

How are these standards learned in practice?

Since the curriculum is spiraled, each grade level follows roughly the same sequence of topics, namely: matter; force, motion, and energy; living things and their environment; earth and space.

At the beginning of basic education, in Kindergarten, “the learners will demonstrate an emerging understanding of the parts of their body and their general functions; plants, animals, and varied materials in their environment and their observable characteristics; general weather conditions and how these influence what they wear; and other things in their environment. Understanding of their bodies and what is around them is acquired through exploration, questioning, and careful observation as they infer patterns, similarities, and differences that will allow them to make sound conclusions.”

At the end of basic education, in the Senior High School (SHS) core subject “Earth and Life Science,” the following performance standards are achieved: “Conduct a survey to assess the possible geologic hazards that your community may experience; make a poster that shows the complementary relationship of photosynthesis and cellular respiration; conduct a survey of products containing substances that can trigger genetic disorders such as phenylketonuria; prepare an action plan containing mitigation measures to address current environmental concerns and challenges in the community.”

Learners preparing to major in college in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics Nursing, Medical Technology, and other such science-heavy courses take a more advanced course named “Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction,” where they learn, among other things, “to develop a family emergency preparedness plan to guide them on what to do before, during, and after an earthquake / volcanic eruption / fire.”

As far as the curriculum is concerned, science is alive and well in K to 12.