Proposed science, technology and society course for secondary schools in Newfoundland and Labrador: teachers' perceptions and concerns

Abstract

This thesis explored secondary science teachers’ perceptions of and concerns about the development and implementation of a proposed Science, Technology and Society course in the schools of Newfoundland and Labrador. -- The importance of the STS theme in science education has been recognized in the reports, Science for Every Student (Report 36 of the Science Council of Canada, 1984) and Towards an Achieving Society, (Task Force on Mathematics and Science in Newfoundland and Labrador, 1989). In an attempt to address this need, the Department of Education in Newfoundland and Labrador has developed a course description for the STS course. -- Secondary science teachers were asked to complete an STS questionnaire, composed of eight parts based on the draft course description - the nature of the course, course content, instructional time and strategies, role of the teacher, instructional resources, evaluation strategies, preservice and inservice requirements, and personal data. -- The results indicated that although the majority of science teachers felt that STS issues should be taught as a separate course, teachers were concerned about the development and implementation of such a course. These concerns included the nature of the proposed STS course, resource materials, evaluation strategies and teacher inservice. Most teachers felt that the course should be a two credit course, offered to all students, preferably those students in Level II. -- A large percentage of the teachers surveyed agreed with the proposed STS course content. However, many teachers felt that other topics - marine technology, global climate, endangered species, nutrition, environmental issues and human population should be included. -- This study provided insight into how science teachers perceive STS topics in the curriculum and gave teachers an opportunity to have input into the development of the STS course and the nature of the inservice required. It is hoped that the results of this study will influence the selection of topics and that the proposed STS course will include topics that reflect teachers' concerns about the course and their perceptions of what will be required to successfully implement an STS course at the secondary level.