The Situation of Natural Science¹

By Péter Havas

The “modernisation” of natural science education began in conjunction with curricular regulation in 1978, resulting in the introduction of a new subject on the 5^th grade level called environmental studies, which combined elements related to geography and the natural environment. In spite of these efforts, true integration was not achieved; the subject was rather elaborate since it included material dealing with both the living and inanimate environment, but handled these as separate themes. These topics also differed significantly in terms of their depth and complexity (the life of squirrels vs. the development of mountain ranges). The fundamental problem was that the subject required thinking about abstract concepts (e.g. the use of celestial coordinates, the formation of minerals, and the development of climate), something that students at this age are generally not prepared to do.

Difficulties in connection with the teaching of environmental studies were concealed by a knowledge-centred curricular approach. Educators were not directly confronted with the issue that the material they were teaching did not facilitate understanding of the real environment among many of their students, who were unable to utilise dry, textbook knowledge in becoming familiar with their natural surroundings (uncertain knowledge of species and minerals, processes in connection with the formation of the earth’s surface, and environmental issues).

Changes in content and methodology in the process of curricular regulation during the 1990s

With the introduction of the National Core Curriculum (NAT), three fundamental changes occurred in elementary natural science training:

• The arrangement of curricular content was adjusted to suit students’ age-specific level of development. Content prescribed for 5^th and 6^th grade pupils was determined in accordance with a demonstrative, visual approach, the aim being to provide a solid foundation for abstract thought at a later stage. The teaching material largely corresponded to content assigned for grades 4-5 in the national curriculum of 1978, and in postponing abstract thought, left more room for the acquisition of concrete knowledge.
• The NAT structure was regarded as a tool for the development of competencies and indicated specific abilities that could be expected from students. Teachers were entrusted with the task of selecting a significant portion of the material in the interest of achieving these skills. As a result, content became uncertain and instructors faced a considerable amount of difficulty in selecting materials (particularly in connection with knowledge of species).
• The curriculum prescribed common requirements that greatly influenced natural science training with regards to its cross-curricular application, and made it possible to step beyond the traditional framework of the subject with a view towards integration (environmental training, knowledge of peoples and their native environment).

What changes in approach did the Framework Curriculum initiate?

Content for the subject of natural science in the Framework Curriculum slightly modified the themes contained in the NAT system. The rearrangement of teaching material took place as follows:

• Some of the topics listed in the NAT program under the heading Interaction and Energy Conversion included teaching material that – in contrast to explanatory sections – would require considerable abstraction as well as understanding and application of certain scientific concepts. Experience has shown that at this age, students generally have mistaken and sometimes oversimplified notions in connection with this material. Since it is precisely these concepts that are discussed at a later stage when students are introduced to physics, natural science material presented in the Framework Curriculum retained only those elements that could be explained on the concrete basis of students’ previous experience. In this case, the aforementioned terms are used in connection with discussion of other natural phenomena – changes in the weather, seismic activity – in order to strengthen the integrative approach of the subject.
• Material in the section on Physical Geography is also designed to familiarise students with the landscape characteristic of regions in Hungary. This can hardly be achieved without describing symbiotic communities typical of these regions or various national parklands that protect natural treasures. For this reason, the study material was expanded to present local wildlife, with descriptive characterisation taking place at the 6^th grade level, and generalisation in connection with ecosystems included in the framework of 7^th grade biology lessons.
• The entire scope of teaching material in the section on The Body and its Vital Functions was placed in the module dealing with health and hygiene.

Approaches emphasised in the planning and teaching of local curricula in natural science include the following:

• Teaching-learning methods used in the 5^th grade are similar to those practiced at the 4^th grade level. There is nothing to justify significant differentiation between the content and methodology of curricula on these two levels. Basic natural science training in the first 6 grades takes place according to an identical teaching approach.
• The content of study material is closely related to the daily experience and personal knowledge of students. Opportunities must be found to strengthen and combine knowledge students acquire in the classroom with experience gained outside of the lesson framework.
• Content must be designed to allow for students’ understanding of natural phenomena in their environment and practice in solving every day problems related to natural science.
• We should not forget that the purpose of natural science is also the elementary interpretation of natural phenomena. Therefore, the task of the instructor is not to present and explain basic principles, but to assist students in activities that foster independent discovery of the natural environment in order to develop a basis for conceptual thought.
• Effective teaching of the subject entails the activation of students through familiarisation, practice and application of fundamental scientific methods and techniques in accordance with their age-specific requirements.
• Natural science themes are conducive to integration with other subjects, for example modules dealing with native studies and ethnography as well as health, and this opportunity should be utilised in the interest of developing a holistic view.
• The teaching of natural science should be interwoven with an ecological approach that stresses the concept of sustainability and creates environmental consciousness.

Challenges – content and structure

There is a widespread belief that the content of teaching material in natural science is of a “low standard” and too little, based on the general argument that students are taught certain material twice. This misperception is rooted in a failure to recognise new curricular goals and the principles of effective learning (especially those in connection with the development of competencies and the opportunities provided by differentiated study arrangements). As a consequence of the traditional approach, many schools have unnecessarily increased the amount of teaching material in local curricula, particularly with regards to data in connection with the organic structure of different species and the study of local regions. Also unfavourable is the mistaken need to prepare students entering 6-year secondary schools. Numerous local curricula have devoted the entire 20% of free lesson time provided by the Framework Curriculum to the study of added material instead of using it for various student discovery activities and the development of basic research skills. The curriculum made it possible to rearrange teaching material for grades 5 and 6. Instructors accustomed to the former system are making every effort to take advantage of this in order to bring current material closer to the old framework for environmental studies, primarily making adjustments in the area of physics and orientation.

Learning-teaching approaches and methodology

Empirical research on the current situation of natural science included a questionnaire designed to shed light on the learning and teaching methods instructors use in the classroom.

In light of the data above, it is obvious that natural science lessons are conducted using a frontal teaching approach, with student activity strictly limited to following lectures and then “learning” the verbalised study material. This is in sharp opposition to the methodology suggested for natural science training in the Framework Curriculum, which focuses on a process of active discovery and aims to develop the personal knowledge and experience of students. At the time the survey was conducted, the situation of natural science as a school subject reflected a low level of effectiveness and a conservative approach that is neither suited to the age-specific needs of students nor to the goals of learning.

Stated or un-stated, the earlier curriculum preferred inductive learning, and textbooks also favoured this method of familiarisation. The Framework Curriculum, on the other hand, does not take a stand for either a deductive or an inductive approach to learning. It does, however, acknowledge criticism of inductive teaching methods and strongly encourages instructors to build on their students’ previously developed cognitive abilities. Learning is regarded as an active psychological process in which students continuously transform their model of reality as opposed to merely receiving knowledge. For this reason, activities designed to directly familiarise students with reality play a prominent role among the learning arrangements specified in the natural science curriculum. Since the amount of material does not require lessons to be conducted at a “galloping” pace, students have all the more opportunity to discuss their thoughts and opinions in class. Topics can be addressed via the application of cooperative learning techniques, group work and project methods, making it possible to expand various forms of independent study.

Innovation

Different forms of innovation with regards to subject content and structure have yet to become distinct. In reality, initial experience points to the challenges of transition rather than a new approach to natural science in accordance with the Framework Curriculum. Neither the textbooks developed for the earlier NAT system nor those designed with the Framework Curriculum in mind are entirely suited for use in this transitional school year. Therefore, innovation has primarily occurred in terms of learning arrangements and methods applied in practice. Use of cooperative learning techniques and project methods is gradually increasing, although not on a widespread basis. In addition, the subject is also conducive to study arrangements for the development of environmental consciousness; a growing number of students are taking part in so-called theme days, working with topics that are mainly related to natural science (trees, water, the local environment, the ragweed issue), or activities in the context of special days devoted to environmental protection – Earth Day, Trees and Birds Day etc.

In connection with learning arrangements and the study environment

Teaching and learning natural science requires equipment, complex organisation and thorough preparation. Lesson time must be managed carefully to ensure that examinations conducted by students proceed smoothly. Schools generally have an insufficient supply of necessary tools, and those used in classes on upper grade levels comprise instruments originally required for teaching material in the 4^th grade – in accordance with earlier curricula. Experience indicates that this supply is unsatisfactory for the study of natural science, and the most elementary tools of observation usually cannot be provided to all students. There is also a lack of supplementary handbooks. Children’s encyclopaedias, simple field guides and illustrated dictionaries should be on the shelf in every natural science classroom, but the subject is rarely taught in such facilities. Moreover, equipment and tool bags to assist students in fieldwork are missing as well. Many observations could easily be conducted in the immediate vicinity of school buildings (weather, orientation, the characteristics of various liquids, geological features and processes), but even plain instruments of detection and measurement are lacking.

The organisation of extended field trips can be influenced by social problems. It is primarily students living in urban environments, and especially those who are socially disadvantaged, who need exposure to study of natural environment in an appropriate setting; pupils who live in rural villages already have the suitable conditions for direct examination (e.g. animals around the house) – in spite of social disadvantages. For most schools, organising field trips to different parts of the country entails serious difficulty. A few decades ago, it was common practice for students to visit different regions in Hungary within a lesson format by the time they completed the 8^th grade, whereas today financial conditions seriously limit the opportunity to arrange thematic study trips, particularly if the given school also wishes to ensure nature study. Since a large portion of the study material for the 6^th grade involves familiarisation with local regions, it would be advantageous if schools were also able to obtain central funding for the implementation of such projects (tenders already exist for nature study in an extended lesson framework).

Teaching aids

The questionnaire we distributed to instructors also asked about textbooks and teaching aids. The current supply of textbooks and supplementary materials for natural science training is extremely inconsistent, making it difficult for teachers to make informed choices on the market. Our questions focused on the criteria that teachers use when choosing materials and the quality of the available selection.

Based on the opinions of teachers participating in the survey, the current selection of natural science textbooks and teaching aids leaves much to be desired, and calls attention to the need for development. Responses indicate that 45% of instructors find the selection to be satisfactory and nearly 30% claim there is an abundant supply of materials, although this does not reflect an assessment of quality. Only 3% think the selection is lacking.

Publishers have attempted to meet the requirements of framework curricula by making adjustments to textbooks that were originally developed for the 5^th grade in accordance with the NAT system, but were never introduced. The temporary situation is unfavourable for the market since the majority of new textbooks created for the Framework Curriculum contain material that pupils have already studied in lower grades. There is a discernable contradiction between the goals of natural science training, teaching practice and the interests of publishers. Examination of the real environment takes precedence in the Framework Curriculum as well as the development of students’ existing practical knowledge and the formation of conclusions based on the results of simple experiments and observation. The natural science curriculum aims to increase students’ capacity for independent study, meaning they should acquire skills in using various sources of information and should not reject knowledge gained outside of the classroom in order to understand the study material. Cooperative learning strategies and project methodology have been placed in the forefront.

Partly in opposition to all of the above is the fact that teachers have very little experience in managing new learning arrangements. Lessons structured according to textbook material require far less preparation and organisation than methods geared towards engaging students in a process of discovery. The lack of equipment is also an inhibiting factor. Consequently, teachers are looking for textbooks that serve the entire lesson framework i.e. material that is conducive to motivating students, the differentiated transmission of knowledge, direct input, summarisation, and even self-assessment. The more teaching is based on textbook material, however, the less the amount of time available during lessons to truly discover and become familiar with the natural environment.

Publishing firms write material that will gain the widest possible market and yield the highest profit, and the most lucrative market now is for textbooks representing a traditional, lesson-oriented approach that has been well-tested by teachers in the context of environmental studies. Textbooks could play a role in sparking innovation, but at the moment, publishing books that embrace new approaches and methodology is too great a business risk. The majority of publishers have even avoided genuine integration of the three main themes in natural science – physics, geography and biology – and continue to handle these areas as separate units. In this sense, the subject of natural science can be considered eclectic at the most, but certainly not integrated. Also missing are project-oriented guidebooks and workbooks that could be used for field study.

Cross-curricular features and harmony between subjects

Natural science themes can be easily connected to native studies and ethnography, visual culture and technology, although integration of the latter generally occurs only on a conceptual level. Knowledge of surveying techniques and units of measurement developed in the context of natural science training can be incorporated in the study of mathematics, and lessons also offer opportunities to establish points of contact with literature and music, especially in 6^th grade material dealing with the examination of local regions. The most promising area of integration involves the cross-curricular application of key competencies to facilitate communication, social interaction, problem-solving skills, and the use of up-to-date information technology.

The subject provides knowledge of nature and ecology as the necessary foundation for the achievement of cross-curricular goals in environmental training. In dealing with individual units of study, activities conducted by students can be connected with various forms of environmental training outside of the classroom. Extended field trips are a unique form of subject integration. In this case, natural science material is connected with other themes that can be explored in a given location (ethnography, local history, environmental issues, the lifestyle and work of local residents, multi-cultural features etc.).

Urgent tasks for development

Development in the subject of natural science at institutions of public education becomes tangible when teachers change their approach and their methodological repertoire in accordance with the framework of new curricular regulation. Natural science as a subject based largely on individual discovery and the development of problem solving skills and other key competencies will not be able to achieve its goals by usuing methods that continue to reflect a traditional, knowledge-centred approach dictated by textbook material. The general lesson to be learned from the PISA 2000 survey is that Hungarian students at the age of 15 are not able to apply their knowledge in practical situations, meaning they are not capable of recognising, interpreting and handling real problems in connection with natural phenomena and processes. Tasks for development in the coming years include finding a solution to this conflict.

• Educators must be made to face the fact that planning lessons based on a content-oriented approach is not conducive to helping young people handle problems related to natural phenomena in their environment.
• Instructors must be trained in the use of cooperative-interactive teaching methods to raise their students’ level of activity and independence in the process of learning.
• Appropriate teaching aids and a suitable learning environment must be provided so as to make it possible for all schools to teach natural science based on activities that facilitate discovery through surveying, detection, observation, study and experimentation.
• Authorised textbooks should fulfil current learning requirements not only in terms of content, but also in their methodology and didactic approach.