The implementation of curricula adapted from Scottish Integrated Science

Abstract

The Scottish Integrated Science Curriculum (SIS) for Junior Secondary school classes, as well as its associated textbooks, has been widely adopted in Scotland, the rest of the UK and in countries as far afield as Hong Kong, Lesotho and the Caribbean. The degree of adaptation varied widely. In the Caribbean, the scheme was presented in the form of lesson-by-lesson teachers' guides emphasizing teaching methods, the organization of practical work, questioning, discussion, consolidation, and summary. Among positive conclusions which may be drawn from this mode of curriculum development are that 1) practical science teaching exists where it did not before, and 2) the science taught is more relevant to local conditions. On the negative side, the suitability of SIS for agriculturally based developing countries is questionable, and the objectives claimed for Integrated Science generally have been over-ambitious