Science Education in China Undergoes Reform, Ignoring Crucial Aspects of Nature of Science

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at the South China Normal University have conducted a study to explore the presentation of the nature of science (NOS) in the reformed biology curriculum standards in China. The study, sponsored by the Ministry of Education of Guangdong, China, found that the curriculum standards pay little attention to the social-institutional system of NOS and exhibit disengagement between general and modular objectives on NOS. This research highlights the need for reformed curriculum standards to address the development of students' scientific literacy, particularly in NOS.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Chinese biology curriculum standards pay little attention to the social-institutional system of NOS as described by the Family Resemblance Approach (FRA).
  • There is a certain degree of disengagement between the general and modular objectives of the biology curriculum standards on NOS.
  • The study used the Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA) framework to visualize the links between categories of NOS.
  • The research aims to explore the presentation of NOS in the reformed biology curriculum standards and the coherence of NOS within and across the two curriculum standards.
  • The study was conducted based on the FRA framework and refined by incorporating insights from experts in the field of science education.
  • The authors of the study, including Xuefeng Li, Qianqian Gao, Yi Cao, and Hongni Xie, aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the reformed curriculum standards and their implications for science education.
  • The study has been peer-reviewed and is available in the journal Science & Education.

Statistics:

  • In 2017, the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China promulgated a new biology curriculum standard for general high schools.
  • The revised biology curriculum standard was promulgated in 2020 for general high schools.
  • In 2022, the Ministry of Education revised the biology curriculum standards for junior high schools.
  • The study was conducted using the Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA) framework, which visualized the links between categories of NOS.
  • The study explored the coherence of NOS within and across the two curriculum standards using the Family Resemblance Approach (FRA).

Sources:

  • Investigating the Nature of Science In Reformed Chinese Biology Curriculum Standards. Science & Education, 2025; 34(1): 315-343.