The National Curriculum Statement states that Education is a lifelong learning process. In Solomon Islands, an outcome based education approach was adapted to develop the science syllabus and learning and teaching materials. The Science Syllabus has been designed using Learning Outcomes which identify the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that all Learners should achieve and demonstrate by the end of Year Nine (Yr. 9). The syllabus integrates scientific and local knowledge to ensure the syllabus provides relevant skills and knowledge for all learners. Science is one of the national curriculum learning areas and builds on the teaching and learning of fundamental knowledge and skills from Year 1 to 6 in the Primary level.
Learning in science is fundamental to understanding the world in which we live and work. It helps people to clarify ideas, to ask questions, to test explanations through measurement and observation, and to use their findings to make predictions and establish the worth of an idea. It also involves investigating the living, physical, materials and technological components of the environment and creative processes of investigation and exploring natural and man-made processes in the environment. It also provide an opportunity for learners to investigate other scientist’s constantly evolving body of knowledge and make important contributions to the decisions which are shaping our world and the world for future generations. The syllabus also provides learners with time and space to reflect on learning about the diverse systems of indigenous knowledge development and skills transfer practised for many years in the past. Learners can be able to explore inter-relationships between contemporary models of science and traditional ways of constructing knowledge in order to value both systems that sustains resources and life.
The syllabus emphasises learners working individually and in groups, in planning and conducting investigations. They evaluate issues and problems, identify questions for inquiry and draw evidenced based conclusions from their investigations. Through this problem solving process they develop their critical thinking skills and creativity. Learners are provided with experiences in making informed decisions about the environment, the natural and technological world and in communicating their understanding, ideas and perceptions. The practical nature of the subject must be emphasised through hands on activities that will occupy a substantial amount of time. All learners will be required to undertake research projects’, hands on” practical investigations and other individual tasks. The Science Curriculum is designed to encourage all learners to continue their participation in Science education as a compulsory subject and beyond. With ability and interest in science, some will continue to study science as an integrated subject, some will study specialist science subjects and others may do both.
Assessment is an important component of teaching and learning and is integrated into the teaching and learning activities of science. The emphasis is on continuous assessment and as such will provide feedback to learners and the teacher on learner’s progress towards achievements of the learning outcomes. It helps learners improve their standards of achievements by knowing what they need to do well and where they need to improve. In Science, teachers will gather evidence from learner’s work during the course of the term and uses those continuous assessments to improve their teaching and learner’s learning.
To promote a contemporary and comprehensive science education, this curriculum has been organized into learning strands. The four strands in science are: Life and living, Manufactured and processed materials, Energy and Change and Planet Earth and Beyond. These strands provides the broad learning contexts and are further subdivided into sub strands as units and topics in the Secondary Science curriculum.