What kind of science is proposed for Compulsory Secondary Education?
A formal definition aims to science nature and its components and living beings and dead matter, with all its diversity, organization, interaction and transformation. Under the supervision of the general objectives of the area of Natural Sciences and Health of Compulsory Secondary Education, it can be said that the role of students is to learn science, that is, to appropriate scientific knowledge, to learn about science, that is, to work understanding of nature and scientific practice, and to do science, to use scientific research strategies, that is, to use intellectual procedures and scientific procedures, always within the psychological and social development of students.
Therefore, we would refer to the change, the balance and the development of matter and its diversity, unity, interaction; to raise the knowledge selected according to the near context and the problems arising, prioritizing the interests of students and their society, and to carry out scientific work to solve these problems in the most objective, precise and contrasted way possible.
When the curriculum design of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country speaks of science, what kind of science does it speak of? Of the science to be contemplated or verified, but not of the strict and static set of definitive and immutable truths, but of the science to be reviewed at all times, or in other words, of non-dogmatic science.
A science totally oriented to the future and in process; a science that throughout history has been elaborated by men and women and that has the characteristics of collective action, that is, with social conditioning.
Science with systemic vision, that is, science that considers the object of study as a whole (or as a system); science that is defined within the relationships between the parties and between them. Therefore, it is excluded from the reductionist vision that has been in force for several years (that has made the object become parts to be able to investigate and that has driven the isolated study of the parts) and from the globalist vision (that considers the object in its entirety and that is indefinable by fractions).
How to do this science in the classroom?The History of Science can help us demystify in the classroom the neutrality of science and the 'dogma' of science; new scientific theories happen and even often counteract the previous one, but, however, there are scientists who are at the same time trying to perpetuate
obsolete theories. Science built throughout history helps understand realities such as how students learn science. Children build new knowledge about an idea of prior knowledge, sometimes erroneous and sometimes incomplete, but from the learning process.
The History itself that has just been cited can help those who do science to become aware that they are not only known scientists, but have participated and continues to participate men or women of any age, knowing better and more Nature. The science created among us all draws attention to the importance of working together in the classroom.
On the other hand, if it is recognized that science has a social component, it is necessary to say that the object of study must be close to the interests of the student, from this point of view, the important problems for the student are those that occur in their own environment. The science thus realized, which analyzes and criticizes the social use given to scientific advances or its consequences for society, will contribute to educate a critical and responsible citizenship.
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