Foundational Principle: The inherent value of each individual
We are born into the world as observers. The study of Science encourages us to retain our curiosity, creativity, and wonder even as childhood recedes. The Sciences are a story of humanity’s struggle to explain the world in which they live, and to continue to ask “Why?”. As subjects, the Sciences, are premised on the idea that human beings inherently need to understand and explain the world around them in order to give meaning to the chaos.
The world in which we live is understood through Science, and continues to be changed through the application of Science. However, when it is applied without concern or recognition of the fundamental intrinsic value of each human, it has been responsible for some of the greatest atrocities in history and for some of the greatest challenges the human race faces. In a world of climate change, nuclear proliferation and the genetic revolution it is more important than ever that our young people ore scientifically literate, emotionally mature and fully cognizant of the role each and every human plays in the future of our planet and the race, thus empowering them to change the world for the greater good..
Foundational Question: How did the world evolve to be as it is and how might it be made to evolve for the greater good?
Science fosters courage in the individual to adjust their view of today, the future, and what is possible based on what can be observed, and not on the limits set by others. Science is also an exploration of the capacity of individuals to shape and improve the world. As Science educators, we must acknowledge the learner as the active constructor of knowledge and recognise that identifying what boys already know and believe is a precursor to identifying, challenging and resolving perceptions. Such practice highlights and champions the role of the individual learner in the classroom.
Through the scientific method, boys understand the empirical nature and rigor of systematic scientific research, and use this to generate new insights by acquiring valid and reliable results. Incorporating new information into their individual understanding and then formulating solutions to current scientific problems that will spur boys’ eagerness to learn and ultimately advance human progress.
The story of science is journey that highlights both the strengths and flaws in the character of individuals and communities. This human dimension of science is a key component of a science curriculum. For example, the development of atomic theory isn’t simply a catalogue of increasingly sophisticated ideas, but rather a sequence of individual biographies woven into the social and cultural fabric of the time, influenced by myriad local and global events, catalysed by advances in technology, and punctuated by political and economic imperatives. Boys need to be encouraged to find their answers to questions such as “Does science operate outside of the social, cultural and political climate in which it is pursued?” “Is science knowledge value-free – are scientists responsible for the way in which a society uses that knowledge?”
Scotch College Melbourne:
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