Science, Technology and Society contents in the new basic curricula of secondary education in Spain

Abstract

Scientific literacy for all is the main goal of science education curriculum, and science, technology and society (STS) is its innovative component. However, much research indicates that teaching this STS content is relegated due to various factors that perpetuate its absence from science classrooms, among which is its inefficient curricular design. This paper analyses the presence of this issue in the new Spanish basic science curricula 2015, for secondary education (13-18 years). The aim is to provide a more accurate, systematic and structured depiction of the curriculum to grant teachers a better understanding of it and therefore, its appropriate teaching method. A taxonomy imported from educational research is applied to the new curriculum standards, called assessable learning standards because their greater specificity allows for a more accurately identifying and classifying of STS content. The presence of STS topics in the new curriculum is more extensive and detailed than in the previous ones, even though their curricular approach still has a poor structure: improvable terminological precision, confusion with the processes of science and lack of design through learning progressions. In conclusion, this study identifies and structures STS issues as a need to clarify the curriculum and provide a better understanding and training to teachers, so that both factors contribute to improving curriculum development, suitable materials and the quality of scientific teaching of STS content.