STS Education in the State Science Curriculum Standards ―In Cases of the Fourteen States in the United States—

Abstract

This paper aims at analyzing the objectives, contents and teaching methods in STS education by fourteen states’ science curriculum standards, issued by the State Department of Education / State Board of Education in the United States. The characteristics of the State science curriculum standards are summarized as follows: 1. STS education and science education are integrated to make up objectives, contents and teaching methods of current science education. Their relation is different among fourteen states. 2. The components of STS education are also different among fourteen states. The curriculum standards may be, classified into three categories. ① Pennsylvania Type (The independent subject of「STS」is set in the secondary education.) ② Wisconsin Type (STS education is strongly emphasized at each grade of the primary and secondary education) ③ Alabama Type (Descriptions on STS are added to the content of former science education) 3. The contents of STS education are classified into twelve domains. Students learn them not separately but integratedly. Learning a unit, they learn some domains. It helps them to learn sciece in a spiral fashion in each grade. 4. There are many different teaching methods in STS education.