2021 Volume 62 Issue 1 Pages 61-71
This study aims to reveal the changes of the 2017 version of the science-curriculum standards in China, focusing on the Upper Secondary School Chemistry Curriculum Standards, and to identify the characteristics of the Chinese science- curriculum standards through comparison with the upper secondary school chemistry of the Course of Study in Japan. First, we presented the process of the latest curriculum reform, based on the core competencies, for upper secondary education in China. Second, we made an overview of the revision of the science curriculums for upper secondary education, analyzed the “Subject Core Competencies” related to the science-curriculums, and revealed the changes of the organization of the course. Then, we analyzed the 2017 version of the Chemistry Curriculum Standards in comparison with the 2003 version. Finally, we discussed the characteristics of science education for upper secondary schools in China, through comparison between China and Japan. The following findings were revealed: First, the 2017 version of the Chemistry Curriculum Standards clarified the ideal images of the students and their achievements after finishing the chemistry course. The goals of the chemistry curriculum became more specific and profound, and the contents were also reorganized in a more effective way. Secondly, the real-world issues, experiments, and inquiry activities were emphasized on curriculum standards. We compared the results of our analysis with the case of Japan, and concluded that, in China, chemistry, as one of three separate core science subjects, includes the contents of socio- chemistry issues, emphasizes the affective domain of the objectives, and provides teaching strategies and guidance for teachers more effectively.
