Current Situation of Using Local Wisdom and Community Issues in Science Curriculum of Third Grade Level

Abstract

     This research aimed to study the current situation of using local wisdom and community issues in developing and implementing the science curriculum of the third grade level in schools. Data were collected from three different schools under the Office of the Basic Education Commission during the first semester of the academic year 2007. The methods of data collection consisted of school science curriculum document analysis, interviews with three science department heads, observations of 7 science classes and interviews with 9 teachers and 9 students. The findings indicated that all schools' science curriculum were based on core curriculum of the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST). However, most of the teachers thought that including local wisdoms and community issues in teaching science needed more time and couldn't be done in regular classroom. The teachers were more concerned with teaching content than scientific process skills in order to meet parents' expectations. In addition, teachersû misunderstandings about local wisdom caused them not to be able to implement local wisdom in their teaching.