AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF TEACHING                    BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS                                                                                                   Dr.M.MARIA SAROJA

Research Director , IQAC Coordinator& 

Associate Professor for Biological Science 

St.Ignatius College of Education(Autonomous),Palayamkottai Tirunelveli-2

General Aims of Teaching Biological Science

            The general aim of science education is to develop well-defined abilities in cognitive and affective domains, besides enhancing psychomotor skills. It helps to foster an uninhibited spirit of inquiry characterized by creative, innovative, and objective approaches. Educational programmes are designed to help in unravelling the mysteries of the interrelationship between science and the day-to-day life, health, agriculture, industry, and indeed, the individual and the universe. Scientific wisdom, knowledge and skills are ammunitions that instill confidence and inspire the individuals to challenge the existing beliefs, prejudices, and practices. They work as a liberating force and serve as a reliable tool in one’s search for truth, harmony, and order in different aspects of life.

Curriculum aims of Teaching Biology

            The aim of Biology curriculum is to provide biology-related learning experiences for students that develop scientific literacy, so that they can participate actively in our rapidly changing knowledge-based society, prepare for further studies of careers in the fields related to life science, and become lifelong learners in science and technology. The broad aims of the curriculum are to enable the students to:

·         Develop and maintain an interest in Biology, a sense of wonder and curiosity about the living world, and respect for all living things and the environment.

·         Construct and apply knowledge of Biology, understand the nature of science in Biology-related contexts, and appreciate the relationships between biological science and other disciplines.

·         Develop the ability to make scientific inquiries; think scientifically, critically, and creatively and solve biology-related problems individually and collaborately.

·         Understand the language of science and communicate ideas and views on biology-related issues.

Lower primary stage

In classes I and II, Environmental Studies is wholly devoted to the fundamentals of science. In Classes III to V, Environmental Studies branches into two sections: one dealing with science and the other with history and geography that are taught together under the title Social Studies. The objectives of teaching science in the primary stages are to:

·         Learn about flora and fauna, natural resources, the sources of energy and so on, by interacting with the immediate environment.

·         Sharpen observation, inculcate the spirit of exploration, and

·         Develop concern, sensitivity, and the ability necessary for the preservation and protection of physical and natural resources.

Contents (Lower primary stage)

At the primary stage, science is taught under the umbrella of Environmental Studies. The contents are thematically organised into chapters titled: Things around plants, Animals and Us, Our Body and Food, and Health and Weather. The syllabus concludes with a chapter titled: Man, Science and Environment.

Upper primary stage

            At the upper primary stage, namely from Classes VI to VIII, students are expected to consolidate and strengthen the abilities acquired during the primary stage. The objective is to develop an understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge; certain physical, chemical and biological facts and their relationship to their manifestation in nature and in daily life. The student should be enabled to develop the capacity to use science to help in solving problems and arriving at the right decisions. Pupils are also expected to develop the skills required to operate ordinary laboratory or science equipment, and to design simple experiments to seek and find explanations for natural phenomena. At this stage, science education should help the pupil to develop an understanding and appreciation of the joint enterprise of science and technology and the interrelationship of these with other aspects of the society.

Contents (Upper primary stage)

            Science education imparted to the students of the upper primary stage ought to form part of a smooth and seamless transition from the ‘environmental studies approach’ to a more formal study of science. With this as the guiding principle, efforts have been made to formulate content and approach. Accordingly, the organisation of concepts in Class VI is somewhat similar to those of the lower primary. In Class VII and VIII, subject matter is dealt with a greater length. Themes like Science in Everyday Life; Things around Us changes around Us; Measurement; Separation of Substances; The Living World; The Living Body; Air, Water and Energy; Balance of Nature and The Universe make up the course material that engage the students at Class VI. This is followed in Class III and VII by more subject-oriented themes such as Mechanics; Heat; Electricity; Magnetism; Carbon and its Compounds; Metals and Non-metals; Life Processes; Evolution, etc. Interdisciplinary topics like Health, Nutrition, and Agriculture also constitute integral part of the subjects taught at this stage.

Secondary stage

            School education comes to a close with the secondary stage comprising classes IX and X. The aim of teaching science at this stage is primarily directed towards the learning of key concepts that span all the disciplines of science. At the secondary stage, the pupil should be enabled to develop a more profound understanding of the basic nature, structure, principles, processes, and methodology of science, with special reference to its relationship with agriculture, industry, and contemporary technology. The teaching of science at this stage should help the pupils to develop insights in health and environment. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on procession and accuracy while handling laboratory equipment and while being engaged in procedures such as quantitative measurement, collection, presentation, analysis of data, and drawing inferences.

Contents (Secondary stage)

            Science at the secondary stage, is introduced around ten themes, such as: Matter, Nature and Behaviour, Motion; Force and Energy; Ways of Living; Human Beings; World of Work; Energy; Food and Health; Environment; Natural Resources and the Universe.

            The time allotted for teaching science at primary, upper primary and secondary stages are 15% and 13% respectively of the total instructional time.

Higher Secondary stage

            The most important and crucial stage of school education is the higher secondary level. This is the transition level from the generalized curriculum to a discipline-based curriculum. In order to pursue their careers in basic sciences and professional courses, students take up Biology as one of the subjects. The aim and objective is to provide them sufficient background to meet the challenges of academic and professional streams. Here, each chapter starts with an introduction followed by subject matter and importance has been given to develop skills in experimentation and observation.

Content (Higher secondary stage-Biology)

            Science, at the higher secondary stage, is introduced around seven themes, such as Taxonomy of Angiosperms, Plant Anatomy, Cell Biology and Genetics, Biotechnology, Plant Physiology, Biology in Human Welfare and the same is given to the practical session also in addition to Economic Importance of Botany. In Zoology, the students are exposed to fascinating fields such as Human Physiology, Medicine, Microbiology, Immunology, Bio-informatics, Environmental Biology, Genomics, Aquaculture, Medical Laboratory Techniques, and Livestock Management.  Almost all these themes are given for practical sessions too. These themes or topics are revised and updated time-to-time to cope with changes in the society.