What are the Objectives of Science Education?

Objectives of Science Education

It is towards the aims that entire educational system is being directed, as aims play an important role in bringing all-round development of the students. All the set aims cannot be attained by any teacher, however able and experienced he or she may be.

Although educational programmes designed in schools play an important role in turning a teacher’s task easy, but still one should keep in mind that such programmes are only a part of entire educational programme. Those parts or portions of aims which a teacher can expect to achieve are called objectives.

Thus, it can be said that objective is a narrow term in comparison to aim as objectives are just specific or realisable portions of aims.

In other terms, it can be said that an objective is a point or an end view of the possible achievement in terms of what a student can do when entire educational system is directed towards educational aims. Thus, objectives are set of achievable ends which can be realised in pursuit of overall aims.

Before discussing further regarding the objectives of science teaching, it is first necessary to mention the need of designing such objectives. Experts have provided different views regarding the need to frame objectives of science teaching, some of which are as follows:

a. Some experts are of the view that it is necessary and important to design objectives as they provide detailed description of abilities and values which a teacher intends to instill among the students. According to these experts, objectives are the learning products which a teacher attempts to attain from various functions performed by him or her.

b. It is necessary to design or set clear cut objectives as they play an important role in providing the frame of reference for taking various decisions regarding selection and organisation of content.

c. There are majority of experts who are of the view that objectives should be set up as modes of instruction and techniques of evaluation get reflected by them.

It is necessary to select a proper and suitable kind of teaching technique or method to translate objectives into appropriate teaching and learning situations. Teacher becomes able to clarify the ideas about objectives through evaluation process which is based on objectives.

Through such an evaluation process, teacher also becomes able to select logical and more realistic objectives. Not only is this, in such kind of situation, more suitable and appropriate kinds of teaching methods being selected by him or her.

In accordance with experts, there are three well defined steps without passing through which no evaluation process can be completed, mention of which are as follows:

i. The first process consists of formulation of teaching objectives. In this stage, they are being translated into reality by which positive changes can be brought about in the attitude and behavioural pattern of students.

ii. In the second process, proper kinds of learning experiences should be determined and should be provided to students, by which task of attaining set objectives become more desirable and easy.

iii. To measure the extent to which contemplated learning experiences have already taken place in the students, proper evaluation tools are being prepared in the third and last process. This function should be performed with utmost care and caution as with inappropriate kind of tools, assessment process can be done improperly.

Numbers of experts have studied the above mentioned processes carefully and majority of them are of the view that all of these three steps or processes are inter-related with each other. An important constituent of all evaluation processes is objectives for attainment of which teaching procedure is being conducted.

It is towards these objectives that learning experiences and tests are being directed. In the process of evaluation, tests and examinations of different kinds play important roles. At the same time, examinations based on objectives of teaching and learning experiences play considerable role in evaluating them properly.

Various experts have provided their views regarding the objectives of science teaching. Here mention of some views provided by set of experts have been provided, which are as follows:

1. Objective of science teaching should be to train the mind of students in such a manner that an urge to find out the reason behind all the incidences taking place around them or any part of the nation get arise in them. Science teaching should be conducted in such a manner that powers of weighing and interpreting evidences inherent in students get developed. It is only through this kind of thinking pattern and attitude that they will be able to analyse the cause and effect of each and every incident.

2. Another important objective of science teaching should be to acquaint the students with broad outlines of great scientific principles and the manner in which they are being exemplified in familiar phenomena and also with their application to new situations by which they can make use of them in best possible manner and for the service of mankind.

There are majority of experts who are of the view that there are some specific factors on which objectives of science teaching depend. Some of the such factors are need of the students, need of society in which they exist and new challenges which are getting developed in changing society. However, there are some specific criterion which can be used while selecting the educational objectives.

While setting or formulating the objectives of any function, it is necessary to keep in mind the needs of the society and nature of subject matter.

Not only this, abilities of the students should be taken into account while doing this function. Various criterions can be used while selecting the objectives. Some experts have provided the basis for selecting objectives of different processes, which are as follows:

a. Usefulness,

b. Fitness,

c. Timeliness,

d. Appropriateness, and

e. Practicability.

Usefulness:

Only such objectives should be included in the program which can prove to be useful in the lives of students. Thus, it can be said that if subject will have no value in the lives of students, then it will prove to be useless, thus an important criteria should be usefulness of subject, which should not be neglected in any way.

b. Fitness:

Education should be imparteji in such a manner that broader objectives can be achieved. Proper sequence should be followed while imparting education, for which there should be provision of well-defined programmes.

c. Timeliness:

While designing programmes, use of only available resources or materials should be made. If provision of making use of unavailable material or facilities will be made then it will only lead to wastage of money and time. Thus, objectives should be selected in accordance with available materials and resources.

d. Appropriateness:

While designing the objectives, physical and mental abilities of the students should be taken into account. In other words, extent of expected learning should coincide with maturity level of the students and their educational and informational background.

e. Practicability:

Such objectives should be designed with the help of which it becomes possible to acquire such experiences by which learning process can be developed to maximum possible extent.

After discussing the criterion on basis of which objectives of science teaching should be conducted, it is important to mention here that a large number of experts are of the view that an important objective for which science teaching is being imparted in the schools or various institutions is to bring about desirable changes in the thinking pattern and attitudes of the students.

Such changes should be so considerable that can be viewed from various behavioural domains, i.e., cognitive, affecting and psychomotor domain.

These domains should be properly taken into account while setting the objectives of teaching science, as it is expected that various kind of changes will take place in these domains as an outcome of knowledge gained through teaching science. Some experts have set up major objectives of teaching science in behaviour terms, some of which are as follows:-

a. An important objective should teaching science should be to provide information of various scientific terms, facts and principles to the students. Science teacher should also provide information of various theories and rules propounded by various scientists. Thus, knowledge objective is considered to be an important objective of science teaching by a large number of experts.

Regarding specifications for knowledge objective, it can be said that a student recalls various terms, facts and concepts which are related with different science subjects. After sometime, student begins to recognise these scientific terms, facts and concepts.

b. Another important objective of science teaching should be to develop such an ability in the students by which they can become able to understand various scientific facts and to interpret various scientific terms. Not only this, an ability to understand various scientific principles and theories should also get developed among the students.

Such kind of objectives is known as understanding objectives, which develop the ability of students to understand various phenomenon. Specifications for understanding objective, it can be said that in the beginning, a student illustrates different scientific terms and concepts by citing various examples and illustrations.

After sometime, he or she begins to translate verbal statements into symbols. Then he or she begins to detect errors found in given statements and concepts and then he or she begins to take all steps by which those errors can be rectified.

After sometime, student becomes able to compare and contrast the various related concepts and principle with each other and to find out the similarities and dissimilarities found in them. Students become able to find out the kind of relationship existing in between the various facts and concepts and then he or she becomes so able that an ability to interpret information provided in the forms of charts and graphs get developed in him or her.

With development, level of ability of students to explain various scientific concepts and principles get develop and with such abilities, he or she begins to classify various substances and concepts into different categories.

c. Information through science teaching should be provided in such a manner that students can not only understand them but can also apply them in their daily life. They should become able to make use of information gained through such teaching in resolving out their day to day problems. This objective is termed as application objective by some experts and they consider this objective to be one of the most important objectives of science teaching.

This objective can be achieved by first developing ability in the students by which they can analyse various kinds of situations properly. Then they should become able to mulate and tests different hypothesis.

An ability to develop cause and effect relationship should get developed in the students, after which they should become so able that can explain the reasons of various incidences taking place around them. Such ability should get developed in the students by which they can draw inferences and conclusions just merely by analysing observable facts.

An habit or ability should be developed in the students by which they can make use of various scientific principles in solving their daily life’s problems. Then, students should become so able by which, with the help of given data, they can predict various scientific phenomenon in advance of time.

d. Science teaching should be imparted in such a manner that a positive kind of change can take place in the attitude and outlook of the students. It has been realised by the experts that after attaining information relating to scientific facts and theories, outlook and perspective of students become more rational and logical.

This objective is termed as attitude objective by the experts and is regarded as one of the important objectives of science teaching as without this, students will not be able to free themselves from the chains of narrow mindness and superstitions.

Through such kind of changes taking place in the attitude and outlook of students, a tendency will get developed in them to accept or reject anything only on the basis of valid proofs and evidences. They will become to rely on the cause and effect relationship existing between various phenomena. An urge to explore various incidences will get arise in the students by which they will try to find out the actual cause of incident.

Students will perform the function of expressing and recording scientific data in honest and intellectual manner. Such students or people will begin to take all their decisions rationally and before taking any decision, they will analyse various aspects of the fact or situation.

Statements and activities of the students will become more clear and precise. Features of spirit of team-work and self-help will get developed in such students and they will begin to realise or understand the danger of mis-use of scientific knowledge in real life.

e. Some experts are of the view that information provided to the science teaching should be done in such a manner that an instinct to get informations relating to science world gets developed in the students. Thus, interest development is an important objective of science teaching, as anything done without interest cannot be performed with much success.

In students having developed interest towards scientific facts and principles, a tendency to put questions in all kinds of discussions and debates will be found. Such students will take keen interest in getting new information or developments taking place in scientific field through various sources.

Such students desire to participate in debate and lectures voluntarily and they begin to visit the places of scientific interest frequently. In their spare time, they indulge themselves in scientific studies and research works. They begin to write or express their views on various happenings taking place in the world of science. Such students frequently get engaged in scientific hobbies, i.e., by which their level of information gets developed.

f. Another objective which science teaching must fulfil is development of such qualities in students by which they can appreciate the contribution of scientific developments in welfare and advancement of human society. Generally this objective is termed as appreciation objective and it should be realised properly as without this, no human being will try to get more and more information regarding developments taking place in the area of science.

Through fulfillment of this objective, tendency gets developed in the students by which they begin to respect and admire works performed by great scientists. Such students achieve a special kind of pleasure in understanding the developmental processes taken place in field of science. Students begin to experience a special kind of thrill and excitement in admiring the experimental achievements of other students also.

g. Subject of science is related to various other subjects also and it is not possible to acquire information regarding various developments taking place in scientific field without knowledge of such subjects. For instance, for properly understanding the laws and principles propounded by various experts, it is necessary for the student to have strong mathematical basis.

Not only this, science is a subject in which various kinds of experiments are conducted. Thus, students acquiring knowledge of science becomes habitual to conduct various kinds of experiments and studies. For proper analysation, it becomes necessary for them to collect various kinds of information relating to incidences happening around them from different sources.

Such kind of functions requires some special kind of skills in the students, without which they will not be able to perform such functions. An important objective of science teaching should be to develop such important skills among the students. This objective is termed as skill objective and should be attained properly and successfully.

Above mentioned objectives of science teaching are objective based in nature, however, there are performance based objectives also, mention of which are as follows:

Performance Based Objectives:

In concern with the teaching process and learning of a particular subject, concepts of objectives, learning experiences and evaluation are considered as inter­related and inter-dependent. It is through various learning experiences that objectives are attempted to be realised.

The extent to which set objectives have been achieved successfully is being evaluated through the process known as evaluation. Process of evaluation can be conducted easily and properly in case all the objectives are being set out in such a manner that level of achievements and changes taking place in the behavioural pattern of them can be evaluated properly.

For this reason, performance based objectives should be designed, as general objectives are definite in nature and they fail to perform multi-dimensional functions in imparting learning experiences to the students properly and efficiently.