Issues in Upper Secondary Science Education: Comparative Perspectives

Science education at the upper secondary level presents an extremely diverse image. In some education systems, it is possible for students to abandon the discipline altogether; in others, program specialization may involve students' being enrolled in science-intensive tracks. In the latter case, the links between secondary and higher science education tend to be strong, especially for competitive-entry, science-based programs in subjects such as engineering and biomedical sciences. In this capacity, upper secondary science may be said to have created a new academic elitism. This edited volume adopts a comparative approach to upper secondary science as it occurs in sixteen countries, focusing on such key topics as links with basic science education, issues in assessment, and the secondary/tertiary education interface. With contributions from a wide cross-section of countries, including Australia, Malaysia, Brazil, Nigeria, and Pakistan, Issues in Upper Secondary Science Education provides an unparalleled resource for understanding upper secondary science education systems around the world.

Table of Contents:
Foreword; Simon McGrath 1. Introduction: The Upper Secondary Tier and the Place of Science Therein; Barend Vlaardingerbroek, Neil Taylor and Terry Lyons 2. Australia; Terry Lyons 3. Brazil; Luis Carlos de Menezes and Regina Candida Ellero Gualtieri 4. Canada - British Columbia; Todd M. Milford 5. China - Hong Kong SAR; Benny Hin Wai Yung and Kennedy Kam Ho Chan 6. Finland; Jari Lavonen and Pasi Reinikainen 7. Hungary; Andras Buda 8. Malaysia; Noraini Binti Idris 9. New Zealand; Peter Rawlins, Carrol Walkley and Lone Jorgensen 10. Nigeria; Omaze Anthony Afemikhe and Sylvanus Yakubu Imobekhai 11. Pakistan; Irshad Hussain 12. Scotland; Nicky Souter 13. Sri Lanka; Marie Perera 14. Turkey; Muammer Calik 15. The Middle East - Egypt, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia; Saouma BouJaoude and Ghada Gholam 16. Reflections on Upper Secondary Science for the Twenty-First Century; Barend Vlaardingerbroek and Neil Taylor

About the Author :
Barend Vlaardingerbroek is Associate Professor of Education at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. He has published papers in various academic journals, including the International Journal of Educational Development and the International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, and has edited volumes on secondary school external examination systems and the transition to university. Neil Taylor is Professor of Science and Technology Education in the School of Education of the University of New England, Australia. He has been a secondary science teacher in Jamaica and the UK and has taught science education at the University of the South Pacific, Fiji, and the University of Leicester, UK.

Review :
"A variety of authors from countries across the world, and including those from both 'developed' and 'developing' countries, have provided comparative descriptions of upper secondary science education issues, and the context of the whole school systems. For those wishing to review exemplary information from well-informed writers, this book provides a wealth of global data not easily available otherwise. The writers are frank and open about the strengths and challenges in their systems, a welcome approach in these days where competition between nations might have led to 'papering over the cracks'. I strongly recommend that those interested in international comparisons include this book in their reading." - John Oversby, Science Specialist Interest Group Convenor, British Educational Research Association; Chair, Research Specialist Group, Association for Science Education, UK "At a time of increasing globalisation, international comparisons between education systems have become ever more important. This volume brings together contributions from 13 countries and one region (the Middle East) to provide a valuable perspective on key issues in upper secondary science. The result is both informative and, in places, quite surprising. This is a book that should be of value to anyone looking to improve their country's secondary science education or to understand how it compares in its organisation to other countries." - Michael J Reiss, Professor, Institute of Education, University of London, UK "I highly recommend this book to secondary science teachers and educational policy personnel, no matter what country they come from, as the book is a fascinating, accurate and up to date account of the issues facing secondary teachers around the world. The book fills in the gap in educational writing on science teaching. As a secondary teacher in Australia who teachers mainly senior secondary classes I found myself in agreement with many of the explanations and opinions put forward by the outstanding group of contributing authors in this well written book based on current research on policy and its application." - Stephen Zander, President of the Australian Science Teachers Association "Barend Vlaardingerbroek and Neil Taylor provide a fresh and concise summary of the progress of science teaching. The complementary chapter structure allows the reader to easily compare the motives and strategies employed in teaching modern science, both junior and senior, in a variety of jurisdictions around the world. This book is an excellent starting point and reference for anyone looking to compare how and why science is being taught around the globe." - Ross Hudson, Research Fellow, Australian Council for Educational Research