The comparison of Turkish and Kazakh secondary science curriculums in terms of ‘scientific literacy’

This research refers comparative study about curriculums of natural science subjects. The sample of this study consists of national official standards and curriculums, which approved by ministries of education and science of two countries: Kazakhstan and Turkey. We compared science curriculums of 4-8 grades. The next purpose of this study is to compare the concept of Science literacy in curriculums of Secondary Education in Turkey and Kazakhstan and to identify similarities and differences of curriculums in accordance of the findings. Similarities and differences are related to scientific literacy, teaching integrated science or separately and the concept of science and technology. Some advice was given to further studies in accordance of findings of this study.

Introduction

International studies in comparative education have been developedthe curriculum of natural science education in the world. The main goal of the comparative studies in education is to qualify the teaching process and provide positive implementations on science curriculum from other countries. One of the important ways to improve the quality of science education is the international experiences about natural science curriculum.

Kazakstan and Turkey have been supported common educational and cultural studies to develop relations between two countries. Both are developmental countries at educational fields. The studies of renewal curriculums of natural science disciplines have been continued in both countries. When this curriculum studies are investigated these countries are being aim the European educational programs. Comparative studies have a great importance between two countries to reach success of implementations and applications of European educational criters.

In our research comparative curriculum studies pointed out ‘scientific literacy’ because Teaching Natural Science programmes goal ‘scientific literacy’ in European educational system. It needs to explain this term to better understand and compare.Murpyh C. (2003) reported that the term ‘scientific literacy’ refers to the minimal scientific knowledge and skills required to access whatever scientific information and knowledge is desired (1). Scientific literacy defines what the public should know about science in order to live more effectively with respect to the natural world (2).

The importance of this research is to compare the concept of Science literacy in curriculums of Secondary Education in Turkey and Kazakhstan and to identify similarities and differences of curriculums in accordance of the findings and to advice further studies related curriculum development.

2.  Methodology

In this study, a qualitative research approach was used. Qualitative research is the approach that is produced data without statistical procedures and digital tools. Qualitative research techniques have important characteristics; to provide the researcher's participatory role, the research design flexibility and an inductive analysis.This is a qualitative study aiming to compare the natural science curricula in two countries in detail. The methodologypart comprises of subject content analysis; curriculum vision, goals and teaching objectives. Firstly, both KazakhandTurkishSecondary Education Systems were investigated to get an idea about general structure and the implementation ofcurricula in these countries. Then, the science curricula of two countries were compared by looking at the goals and objectives of science curriculums.

3. Findings

The Structure of Education System of Turkey and Kazakstan

Primary and secondary education is a 12-year term in Turkey. This is the first 4 years (Grades 1-4) is primary education andGrades 5-8 are covered by lower part of secondary education. The first 8 year of education is compulsory. The last 4 years (Grades 9-12) is in upper secondary education. After the primary and lower part of secondary education students who have completed a total of 8 years are placed upper secondary schools within examination prepared by the test centerand continue their high school education. The period of education year is 36 weeks.

The secondary education of Kazakhstan consists of 11 years of compulsory education. This is planned in three stages that primary, lower and upper level of secondary education. The first phase of 1-4 grades which consist of primary , 5-9 grades of lower secondary and 10th and 11th grades of upper secondary education. Primary and secondary phase (end of Grade 9) students who receive a diplom of lower secondary school after passing the test successfully.Students who have diplom can apply to different field of vocational and technical high schools. Other students continue to the upper secondary schools. In Kazakhstan, except grade 1(33 week), the period of education year is 34 weeks for grades 2-11(3). 

The Structure of Secondary Natural Science Curriculum of Turkey and Kazakstan

In Kazakstan the science curriculums are “Earth Knowledge” which is similar “Life Knowledge” lesson in the first four years in primary schools. In fifth grade “Natural Science Knowledge” lesson that is integrated from different science subjects. Physics, chemistry, biology, geology and astronomy lessons are placed separately between the sixth and nineth grades at lower secondary schools. After the new studies of science curriculum of lower secondary schools in Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakstan (KRMES),science subjects starts with 5th grade and they were integrated with Geography, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and astronomy. The curriculum of physics is covered 7-9th grades, chemistry at 8-9th grades and biology at 6-9th grades in 2013 year(4). The curriculum of natural sciences is integrated at 5th grade but curriculums of natural sciences of 6-9 grades were prepared seperately (5).

Integrated science teaching time is one hour per a week and 34 hours for a year. This consists of 11 hours of Geophrapy themes, 10 hours of biology themes, 7 hours of chemistry themes and 3 hours of physics themes in 5th grade.Geopraphy and biology subjects are twice hour per a week at 6-8th grades, Physic and chemistry subjects are two hours per a week at 7-8th grades and 8th grade respectively (6). According to the total hours of science subjects per a year, geopraphy, biology, physics,chemistryandintegrated science are covered in time of 29.6, 29.6, 22.2, and 2percent respectively. Astronomy is taoughtin integrated science curriculum as 1.5 percent (see Table 1).

In Turkey science subjects are integrated in both primary and lower secondary curriculum but it is separated in upper secondary schools. Science is integrated in a course called “Life Knowledge” in the first three years in primary schools. The Science and Technology courses are taought from the fourth grade to the eighth at secondary schools. This curriculum consists of science subjects such as physics, chemistry, biology, geology, environment and health education shared in each grade in Turkey. Science course is given as 4 hours per week at 5-8th grades and 3 hours at 4th grade. Science and technology curriculum consists of Geopraphy themes with "Earth and Universe" chapter and, Biology with "Live and Life" chapter and, physics "Physical Events" chapter and, chemistry with "Matter and Change" chapter (7). According to the percentages of total teaching time of each subject, Physics, biology, chemistry,geography and astronomy subjects are 35.7, 29.8, 22.4,7.4and4.7 percent respectively (see Table 1).

Table 1. The Total Hours of Science Subjects in Both Countries 

According to the Table 1, the total hours of science subjects of both countries are presented in table 1. According to the table 1, the total teaching time of natural science is 918 hours at 5-9th grades in Kazakstan and 684 hours at 4-8th grades in Turkey. While the science teaching time is compared for both countries, the total teaching time of secondary science is five year in primary and lower secondary schools. The science curriculum of primary and lower secondary education of Kazakstan consists of more science subjects in total hours than Turkey. In Kazakstan the science curriculums, geopraphy and biology have placed more and Physics subjects are more in Turkey. 

Comparasion of Science Literacy concept in two countries

Science literacy is meant with scientific knowledge and information about natural world. The ministry of Education (MEB) defines that scientific literacy may be considered the following criters (7);

1. The nature of science and technology
2. Key concepts of natural science
3. Scientific Process Skills (SPS)
4. Science-Technology-Society-Environment (STSE) relations
5. Scientific and technical psychomotor skills
6. Values of the essence of Science
7. The attitudes and values of Science (AV)

Biology, chemistry, physics, geography, and other natural sciences related topics are taought in their courses. There is no special chapter for SPS and AV fields. Themes related STSEhave been set up in each subject of curriculum. Themes related STSE are “Human and Nature" unit in Natural science program in the fifth grade as five hours, technology and physical relationship in the Physics program in seventh grade as 9 hours, and "Water" unit in Chemistry program which include water-related environmental problems. Kazakhstan as scientific literacy in the curriculum are given more knowledge of the environment. The country's environmental awareness is very advanced and strict laws. To develop the relation In between nature and society, to introduce ecology of terrotries and ecological Law of Kazakstan, to protect nature and to train students in ecology-humanistic relation (6) are objectivies related environmental literacy in secondary science curriculum of Kazakhstan.

In Turkey, science and technology relationship and information technology are reflected in cases where frequent samples giving, the information in daily life use and the exercises of related problems presenting to students and the knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes and values acquired for science and technology literacy on Science and Technology Program.The vision of this program is to train students having science and technology literacy without the individual differences of them (7). The goals related to scientic literacy are below:

• to encourage students with a sense of wonder to events with scientific and technological development in each grade level;
• to understand the nature of science and technology; the interactions between science, technology, society and the environment;
• to create knowledge, experience, interest in developing an infrastructure that would enable them for science and technology based on profession;
• to provide use of science and technology in acquatisions of new knowledge and problem solving;
• to understand and to ensure students to be responsible and conscious decisions about Science and technology, social, economic and ethical values, personal health and the environmental 

Conclusion

The differences of two education system are related to the period of education for a year, the education period and the period of the parts of secondary education. Kazakstan and Turkey have 11 and 12 years of education time and the compulsory education of Kazakstan and Turkey are 11 and 8 yearsrespectively. But 12 years of education was decided in parliament of Kazakstan as compulsory. The second difference is about education period of secondary schools that is 34 and 36 weeks in Kazakstan and Turkey. The next is related to the end of grade of lower and the starting grade of upper secondary schools. The starting grade of lower secondary education is 5^th grade in both Kazakstan and Turkey. The end of the lower secondary education is different for two countries. The end of the lower secondary education is 9thgrade in Kazakstanand 8th grade in Turkey. So, the starting grade of upper secondary education is 10th grade and 9thgarde in Kazakstan and Turkey. In Kazakstan according the new law of 12 year education, the starting grade of upper secondary education will be 10th grade.

Science subjects are integrated in both primary and lower secondary curriculum in Turkey. They are integrated in primary and 5th grade in lower secondary and separated at 6-8th grades in lower secondary schools of Kazakhstan. Natural science subjects are separated in upper secondary schools of Kazakstan and Turkey. Science subjects starts as integrated natural science at 5th grade in Kazakstan and starts 4th grade as `Science and Techonology` subject in Turkey.

Science subjects arethemes related geoprapy, biology, physics, chemistry and astronomy fields in both science curriculums. Geography and biology themes are more placed in science curriculums of Kazakstan but in Turkey physics, chemistry and biology themes are more placed on curriculums. When two science curriculums are compared, scientific literacy is considered in goals of programs. In Kazakstan, the environmental themes are emphasized to gain the sense of environmental problems. This is considered more than Turkey. But the sense of techonology and relationship of social, environment and science is focused on science curriculum in Turkey.

As a result, the technological themes and scientific literacy related to the technology should be placed more than geophraphical themes in Kazakstan. The technological development is rapidly continued in the world but some problems have been produced. It is adviced that to acquate to the students the sense of technological development besides some social and environmental problems.

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