This course is the third in the series of four curriculum and pedagogy courses offered to
students who have opted for science education in the M.A. Education programme. The four courses engage with the nature and methods of science; its curriculum and pedagogy;
pedagogical content knowledge; and curricular material development in science, in this
order.

This course will draw from and build upon the first two courses, by examining a core idea
which is considered to have broad importance ​‘across multiple sciences or engineering
disciplines or be a key organizing principle of a single discipline’ (National Research Council, 2012). While there are several ways in which such curricular classification has been made, three broad areas may be identified, namely: the physical, chemical and biological sciences. According to the National Curriculum Framework (2005), Environmental Studies at the primary level engages with children’s prior experiences while enculturating them into thinking formally about the natural and social world. It moves into discipline-specific
concepts and methods from the middle school years onwards. The requirement to make this shift, poses various challenges. Actualizing the aims of science education into the teaching and learning of concepts is central. It requires understanding the nature of each of these sub- disciplines which may be at some variance with the nature of science. Further, pedagogical practices need to consider the curricular progression of concepts as well as the multiple ways by which it could be brought to bear in the classroom. The course will therefore present broad linkages between core ideas in each of the sub-disciplines, draw from their history of development and engage with the required pedagogical content knowledge. Curricula introduced in the course: Curriculum and Pedagogy in Science may be reviewed by students in the context of pedagogical content knowledge, in addition to the specific introductory textbooks recommended for each Unit.