ABSTRACT
Over the last two decades or so, there has been much concern that the science curriculum is too narrow. It presents an image of science that is too depersonalized and neutral, and it fails to emphasize that science is a human activity. Its focus has been on developing the kind of abstract conceptual understanding more appropriate for those pupils who later specialize in science, and fails to meet the needs of the majority of pupils who do not. Providing a foundation for future specialists is an essential aim for science education, but it should not be the only, or indeed the most important, one. We live in a society in which science plays a central role, and an education in science needs to do more than develop a narrow understanding of scientific concepts. Pupils should understand what science is, how it is carried out and how scientific knowledge is created. They should know about the contributions that science makes to society, both in practical ways and as a cultural achievement in itself. Science raises ethical and moral issues, and pupils need to consider these in order to prepare themselves for decision-making as citizens and as individuals. Science has too often been portrayed as a white, male, individualistic activity. Setting science in a broader context makes it more accessible as well as more appropriate for the needs of the majority. And understanding the broader context of science is just as important for future scientists, too.
