STS The Definition
STS The Definition
STS The Definition
Science Technology and Society should be emphasised and taught across subjects in
Malaysian school curricular
Discuss.
INTRODUCTION
The Second World War and nuclear bombing incidents on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in Japan,
1945 had revealed the negative effects of misapplications of science and technology (Mansour,
2009). From that time on, different organizations and societies were founded aimed to alert the
human being of the social role of science and their social responsibility. This included a
paradigm shift for the science education which gave birth to science programmes that related
science, technology and society (STS) to make students aware of the importance of the effects
of science and technology on their lives (Yager, 1993). There are many definitions related to
STS. According to Wikipedia (n.d.), science, technology and society (STS), also referred to as
science, technology and society studies, is a branch or offspring of science studies. It considers
how social, political, and cultural values affect scientific research and technological innovation,
and how these, in turn, affect society, politics and culture (Pedretti and Nazir, 2013). Wraga
and Hlebowitsh (1991) referred STS as a topical curriculum which derived of components such
as environment, industries, technologies, social and political problems. Yager (1992) on the
other hand defined STS as an educational reform for Science across the world whereas NSTA
(National Science Teacher Association) quoted STS as a form of teaching and learning of
science throughout human experience.
1992), many western countries such as Britain, Canada, Netherland, Japan and Australia beside
US started to implement STS curriculum of teaching and learning in schools and higher (Seth
b. Sulaiman, 2000; Kumar and Berlin, 1998). Malaysia was once colonial country under
British, therefore British curriculum was adopted in Malaysia after the independence, as well
as STS programmes (Bambang Sumintono, 2015; Siti Nur Diyana Mahmud, Nurfaradilla
Mohamad Nasri, Mohd Ali Samsudin, and Lilia Halim, 2018). Scientific perspectives of STS
raise an importance of collaboration and ethical training in science education, and recommends
interactive learning between teachers and students, as well as among the students (Dakers,
2006). Thus, Science, Technology and Society should be emphasised and taught across subjects
in Malaysian school curricula in order to increase the standard and quality of Malaysia
Education level, additionally also to bring forth more scientifically-literated citizen for the
country (Aikenhead, 2003; Seth b. Sulaiman, 2000).
the English Language Learner students managed to learn and improve in an inclusive classroom
(Mvududu and Thiel-burgess, 2015). Throughout the research study, the participant teachers
took account what students know as their prior knowledge and then built on this knowledge
and allowed students to put their knowledge into practice. At first, English Language Learner
(ELL) students presented a particular challenge, especially when taught in an inclusive
classroom which comprised of diverse learners with diverse language background.
Additionally, cultural differences also one of the obstacles faced by teacher while teaching
English in the inclusive classroom. What helped the teacher overcome the obstacles and
guiding students towards English language improvements was bridging the collaboration in
between the better native English students with the weaker students during grouping activities.
The ELL students in an inclusive environment will be forced to use their English skills more
regularly, especially with their peers and talking amongst students with different cultural and
linguistical background, thus helping the students to gain the language acquisition,
comprehension, and reflection. Furthermore, student collaborative talk can greatly help the
teacher understand the comprehension level of students and can help him or her to build on
what students already know and make the material more relevant to students, especially in an
inclusive environment. This helped ELL students to develop more complex vocabulary and
concepts during the learning progress. Further, increased process and creativity skills were
observed while students are engaged in instruction that promotes meaningful discourse with
their peers (Autieri, Amirshokoohi, and Kazempour, 2016). Classroom learning environments
moved from passive, didactic atmospheres to those that featured active, constructivist-based
learning techniques. Therefore, with the features of constructivism, STS approach is very
suitable to be implemented across other subjects in Malaysia curricular.
The society is made up of community of people and scientists and technologists are
amongst one of the important parts in society (Kumar and Berlin, 1998). By introducing social
issues into science education or other subjects, teachers can give a more comprehensive and
larger picture of the scientific system for the students (Lee and Park, 2012). Social issues
usually have interdisciplinary elements, and form a complex system for the students to explore,
investigate, think, and make decision and science is seen related to everything, especially
curricular areas such as mathematics, social science, vocational subjects, and the humanities
(Kapici et al., 2017; Yager, 1993). Furthermore, STS can reveal real-life aspect of science or
the subjects focused in the society, as it addresses scientific facts and technologies that have a
direct bearing upon the society. STS teachers who act as medium to trigger a starting point
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vital parts in which is the focused element in STS curriculum. Seth b. Sulaiman (2000)
highlighted core features owned by technologists, who are enthused over synthesizing and
designing solutions to problems, are significant in dealing with lives and environment issues
(Yager, 1992), thus making other academic subjects more interesting and meaningful (Kapici
et al., 2017). For this reason, technology has been recognized as an important component
worthy of mastering by a variety of disciplines outside of science especially when it comes to
dealing with society. Stauffer (2020) states that 21st Century skill can be broken into three
categories which composed of Learning skill, Literacy skill and Life skill and most importantly,
the literacy skill which serves as the foundational skill in STS platform. It is crucial for students
to understand facts, especially data points, that they encounter online meanwhile be able to
identify trustworthy sources of information they gathered so that they manage to utilize the
suitable gadgets to perform and produce the outputs. As computers, cloud programming, and
mobile devices become more and more important to the world, students ought to understand
those concepts in order for them to step further beyond in the New Media Age, or so called the
Information Age (Wikipedia, 2020). STS reform emphasises development, practical and
enhancement of technologically skill for students so that they have better hands-on experience
with technology (Yager, 1992) since technology is a product of engineering and science which
closely associated with innovation. And to do so, the most natural and important place to begin
is in schools, by providing all students with early and regular contact with technology, exposing
them to technological concepts and hands-on, design-related activities so that they are possible
to acquire the kinds of knowledge, ways of thinking and acting, and capabilities consistent with
technological literacy (Young, Cole, and Denton, 2002). Rose (2007) in her study expressed
that technological literacy, which defined as ability to utilize, manage, assess and understand
technology, embodied the knowledge and skills needed to function in a society dominated by
technological innovation and its impact upon society. Many studies have shown great effects
of technology integration on students’ learning and literacy achievement (Devi and Aznam,
2019; Robinson, 2016; Mohammad Anisuzzaman Cowdhury, 2016; Turner and Katic, 2009;
Rose, 2007; Dakers, 2006; Young et al., 2002; Lawrence et al., 2001). It is imperative,
therefore, that students inherit positive attitudes about and confidence in their abilities to solve
problems using information media and technology skills alongside with scientific concept, and
be able to interpret the impact of technological development as a result of the massive
development of science and technology towards the society. Further, the STS model
encourages students of science not to separate natural science from moral and ethical
considerations, but to give ample consideration to human values (Lee and Park, 2012) as a
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necessary concomitant, yet helping students to think critically within global and social issues
frameworks.
Apart from all advantages dan importance mentioned above, science technology and
society model also provides teachers at all stages of their development including those who are
preservice, beginning, and experienced teachers with a contemporary curriculum framework
for creating innovative instruction that focused on global issues (James, Robinson, and Powell,
1994). The STS model helps teacher crafted out suitable lesson planning that invites students
to become critical thinkers and engages them in decision making (Alismail and McGuire, 2015;
Yager, 1993) that shows the inseparability of science from all aspects of our contemporary
global existence, especially the environmental, economic, and ethical aspects. Somehow,
problems still occurred in terms of pedagogical that teaching in Malaysian schools somehow
partially still centered on the teacher’s style, even though the curriculum is set as student-
centered approaches (Bambang Sumintono, 2015). The reason behind this was due to the exam-
oriented education that geared to enable teachers complete the syllabus, and because of the
limited time which forced the teachers take a shortcut by explaining the outcomes of science
experiments verbally, rather than allowing the students conduct the experiments. A study
showed that the teachers considered that developing STS activities helped students to practise
science in a meaningful context (Mansour, 2010). Teachers shared a common belief that
science is useless unless it meets the society’s needs. So, the development of science has to
conform to social traditions. In this way, science could benefit rather than harm society. For
example, teachers expressed the opinion that health-related STS issues had an important role
to fulfil in informing their children on matters of health and thus related learning about these
topics are generated and put into teaching progress such as issues dealt with the physical
dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, and such issues could make the students aware of the
dangers of these drugs. This is very important as to help students make those decisions and also
make them aware of the advantages and disadvantages of these products. Further, the
curriculum designed could save the government a lot of money and effort in the long run just
to tackle and overcome social issues which related to drug abuse in future society. Therefore,
STS model should be implemented across subjects in Malaysia curricular as research study
showed STS model brings impact on teacher’s teaching (Bakar et al., 2006; Bettencourt, Velho,
and Almedida, 2011).
The STS framework, requires that teachers move beyond traditional textbook-centered
instruction. Entering the 21st century, Malaysia’s Education Curriculum shifted from KBSM to
KSSM (for secondary schools) after almost 30 years of KBSM implementation. The new
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curricular emphasises on elements across curriculum (EMK) with additional improved features.
In doing this, teachers will need to transcend the artificial distinctions between traditional
science disciplines and between science and other fields of study. James et al.(1994)
exemplifies this phenomenon in his study on Nuclear Electric, the new Nuclear Curriculum
package which had been conducted in the United Kingdom. With the STS framework, teachers
will no longer view themselves as fitting snugly behind the artificial boundaries of science
disciplines such as biology teacher or physics teacher separately. Instead, they are now the
“transcender” that possess the interdisciplinary knowledge among all sciences. These same
teachers, if they are to help students understand the complex involvement of science within
global community, must become interdisciplinary in their orientation. In other word, science
teachers ought to be interdisciplinary learners with their students, demonstrate for students how
to explore complex questions, and to be role models in critical thinking and decision making,
not just deliverer of existing scientific information (James et al., 1994). As a result, teachers
become more confident in their ability to teach science and to stimulate student involvement
and learning when utilizing STS approaches. Parallel to this, teachers and students are better
able to construct meaning for themselves. Thus, social science, government or corporate ethics,
national or international economics, and technological innovation must all have an active role
in future subjects teaching in order to maximize the output for STS curriculum implementation,
either teachers, students or the society itself (Yager, 1992).
Yager (1993) stated that STS approaches result in greater career awareness and
accuracy about careers in science compared to the result from the traditional instruction. The
decline percentages of enrolment and performance for science-related subjects has alarmed the
Ministry of Education regarding to the 60:40 policy (Kamaleswaran Jayarajah, Rohaida Mohd
Saat, and Rose Amnah Abdul Rauf, 2014). With the STS curriculum, students managed to
reignite interest on science related subjects and also other disciplines and throughout the
progress students will be able to establish consistency understanding and better decision
making (Bettencourt et al., 2011; Caseau and Norman, 1997). According to Akcay and Akcay
(2015) and Caseau and Norman (1997), STS approach enhances the provision for individuals
differences and success plus encouragement of interests and inquisitiveness. Students who
participated in a learning environment enriched with STS techniques demonstrated increased
interest in the study of science and pursuit of STEM careers (Autieri et al., 2016). In other
word, students would be more prompt to their desired future careers after they have in-depth
learning with STS approach.
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CONCLUSION
Although STS possess great impacts to both teachers and students, together with the society in
future, the successfulness of STS education reform depends on the teachers’ ability to integrate
the philosophy and practices of STS education reform with their existing philosophy (Mansour,
2009). The successfulness of STS education comes along also with other factors such as fully
cooperation and support from students and parents, the society, excluding the unwanted,
irrational and power-brokering politics. Teaching subjects within STS paradigm is derived by
both the students and the teacher working cooperatively together, in order to generate the best
output from the education reform that has been put forward. But somehow STS is still growing
and indeed is an on-going process and it needs vast allocation of time and energy, as well as
patience to refine the structure in it.
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