Analysis of SHS Integrated Science Syllabus for Ghana

We are confronted daily with situations that require us to use scientific information to make informed choices and decisions at every turn. Modern life also requires general scientific literacy for every Ghanaian citizen. This is the only way by which the country can create a scientific culture toward achieving the country’s strategic programme of scientific and technological literacy in the shortest possible time. Every citizen of the country needs training in science to be able to develop a scientific mind and a scientific culture. This is the only way by which people of the country could deal objectively with phenomena and other practical issues; prevent reliance on superstition for explaining the nature of things and help us to construct and build the present and the future on pragmatic scientific basis. Our humanistic past has been valuable, but cannot help much to usher the country into the age of science, invention and rapid economic development. The study of Science helps us to understand the natural world and secondly helps us to approach challenges in life and in the workplace in a systematic and logical manner. Development in the current world is knowledge based on science and technology. We gain knowledge faster through the use of science and technology. More knowledge helps nations to advance faster on the road to increased development and progress. For the country to develop faster, it is important for students to be trained in the processes of seeking answers to problems through scientific investigations and experimentation. The integrated science syllabus is a conscious effort to raise the level of scientific literacy of all students and equip them with the relevant basic scientific knowledge needed for their own living and secondly, needed for making valuable contributions to production in the country. Education in science also provides excellent opportunities for the development of positive attitudes and values in our youth. These include:

§  Curiosity to explore their environment and question what they find

§  Keenness to identify and answer questions through scientific investigations

§  Creativity in suggesting new and relevant ways to solve problems

§  Open-mindedness to accept all knowledge as tentative and to change their view if the evidence is convincing

§  Perseverance and patience in pursuing a problem until a satisfying solution is found

§  Concern for living things and awareness of their responsibility toward maintaining the quality of the environment

§  Honesty, truthfulness and accuracy in recording and reporting scientific information

§  Love, respect and appreciation for nature and desire to conserve natural balance.

General Aims

The syllabus is designed to help the student to:

1. solve basic problems within his/her immediate environment through analysis and experimentation

2. keep a proper balance of the diversity of the living and non-living things based on their interconnectedness and repeated patterns of change.

3. adopt sustainable habits for managing the natural environment for humankind and society

4. use appliances and gadgets effectively with clear understanding of their basic principles and underlying operations

5. explore, conserve and optimize the use of energy as an important resource for the living world

6. adopt a scientific way of life based on pragmatic observation and investigation of phenomena.

7. search for solutions to the problems of life recognizing the interaction of science, technology and other disciplines

Scope of Content

The content of the Senior High School Integrated Science syllabus covers the basic sciences and includes topics in Health, Agriculture and Industry. The course has been designed to offer a body of knowledge and skills to meet the requirements of everyday living and also provide adequate foundation for the study of other subjects and for those who wish to pursue further education and training in science related vocations. Specific issues covered are the following: 1. Science for all students 2. Science as an active inquiry process 3. Science and the satisfaction of individual needs 4. Science as a profession 5. Science and culture. The approach in this revised syllabus is based on themes that students can relate to in their everyday experiences, and to commonly observed phenomena in nature. The basic aim is to enable students to appreciate the links between seemingly different scientific topics and hence help them to be able to integrate ideas from various scientific sources. The five themes chosen for this subject are: Diversity of matter, Cycles, Systems, Energy and Interactions These themes encompass a core body of concepts in both the life and physical sciences. This body of concepts has been chosen because it provides a broad based understanding of the environment, and will help build a foundation upon which students can rely for further study.