Throughout my PURE term this summer I have done lots of research on critical science literacy, its merits and ways in which teachers can help students to develop its associated competencies. I understand how it is useful and why teachers should strive to help students be more critical of science. Knowing the importance of critical science literacy and given that I will be a teacher in Alberta, I decided to look through several of the Alberta science programs of study to see whether critical literacy competencies are listed as outcomes for students to achieve in the curriculum. What I found was quite interesting.
In the Grade 1-6 Science document I found an explicit mention of critical literacy competencies as an outcome for Grades 5 and 6 only. In the Attitudes Outcomes applied across all five units of study students are expected to apply “critical-mindedness in examining evidence and determining what the evidence means” (Alberta Education, 2015, p.28,34). These are the only explicit mentions of critical literacy competencies. In Grade 1,2,3,& 4 there are implicit descriptions of critical literacy competencies, students are expected to ask questions which lead to exploration and look for multiple solutions to problems (Alberta Education, 2015), both of which are fundamental to inquiry and help with the development of critical literacy competencies.
In the Grade 7-8-9 Science document I found explicit mentions of critical literacy slightly more frequently than in the Grade 1-6 Science document. A goal described at the beginning of the document which applies across all three grades is to “prepare students to critically address science related societal, economic, ethical and environmental issues” (p. 2, Alberta Education, 2014). Another goal for all three grades is for students to “evaluate ideas through critical examination of evidence” (p. 8, Alberta Education, 2014). There were only explicit mentions of critical science literacy in individual grade outcomes in one unit of study per grade level (see summary). The other units of study described critical literacy competencies implicitly rather than explicitly.
In the Science 10 document one of the goals laid out at the beginning of the document follows the goal of Grade 7-8-9 Science to “prepare students to critically address science related societal, economic, ethical and environmental issues” (Alberta Education, 2016, p.2). Similar to Grade 7-8-9 Science, in only one unit was critical literacy explicitly described as an attitude outcome (see summary ). However, in addition to critical literacy being described as an attitude outcome, the same unit explicitly described critical literacy in explaining a concept outcome (see summary). In addition to these explicit descriptions of critical literacy, it is also implicitly described in the attitude outcomes for all units.
In the Science 14-24 and the Science 20-30 document a goal is once again to “prepare students to critically address science related societal, economic, ethical and environmental issues” (Alberta Education, 2016, p.1; Alberta Education, 2016, p.2). In Science 14 critical science literacy competencies are mentioned explicitly in three of the four unit’s attitude outcomes while in Science 24, it is only explicitly mentioned once (see summary). There are no other implicit mentions of critical science literacy competencies in the attitude outcomes of the other units in both Science 14 and Science 24.
In the Science 20-30 document critical literacy competencies aren’t mentioned explicitly in any of the units however for both Science 20 and Science 30 there is a section on inquiry which describes many critical literacy competencies (see summary).
Across all the curriculums, most of the mentions whether explicit or implicit are in a section about attitude outcomes rather than concept outcomes. This is good because the use of critical literacy competencies, while a skill also requires a certain mindset and attitude to be obtained so labelling them as such is practical. However, in future curriculum updates I do think it would be useful to include explicit mentions of critical literacy competencies beyond just the attitudes outcomes as is done in Unit D of Science 10 when it is discussed in relation to a concept outcome. With a goal across almost all of the curriculum being to prepare students to critically address issues it is clear that the Alberta science curriculum does place value in critical literacy competencies which is a good thing.
References:
Alberta Education. (2015). Science grade 1-6 [Program of studies]
Alberta Education. (2014). Science grades 7-8-9 [Program of studies]
Alberta Education. (2016). Science 10 [Program of studies]
Alberta Education. (2016). Science 14-24 [Program of studies]
Alberta Education. (2016). Science 20-30 [Program of studies]