The SECURE Project Research on Science Curricula and Teachers’ and Learners’Opinions on Science Education

The SECURE project has been founded under the 7th Framework Programme to make a significant contribution to the European knowledge-based society by providing relevant research data and translate them into recommendations that contribute to the public debates on mathematics, science and technology (MST) curricula and their objectives in view of balancing the needs between training future scientists and broader societal needs. A rigorous research program conducted by the SECURE consortium scrutinizes and compares current MST curricula for pupils aged 5,8,11 and 13 in ten member states, as they are intended by the authorities (legal documents), implemented by the teachers and perceived by the learners. The research at all three levels is designed in accordance to the curricular spider web (van den Akker, 2003). The instruments used to this end consist of a transnational comparative screening instrument for MST curricula, as well as teacher and learner questionnaires and interview protocols. Research in altogether 150 classes of each age has been done by the middle of the project lifetime. Currently the elaboration of summaries of national curricula documents takes place and the analysis of the school collection data at the national level is carried on. The results will be delivered in the last six months of the project lifetime.