Developing and implementing an Einsteinian science curriculum from Years 3 to 10 : Part A Concepts, rationale and learning outcomes

TL;DR

This paper introduces a modern Einsteinian science curriculum for Years 3 to 10, aiming to bridge the gap between school science education and contemporary scientific understanding, with positive initial implementation results.

Contribution

It develops and implements a seamless curriculum introducing Einsteinian physics concepts across primary and middle school levels, filling a significant educational gap.

Findings

Curriculum implemented in six Australian schools

315 students participated across Years 3 to 10

Foundation laid for improved understanding of modern science

Abstract

There has been a growing realisation that school science curricula do not adequately reflect the revolutionary changes in our scientific understanding of the 20th century. This discrepancy between current school education and our modern scientific understanding has led to calls for the modernisation of the science curriculum. Although there have been attempts to introduce topics of Einsteinian physics (i.e., quantum physics and relativity) to school education, often at the secondary level, we still lack a seamless curriculum in which modern science concepts are gradually introduced in primary and middle schools. Guided by the Model of Educational Reconstruction and following a mixed-methods research design, the Einstein-First project aims to address this gap. Einstein-First has developed and implemented an Einsteinian curriculum from Years 3 to 10 (students aged 7- 16) that resolves the disconnect between science in schools and the modern world. This paper presents the concepts, rationale, and learning outcomes of the curriculum implementation in six Australian schools with 315 students across Years 3 to 10. Our findings lay the foundation for informed curriculum development towards a school education that can enhance students' understanding and appreciation of the fundamental concepts of modern science and its impact on our society.