A Comparative Study On Science Curriculum Standards In Malaysia And China

Along with the growth of science and technology, scientific and technological strength has become one of the major indexes of global competition among countries. Education, especially science education has always been considered as the foundation of competitiveness, is unfortunately reduced to the tool of a nation to enhance its competitiveness. Since then, the aims of education have been distorted and the wholeness of the student has been neglected. The rise of the holistic education in the late seventies of last century criticizes the distorted education purposes and called upon the turning of education to aim at fostering a whole person.The main focus of holistic education is on six pair of connections. This study uses these connections as the analytical framework to compare the differences and similarities between the Junior High School Science Curriculum Standards in Compulsory Education (2011 edition) of China and the Junior High School Science Curriculum Standards of Independent Chinese School in Malaysia on reflecting the holistic thoughts in both curriculum. The study attempts to explore the possibilities of bridging science education with humanistic education in the hopes of breaking free from the instrumentalism. The conclusions of the study are as follow:China’s Science Curriculum Standard has a relatively high completeness on reflecting the relationships among various domains of knowledge and relationship to the earth, while the Malaysia Independent Chinese School’s Science Curriculum Standard has a higher completeness on reflecting the relationship between mind and body and our relationships to our souls. Relationship between linear thinking and intuition and relationship between the individual and community have been equally shown in both standards. There are strength and weaknesses in both standards which can become references for each other.