Comparative Study Of STSE Contents In Junior High School Physics Textbooks Between China And America

STSE means Science,Technology,Society and Environment.STSE education emphasizes the mutual relationship among Science,Technology,Society and Environment.STSE education,as a new paradigm of science education,aims to guide students to understand the complex relationship among science,technology,society and environment,so as to form correct scientific attitude,scientific world outlook and values,and grow into talents with good scientific literacy.Physics textbooks contain a large number of STSE education contents,which are related to the cultivation of teenagers’ scientific attitude,scientific world view and social responsibility.In this study,physics textbooks for junior high school published by People’s Education Press of China and the physics parts(Sound and Light,Electricity and Magnetism,Motion,Forces and Energy)in Science Explorer series,a mainstream science textbook in the United States were selected as research samples.This research refers to the analysis checklist about STSE content of science textbook,which developed by Florbela m.calado et al in 2015.Firstly,this checklist is used to make a macro-comparison and analyze about STSE contents in Chinese and American junior middle school physics textbooks.On this basis,we combined with Constructivism Theory,Humanistic Theory,Sociology of Science,Environmental Ethics,Social Reproduction,Situated Learning and other related theories for micro-analysis.After comparative study,the following conclusions are drawn:(1)both textbooks pay great attention to the "history current" and present a large number of science and technology events;However,the social contextualisation of science and technology events in the Americantextbook is relatively lacking.(2)both textbooks pay more attention to the impact of science on technology,but ignore the impact of technology on science;The Chinese textbook makes no distinction between science and technology,and the American edition has a more serious misconception that technology is applied science.(3)both textbooks pay too much attention to the practical value brought by science and technology,and there are few negative effects and limitations of science and technology;However,the cost consciousness in American textbooks is stronger than that in Chinese edition,which helps students to realize that these scientific and technological processes are,to some extent,restricted by society.(4)Environmental education is lacking in American textbooks;The content of environment education in Chinese textbooks is more abundant,but it presents a kind of anthropocentric concept of nature.(5)the controversial scientific and technological issues in both editions are insufficient: the Chinese edition pays more attention to social and economic interests,and lacks political and personal considerations.while the American edition is closer to life and worth learning from.(6)neither textbook fully reflects citizens’ participation in decision-making.On this basis,this paper puts forward some Suggestions from two dimensions,including suggestions for the writers of physics textbooks and the physics teachers in junior middle schools in China.