Introduction

Trend Defined

According to an online oxford dictionary a trend a general direction in which something is developing or
changing also taken from a business dictionary a trend is considered a pattern of gradual change in a
condition, output, or process, or an average or general tendency of a series of data points to move in a
certain direction over time. (oxforddictionaries.com)

Science Defined

Science is referred to as; the systematic study of the nature and behaviour of the material and physical
universe, based on observation, experiment, and measurement, and the formulation of laws to describe
these facts in general terms; the knowledge so obtained or the practice of obtaining it can also be
defined as the investigation of natural phenomena through observation, theoretical explanation, and
experimentation, or the knowledge produced by such investigation. Science makes use of the scientific
method, which includes the careful observation of natural phenomena, the formulation of a hypothesis,
the conducting of one or more experiments to test the hypothesis, and the drawing of a conclusion that
confirms or modifies the hypothesis. (dictionary.com)

Nature of science

The American association for the advancement of science in the year 1990 postulated; that over the
course of human history, people have developed many interconnected and validated ideas about the
physical, biological, psychological, and social worlds. Those ideas have enabled successive generations to
achieve an increasingly comprehensive and reliable understanding of the human species and its
environment. The means used to develop these ideas are particular ways of observing, thinking,
experimenting, and validating. These ways represent a fundamental aspect of the nature of science and
reflect how science tends to differ from other modes of knowing.

Six Trends of Science

 Person’s perception of Science; that leads to Marginalization.

 Nations Vision for Science ( research)

  Gender choices of Science

 Input: Government funding and Teachers Training

 Process: Instructional Methods of Science

 Output: Student performance at Examinations

TRENDS OF SCIENCE IN THE WORLD

The United Nations recognize that science, technology, and innovation are essential components of
effective strategies and programs for reducing poverty and its many associated problems. Effective
solutions to address these challenges can be identified and implemented only through the active
participation of the international community of scientists, engineers, and medical experts. The official of
the UN also mentioned that it is critical to ensure that appropriate international networks are in place to
enable all nations to share their experiences and best practices. The transfer of scientific, technological,
and innovative capacity should be encouraged not only between the industrialized and developing
countries, but also among the nations of the developing world. Assuring good connectivity to the
Internet by all scientists and academic institutions is a vital component of this knowledge sharing for
capacity building Recognize that, to enable developing countries to pursue the evidence-based policies
required to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, they will need sound mechanisms and essential
infrastructure for applying scientific and technological knowledge to national problem solving. National
leadership is required to establish the needed mechanisms, as well as to foster a social and economic
climate in which the application of current best information and the production of new knowledge can
be successfully applied to each nation’s needs.

In the next century, scientists will be able to monitor processes occurring in our body and in the outside
world on a range of time and space scales, and embracing a complexity, never before countenanced.
These techniques will enable us to explore the big questions of the cosmos, the environment, and who
and what we are. But to be successful, science research will need to be more multidisciplinary, more
tractable to paradigm shifts, and more integrated with society. It will also need to be staffed by
imaginative and articulate scientists who are adequately resourced. There is a need for more attention
to be paid to public understanding of science, increasing funding through spin-off companies, and a far
tighter structuring to scientific careers. (Susan Greenfield, 2003)
China

China is a country that attaches great importance to science education even so, in antiquity,
independently of other civilizations, ancient Chinese philosophers made significant advances in science,
technology, mathematics, and astronomy. Traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture and herbal
medicine were also practiced. Among the earliest inventions were the abacus, the "shadow clock," and
the first items such as Kongming lanterns. The Four Great Inventions: the compass, gunpowder,
papermaking, and printing, were among the most important technological advances, only known in
Europe by the end of the Middle Ages. The Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906) in particular, was a time of great
innovation. A good deal of exchange occurred between Western and Chinese discoveries up to the Qing
Dynasty. (Inventions (Pocket Guides)

Further, more than three decades ago China's reforming leader, Deng Xiaoping, began economic
reforms which would transform the world in the 21st century as China emerged as a global economic
superpower. The centerpiece of the strategy was science and technology as Deng believed these would
be the means to transform a poor agricultural country into an affluent nation. Thanks to his vision, China
is now the second-largest economy in the world after the United States. (Suwatchai Songwanich, 2013)

Suwatchai Songwanich also highlighted that; time would seem to be on China's side. While American
students are slipping in the world rankings for science and mathematics, China's students are rising.
Moreover, science is still popular among students in China, whereas it attracts only a tiny fraction of
young American graduates. Deng Xiaoping's early vision was for the transformation of an agricultural-
based society into an industrial society, with the support of science and technology. The government is
also offering strong inducements for Chinese people to return under its "One Thousand Talents"
programme.

In addition, Suwatchai Songwanich mentioned; in another sign that China is serious about moving into
the top slot for science, the number of quality scientific papers coming out of the country - measured by
how often they are cited in other studies - is growing exponentially. China already produces more
natural science and engineering research papers than the US, which is overall the biggest producer of
scientific reports in the world. Based on current trends, China will publish the most papers in all
scientific fields by 2015.
India

Science in India is on the move in a big way. The government has initiated multibillion dollar investments
to kick start research, education, and innovation over the next five years. Though several challenging
issues remain for the country, India’s best and brightest expats living in the United States and Europe
are being enticed back to ‘Mother India’ with the promise of world-class research infrastructure and
solid funding. In early 2013, India’s government announced an ambitious science, technology, and
innovation funding protocol: in the next five years, double its investment in science and technology and,
by 2020, drive India’s output of scientific publications to be among the top five nations globally. “The
government is going to inject $5 billion into science and technology over the next five years,” says C.N.R.
Rao, the founder of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) and
chairman of the Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. “This doubles the investment to-date
from 1% to 2% of GDP.” This increase in funding is aimed at creating jobs, educating technical leaders,
and improving the quality of science in this country of 1.2 billion people, he notes. (Adarsh Sandhu)

USA

The United States came into being around the Age of Enlightenment (circa 1680 to 1800), a period in
which writers and thinkers rejected the superstitions of the past. Instead, they emphasized the powers
of reason and unbiased inquiry, especially inquiry into the workings of the natural world. Enlightenment
philosophers envisioned a "republic of science," where ideas would be exchanged freely and useful
knowledge would improve the lot of all citizens.

A 2009 study found that U.S. students ranked 25th among 34 countries in math and science, behind
nations like China, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong and Finland. Figures like these have groups like
Students First, headed by former D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee, concerned and calling for
reforms to "our education system [that] can't compete with the rest of the world."

Based on 2002 data, the amount spent on research and development (R&D) by European nations as a
whole and by Asian nations as a whole nearly matched the amount spent in North America, which
represents a significant expansion of R&D expenditures in Europe and Asia. “The R&D enterprise is
becoming more of a shared enterprise,” said Sullivan, with “greater competency, greater depth, and
greater expenditures in more regions now than ever before in history.” However, there have been some
notable exceptions to the general increase in R&D expenditures outside the United States. Japanese
expenditures, for example, which increased dramatically in earlier years, stagnated in the early 2000s.

In 1980, approximately 31 percent of the people in the world with education beyond high school lived in
the United States. By 2000, that number was down to 27 percent. During that period, China’s share of
the total increased from 5.4 to 10.8 percent, while Japan’s share dropped from 9.9 percent to 6.4
percent. The United States still has a greater absolute number of people with college education than any
other country, but Asian countries as a whole are rapidly increase their percentage of the total.

Similarly, universities in the United States still award more doctoral degrees in the natural sciences and
engineering than those in any other country—a total of more than 20,000 in 2005. However, the
number awarded in China has grown very rapidly since the early 1990s, while the number of Ph.D.s
awarded in other countries has been stable or slowly rising.

Regional trends

The Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC)

The Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination is offered in January for re-sit and
private candidates and in May/June for in-school candidates and private candidates.

CSEC subjects are examined for certification at the General and Technical Proficiencies. The General and
Technical Proficiencies provide students with the foundation for further studies and entry to the
workplace.

The Council now offers a total of 33 subjects, that is, 28 subjects at General Proficiency and 5 at
Technical Proficiency.

The six-point grading scheme reports on the performance of the candidate under six overall and profile
grades as follows:

Overall grades - I, II, III, IV, V, VI

Profile grades - A, B, C, D, E, F

The Council has advised tertiary institutions and Ministries of Education in participating territories that
Grades I – III at the General and Technical Proficiencies should be considered as satisfying the
matriculation requirement for four-year programmes at universities and entry requirement to
community colleges, teachers’ colleges and any tertiary institution offering post-secondary programmes
(CXC.ORG)

Trends of Science in Guyana

Education in Guyana is provided largely by the government of Guyana, through the Ministry of
Education and its arms in the ten different regions of the country. Guyana's education system is a legacy
from its time as British Guiana, and is similar to that of the other anglophone member states of the
Caribbean Community, which are affiliated to the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC). School
curricula, funding, standards and other policies are set by the central government and implemented
through the Ministry of Education and related agencies.

As one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, instruction in Guyana's schools makes little
or no use of instructional technologies such as interactive whiteboards or other multimedia tools.
 Indeed, many schools are short on basic resources, especially in the areas of science and technology,
and this sometimes puts students at a disadvantage when compared to their counterparts in the region.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Guyana)

Guyana trends of science

‘Students perception’ of Science causes them to marginalize the science subjects; according to statistics
this trend is evident in the Guyana’s education system. This observation can be made on the figures
presented below.

Table 1: Guyana's CSEC for the Science Subjects and Total Entries

YEAR GUYANA’S CSEC FOR THE SCIENCE SUBJECTS AND OTHER SUBJECTS
Total Integrated Science Biology Chemistry Physics
2002 42721 2607 1049 625 454

2003 44655 2781 1005 682 479

2004 45014 3012 1023 658 458

2005 45014 3535 1052 716 589

2006 48985 3222 1029 707 616

Average % of total 5.3 2.3 1.6 1.3
Entry
Graph 1 : Guyana's CSEC for the Science Subjects against Total Entries 2002-2006

250000

200000

150000
Series5
Series4
100000
Series3
Series2
50000
Series1

0
Total Integrated Biology Chemistry Physics
Science

YEAR GUYANA’S CSEC FOR THE SCIENCE SUBJECTS AND OTHER

SUBJECTS

In ones examination of the table and graph it can be seen clearly that Guyanese students that sit the
CSEC examination are opting for the other subjects rather than science. That has been the trend for a
five year period.

Obviously, ‘each nation has a vision’ for its science education system thus; the Ministry of Guyana
Science and Technology Strategies has made plans in 2005 which are as follows:

To develop appropriate activities in science and technology will be introduced to students from the
earliest levels. However, the Ministry will give special emphasis in this plan to improving the number
and quality of science and technology graduates from the secondary level and thereby increase the
number entering these fields at post secondary level. The following actions will be undertaken:

• Teaching of the separate sciences – biology, chemistry and physics for example will commence at
Grade 9 from 2009. This will allow for a steady increase of entries to CXC CSEC sciences to grow by 15%
annually over the next five years.

• Secondary schools will offer technical vocational subjects starting at Grade 9. Over the next five years,
60% of secondary schools will offer technical vocational subjects and the number of subject entries at
the CXC CSEC examination will grow by 15% annually.

• There will be a 10% per year increase in the supply of trained teachers in science and technology
education.

• The Ministry of Education will continue to support the biennial Regional and National Science,
Mathematics and Technology Fairs as well as the CARICOM Science Fair.

• A National Science and Technology Coordinator will be appointed in 2009 to oversee the
implementation of all aspects of the National Science and Technology Education Plan which he/she will
have the responsibility to craft in consultation with Science and Technology Institutions and experts.

• A mobile science laboratory will be established within the next three years to promote active learning
of science through on-the-job teacher training.

To encourage greater numbers of students and teachers pursuing science and technology education, the
following will be implemented as of 2009:

• All students writing CXC CSEC separate sciences and technical vocational subjects will be exempted
from paying subject entries for those subjects.

• Scholarships given to science and technology disciplines will grow by 10% in each year over the next
five years.

• Science and technology institutions will have designated open days for the public to appreciate the
various science and technology work undertaken by both staff and students as indicated.

• An integral part of the Careers Guidance Programme will be the promotion of science and technology.

• Utilization of the distance education mode of delivery of science and technology at all levels of the
education system.

• A quota system for training in the sciences and technology disciplines will be put in place at CPCE.
(Ministry of education)

The Guyana Government has been investing in science and technology and encouraging more students
to take studies in natural sciences, technology and mathematics as it values sciences and mathematics
as the main development tools for the country’s further advancement. (Guyana Association of Math and
Science teachers’ launched, OCTOBER 12, 2012 BY EDITOR)

Gender Choices of Science

As postulated by Dr. Kenneth Hunte the experience of female students out-performing their male
counter parts in the primary school system means that the girls will outnumber the in the selective
general secondary school system. More girls than boys will gain access to the CSEC examinations. It is
also observed in the school system there are more e females than males opting to peruse the sciences.
Government funding and Teachers Training

The Cyril Potter College of Education is a teacher training college in Guyana is government institution
that train teachers; even at the institution of training the trainee teachers rarely make science their
choice for specialization. This can be seen clearly from the succeeding information provided.

Table 2: Output of CPCE Science Graduates 2004-2008

YEAR CPCE SCIENCE GRADUATES BY LEVEL

EARLY CHILDHOOD PRIMARY SECONDARY

2004 0 5 17

2005 6 13 19

2006 0 22 9

2007 2 8 3

2008 1 35 15

TOTALS 9 115 107

From time to time the CPCE would have hundreds of teachers attending the instituting but only a few
would choose to specialize in science. Gathering from the table about there has been an increase in the
number of teacher specializing in science over that five year period.

YEA
Instructional Models of science

There were several problems associated with the teaching of science purely for acquisition of knowledge
because it led to a mis-representation of science. Teachers taught the knowledge (facts, concepts and
principles) of science in a dogmatic fashion. Schwab (1962) reported that to teach science as a ‘dogma’
would mis-represent the facts about the nature of scientific enquiry. This approach also creates an
undesirable tension between science as it is practiced, and science as it is presented in science
textbooks (Siegel, 1978). The teaching of science mainly for the acquisition of knowledge has also led to
the development of passivity, docile learning and dependence on teachers and textbooks instead of an
active learning in which lecturers and textbooks are challenged. This same principle motioned has been
considered on the Guyanese context.
Student Performance at Examinations

Table 2 : Student Performances at the CSEC Science Examinations

YEAR STUDENTS SCIENCE PERFORMANCE AT MAY JUNE CSEC

CSEC BIO. CSEC CHEM. CSEC PHY. CSEC INTE SCI.

GRADES (%) GRADES (%) GRADES (%) GRADES (%)

% % % % % % % %
1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3
2002 41.5 73.8 34.3 66.1 40.9 83.8 66.4 95.8

2003 52.7 80.3 52.5 89.8 52.2 90.0 70.5 96.0

2004 52.3 81.4 39.2 71.8 56.0 90.3 76.7 95.7

2005 61.9 86.5 58.4 87.9 55.5 89.0 80.0 97.7

2006 63.4 87.3 49.9 77.6 43.1 84.3 79.6 97.5

According to the table above there was a moderate increase in the percentage of passes in the
science subjects over that five year period which shows that there in positive change as it relate
to science education in Guyana. Integrated science has shown the most favorable percentage of
all of the sciences mentioned above.
 Table 4: UG Output of Pure and Agri. Science Graduates

YEAR OUT PUT OF PURE AND APPLIED SCIENCE

BIOLOGY CHEMISTRY PHYSICS AGRICULTURE

2003 12 3 0 19

2004 19 15 6 19

2005 18 10 0 11

2006 33 8 0 9

2007 36 11 0 19

There has been fluctuation of outputs in the sciences except biology which seems to have a sharp
increase of output for this five year period. Physics seemed to be an area that has not appealed to the
students.

Conclusion

In conclusion it can be seem that science has made good ‘strides’ in Guyana’s education system and as
such there is vast improvement in students selection of the science subjects and their performance ay
CSEC examination. These trends will aid in Guyana. Thus more effort and work in needed in the science
arena.
References

1. Hunte Kenneth Towards Effective Science Teaching,2008

2. (http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/trend)
3. (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/trend.html#ixzz0UFR1UHmQ)

4. ( Suwatchai Songwanich CEO Bangkok Bank (China) March 11, 2013 1:00 am

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/

Chinas-goal-is-to-be-a-leader-in-science-education-30201631.html,)

5. Ministry of Education Guyana, Developmental Stategy,2003

(Bookshelf ID: NBK26409 National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of
Medicine

8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD, 20894 USA Science and Science Education in the United States

CEO Bangkok Bank (China) March 11, 2013 1:00 am http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Chinas-

goal-is-to-be-a-leader-in-science-education-30201631.html,)

(http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/trend and
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/trend.html#ixzz0UFR1UHmQ)

( Science, technology, and innovation for achieving

United Nations Millennium Development Goals, A joint statement from international scientific,
engineering, and

medical organizations to the Heads of State and Government

meeting at the United Nations General Assembly, September

2005http://www.interacademycouncil.net/File.aspx?id=25448)