RESPONSIVENESS OF NCERT SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS AT THE SECONDARY STAGE TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS AND ISSUES

Abstract

The science curriculum at the secondary stage is of great significance in the way that many of the students might not be opting for science at the senior secondary level. Consequently, the secondary science curriculum should help learners develop an attitude which could not only help build a sense of scientific enquiry in whatever they do in their lives but also sensitises them towards their own environment. The curriculum should offer them experiences that could make them responsible for their own activities and empower them to critically look at others’ activities from the perspective of environment. Also, considering the present degrading environmental conditions and the relation between science and environment, the secondary science curriculum should provide learners with ample opportunities to engage meaningfully with contemporary issues and concerns related to environment. As the textbooks are one of the most widely used representations of the curriculum, the present research paper attempts to present a critical analysis of the secondary science NCERT textbooks for its responsiveness towards environmental issues and concerns.