The rationale for the inclusion of science in the years 7-10 syllabus is to provide students with an understanding of the biological, physical and technological world. It also equips students with the knowledge required for them to be scientifically literate and thus make ethical decisions about their local and global world (BOS, 2003).
Biology in stage 6 Science (BOS, 2009) provides students with a deeper understanding of the subject ‘Biology.’ Thus, unlike the years 7-10 syllabus, the stage 6 Biology syllabus delivers more specific biology-related content to students and helps students realize their responsibility, as human beings, to protect and conserve our environment considering the contemporary views of biology (BOS, 2009).
The science years 7-10 syllabus is aimed at offering students learning experiences that are more general and encompass subjects in the larger scheme of science; whereas, the biology stage 6 syllabus provides learning experiences, which are more specific to biology in terms of its provision of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values (BOS, 2003, 2009).
Comparing the objectives in the Science years 7-10 syllabus (BOS, 2003), the Biology stage 6 syllabus (BOS, 2009) has additional components in the knowledge and understanding domain, such as cell ultrastructure and processes, biological diversity and mechanisms of inheritance and biological evolution. The component ‘environmental interactions’ in the Biology stage 6 syllabus (BOS, 2009) is similar to the component ‘interactions within the physical world, matter, the living world and Earth and space’. In addition, the Biology stage 6 syllabus (BOS, 2009) does not include the component ‘models, theories and laws, and structures and systems related to the physical world, matter, the living world, and Earth and space’ present in the Science years 7-10 syllabus (BOS, 2003).
Module 8.3 in the NSW syllabus is ‘Patterns in Nature’ (BOS, 2009). This module draws on the stage 5 syllabus topics on cell theory (5.8.1), and humans (5.8.4) (BOS, 2003). In the former topic, the students have previously understood that systems serve the needs of cells (BOS, 2003); whereas when they reach stage 6, they begin to understand the hierarchical arrangement of cells in biological systems and its functions, such as respiration, excretion etc. It also describes the structural and functional similarities and differences of biological systems across a range of life forms (BOS, 2009).
The Science, years 7-10 syllabus uses fewer verbs, such as identify, explain and describe, to elucidate what the students are expected to learn (BOS, 2003). The Biology stage 6 syllabus uses a range of verbs, such as identify, distinguish, explain and describe (BOS, 2009) in describing what the students are expected to learn. In addition, the skills in module 8.3 in the Stage 6 syllabus (BOS, 2009) require many more first-hand investigations to be performed as compared to the Science, years 7-10 syllabus (BOS, 2003).
Board of Studies. (2003). Science Years 7-10 Syllabus. NSW: Board of studies. Retrieved from http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_sc/pdf_doc/science-syllabus-7-10.pdf
Board of Studies. (2009). Biology Stage 6 Syllabus. NSW: Board of studies. Retrieved from http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/biology-st6-syl-from2010.pdf
