Special Initiatives in Mathematics and Science Education
The Ministry of Education and the National Science Council convened the First National Congress on Science Education on December 20–21, 2002. The congress committee was composed of experts in mathematics and science education. Based on committee consensus, the ministry published the White Paper on Science Education, aiming to improve science education and related policies in Taiwan.20 Education reform since 2002, including policies on teacher education and the General Guidelines of the Grades 1 to 9 Curriculum of Elementary and Junior High School Education, has had a major impact on science and mathematics education in Taiwan in the last decade. A dramatically decreasing birth rate and changing economic structure in Taiwan has caused a new wave of education reform. The Twelve Year National Education Program aims to cultivate students’ science and mathematics literacies through revisions to the current curriculum. The new curriculum framework for Grades 1 to 12 includes policies such as reducing the credit hours of compulsory science and mathematics courses and providing more optional integrated science and mathematics courses in senior high school. These new policies have brought challenges to the education system in Taiwan, affecting both preservice and in-service teacher education and techniques of educational evaluation.