Science curricula for ages 11-12 in developing Asian education systems: A comparative analysis of India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand
Abstract
This paper presents a qualitative comparative analysis of the intended science curricula for students aged approximately 11-12 in six developing Asian education systems: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand. Drawing on official curriculum documents, international assessment data used as contextual evidence, and relevant policy and research literature, the study examines historical reform trajectories, curriculum structure and content, prescribed pedagogical approaches, and reported implementation conditions. The findings indicate partial convergence in official curriculum priorities, particularly around scientific literacy, inquiry, scientific processes, competency development, and connections between science and everyday life. These shared priorities are nevertheless organized through distinct national structures, including integrated subjects, standards-based frameworks, spiral progression, and interdisciplinary arrangements. Evidence concerning classroom enactment is more limited, heterogeneous, and unevenly distributed across the six systems. Country-specific studies identify possible implementation constraints related to teacher preparation, instructional resources, assessment, language, and geographical inequality, but the available evidence does not establish that these conditions occur with equal prevalence or intensity in every country. The comparison also identifies distinctive features of the intended curricula, including Indonesia’s integrated IPAS model, India’s constructivist framework, Malaysia’s STEM orientation, Pakistan’s effort to establish common standards, the Philippines’ spiral progression model, and Thailand’s attention to the nature of science. The study concludes that curriculum design and implementation support should be evaluated together through country-specific evidence rather than through uniform cross-national policy prescriptions.