Primary natural science curriculum in Macao all along used teaching materials produced in Hong Kong and, as a result, lacks local characteristics. Official localized curriculum first appeared when the educational governing bodies in Macao published the first natural science curriculum in 1996. Although the curriculum was revised in June of 1999, an analysis of its content structure still showed a clear lack of detailed research into subject content, experiences from other advanced countries or regions were seldom referenced; these factors all contributed to the lack of futuristic curriculum content, rather lose structure, and resulted in students may not be able to learn the essential intellectual and emotional abilities that were the essence of natural science education. The purpose of this research is to vertically coordinate the mainstream natural science teaching materials within the field of primary school general studies and the primary natural science curriculum published by the Education and Youth Affairs Department of Macao in June of 1996 and subsequently revised in 1999, and horizontally compare primary science curriculum and teaching materials in advanced countries and regions of the world, in order to explore the best possible strategy to arrange natural science curriculum contents within the field of primary school general studies in Macao, and to raise constructive suggestions on how to build the content structure of primary natural science curriculum in Macao. The research uses comparative studies and in-depth discussion with teachers as the main research methods. A review of existing literatures first exposed the nature and connotation of science education, and according to literatures describes the development of nature science curriculum in the United States, Japan, United Kingdom, China, China Taiwan, China Hong Kong, etc., and theoretically analysis the developmental trends in contemporary science teaching materials. A comparison of primary school curriculum standards, regulations and main contents in Macao, United States, Japan, United Kingdom, China, China Taiwan and China Hong Kong was made to further analysis relevant scientific concepts, and after considering the analysis of this research and references provided by general studies teachers in Macao, suggestions to advance the structure of natural science curriculum were raised. The research showed that: 1. The overall direction of the existing curriculum published by the Education and Youth Affairs Department was clear, but the content structure can still be improved. 2. The existing natural science teaching materials being used primary schools failed to supplement the unique pluralistic social chrematistics in Macao. 3. Teachers were narrowly focused in meeting the teaching schedules, teaching process was often in the form of reading texts from the textbook and rigidly following prescribed teaching plans, exploratory scientific teaching processes were rarely implemented. 4. The arrangement of the curriculum and its contents did not focus on development positive scientific values among students; this may have negative effect on the formation of their future development in the field of science. The following suggestion were raised after abovementioned research and analysis: 1. To meets the needs of the pluralistic society in Macao, the values in choosing contents within primary science curriculum should be more focused on multi-cultural issues, life-long education and the development of scientific quality. 2. The quality of science education can be enhanced when new science curriculum and teaching materials are developed. 3.Scientifie inquiry in science should be used as the underpinning concept for the design of science curriculum, the arrangement of teaching materials and the implementation of teaching activities. 4. Both vertical and horizontal integration concerns have to be addressed whilst designing the overall curriculum, such that the effectiveness of curriculum integration can supplement the content of other general studies subjects. 5. Teaching materials need to be more interesting and closer to real-life situations.

澳門小學科學課程一直院沿用香港教材,欠缺本土特色。直至1996 年首份由澳門教育當局制定的自然科學大網的出現,才有正式的本土課程。該套大綱雖於1999 年 6 月作過修改,然而,分析其內容架構,顯然未對學科內容作充分的研究,亦少有參照其他先進國家或地區的經驗,使得課程內容欠缺前瞻性,結構亦相對材散,學生可能未能就此學到科學教育要培養的心智能力。 本研究的目的,是以縱向梳理澳門小學常識科內科學部分主流教材以及澳門教育暨青年局 1996 年6 月印發並於 1999 年作修改的「小學自然科學課程大綱」為經,以橫向比較世界各先進圖家及地區小學科學課程大網及教材為緯,並搜集有關論述小學科學或科技教育的文獻作理論依據,探討當前澳門小學常識科內科 學課程內容應如何編排,並提出構建澳門小學科學內容組織結構的建議。 本研究通過文獻探討、比較研究、內容分析、以及與教師訪談方式進行。首先在通過文獻綜述探討科學教育的內涵及本質，再根據文獻探討陳述美國、日本、英國、中國、台灣、香港及本澳小學科學課程的發展。進而從理念精神上分析當前科學教材的發展取向。并且將本澳、美國、日本、英國、中國、台灣、香港之小學課程標準、或規定、或主要內容,在相關科學概念上做一分析比較,最後參考文本分析和本澳一些小學常識科教師提供的資料,對本澳小學科學課程的架構提出建議。 本研究結果顯示: 一.現行教育當局的大綱整體方向清晰,但內容和架構尚存需改進之處； 二.現時小學所用的科學教材未能配合澳門多元社會的特點 ; 三.教師為追趕教學進度而疲於奔命,照本宣讀教科書和刻板地執行教案的情況尤為常見,甚少進行以探究活動為核心的科學教學過程。 四.課程及內容的安排並無注意培養學生正確的科學態度,日後將影響其科學素養的形成。 經研究和分析上述各點,研究者提出以下建議 : 一. 配合澳門多元社會的特點,小學科學課程內容選擇應更多地體現多元化、全民教育及科學素養的價值取向。 二.在開發新的科學課程及教材的同時,科學教育的品質亦應提升； 三.科學課程的設計、教材安排及教學活動應落實以科學探究為取向的理念; 四.整體的課程設計要照顧縱向以及橫向聯繫,並與其他學科互相配合,予以統整,發揮整體的成效。 五.教材內容要趣味化及貼近生活。