A case study of a national science curriculum and teacher conflict

The issues described in this paper are part of a larger interpretive study which analysed the context of secondary science teaching in Costa Rica. The focus was on 18 secondary science teachers and Costa Rica’s highly centralized system of education which mandates and enforces a science programme that is oriented towards the needs of university‐bound students. The study indicates that science teachers’ beliefs about science teaching and learning do not always fit the mandates of the educational system, thereby creating a conflict between beliefs and practices. The idea of conflict between teachers’ beliefs and their practices is not unique to Costa Rica. Many secondary science teachers face similar conflicts between society’s expectations and the resources available to meet them. The issue of conflict is a significant problem to which science educators and educational policy makers in many nations need to give greater attention.