Evaluating the Impact of Science Curriculum on First-Grade Students' Science Literacy and Engagement

Globally, science education is undergoing significant transformation, particularly at the primary level, to ensure students receive the best foundational knowledge. Over the past decades, China has modernized its science education to develop students' scientific literacy through inquiry-based teaching. This study aims to assess the impacts of the 2017 primary science curriculum on students' science literacy and engagement in first-grade primary schools. A cross-sectional design was employed to collect data from first-grade students across 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, and 4 municipalities in China. The survey gathered 132,756 questionnaires, with 121,757 valid responses, resulting in an effective rate of 91.7%. Data analysis using SPSS version 25 revealed that the 2017 curriculum positively impacts science literacy, especially when students are actively engaged in hands-on activities. The study found that frequent science classes and interactive learning experiences were strongly correlated with higher literacy levels. However, traditional book-related activities had a weaker impact on literacy. Additionally, the curriculum significantly enhanced student engagement, particularly through fun and hands-on activities, while book-related engagement was less effective. These findings suggest that while traditional methods are important, they should be complemented with more interactive approaches to maximize literacy and engagement outcomes. The study is limited to first-grade students, as the 2017 curriculum was first implemented for this group. Future research should explore these findings across different grades and investigate ways to enhance the impact of book-related activities on science literacy.