In search of a meaningful relationship: an exploration of some issues relating to integration in science and science education

The long‐running debate about the desirability of separate courses in biology, chemistry and physics versus the merits of integrated science, co‐ordinated science or combined science, the case for ‘balanced’ science within a Science for All programme, and the unresolved question of ‘process’ versus ‘product’ orientation in science curriculum design each relates to fundamental philosophical problems concerning the nature of science and scientific practice and to issues concerning the goals and practice of science education. This article examines the philosophical validity of claims for the conceptual and methodological integration of the sciences and explores the possibilities for constructing coherent science courses based on alternative integrating elements rooted in educational theory.