What are students expected to know? Comparing the intended integrated science curricula across 12 European countries

Comparing the content of intended integrated science curricula across Europe provides valuable insights for countries seeking to design or reform integrated science curricula, a task that remains complex and challenging in many countries for curriculum designers. This study presents a new approach to comparing integrated science curricula across 12 European countries, focusing on common topic areas, topics, and the types of knowledge emphasized. It examines innovatively how closely the knowledge aligns with students’ everyday experiences. The findings show that integrated science curricula share many similarities with non-integrated ones, particularly in content. Biology features the most topics, offering greater diversity than physics or chemistry, and tends to include factual and conceptual knowledge closely tied to students’ lives. A key finding is the strong emphasis on the Nature of Science domain and the promotion of scientific thinking, especially through experimental activities. Additionally, some countries are moving toward transdisciplinary, STEAM-oriented curricula by incorporating complex, socially relevant topics.