Inclusion in Science Education

Essential Learning (EL) guides science teaching in the Portuguese education system by shaping the selection and application of scientific knowledge. This study comparatively analyses 12th-grade EL in Physics and Chemistry, identifying convergences and divergences in the History of Science, socio-scientific issues, STEM orientation and inclusive approaches, with particular attention to gender. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, based on documentary analysis of official curriculum texts. The results reveal differences in the operationalisation of shared curricular principles: Chemistry emphasises socio-scientific contextualisation and argumentation, while Physics adopts a more formal, technocentric approach. Although EL does not constitute a normative barrier to inclusion, these differences have implications for teaching practice, calling for deliberate pedagogical choices that support equitable science education and scientific literacy.