Journal of Research in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education

Science Education under a Totalitarian Theocracy:  Analyzing the ISIS Primary Curriculum

Patrice Potvin 1 * ,
Marianne Bissonnette 1,
Chirine Chamsine 1,
Marie-Hélène Bruyère 1,
Mohamed Amine Mahhou 1,
Olivier Arvisais 1,
Patrick Charland 1,
Stéphane Cyr 1,
Vivek Venkatesh 2
1 Université du Québec à Montréal 2 Concordia University* Corresponding Author
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Journal of Research in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, Volume 2, Issue 3, September 2019, pp. 179-200
OPEN ACCESS VIEWS: 1127 DOWNLOADS: 475 Publication date: 15 Oct 2019
ABSTRACT
We conducted an unprecedented analysis of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) primary school science curriculum. The research question focuses on the general scientific quality of the five documents examined, the integration of religious content and the possible tensions between science and religion that result from including such material in the corpus. This content analysis also focuses on the ideological/political agenda that supports its content and structure. Conclusions argue that the ISIS science curriculum appears to be committed to an  absolutist/theocratic ideological program that, among other things, promotes a very inadequate concept of scientific activity and content. Recommendations about secularization and the reconstruction of post -ISIS education systems are formulated.
KEYWORDS
Curriculum, Science, Religion, ISIS.
CITATION (APA)
Potvin, P., Bissonnette, M., Chamsine, C., Bruyère, M.-H., Mahhou, M. A., Arvisais, O., Charland, P., Cyr, S., & Venkatesh, V. (2019). Science Education under a Totalitarian Theocracy:  Analyzing the ISIS Primary Curriculum. Journal of Research in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 2(3), 179-200. https://doi.org/10.31756/jrsmte.233
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