  There has been a growing realisation that school science curricula do not
adequately reflect the revolutionary changes in our scientific understanding of
the 20th century. This discrepancy between current school education and our
modern scientific understanding has led to calls for the modernisation of the
science curriculum. Although there have been attempts to introduce topics of
Einsteinian physics (i.e., quantum physics and relativity) to school education,
often at the secondary level, we still lack a seamless curriculum in which
modern science concepts are gradually introduced in primary and middle schools.
Guided by the Model of Educational Reconstruction and following a mixed-methods
research design, the Einstein-First project aims to address this gap.
Einstein-First has developed and implemented an Einsteinian curriculum from
Years 3 to 10 (students aged 7- 16) that resolves the disconnect between
science in schools and the modern world. This paper presents the concepts,
rationale, and learning outcomes of the curriculum implementation in six
Australian schools with 315 students across Years 3 to 10. Our findings lay the
foundation for informed curriculum development towards a school education that
can enhance students' understanding and appreciation of the fundamental
concepts of modern science and its impact on our society.
