Beyond the Nomenclature: An Empirical Investigation of Senior Secondary Students’ Awareness of Family and Community Sciences under NEP 2020

Abstract

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 through National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023 has repositioned Home Science as Family and Community Sciences (FCS), classifying it within Group 3 as an Interdisciplinary Area for secondary stage learners. The discipline covers diverse field and its awareness in students demands an analysis. This quantitative empirical study examines how senior secondary students enrolled in the subject comprehend this transition across four specific dimensions: Curricular Scope, Scientific and Technical Basis, Career and Professional Fields, and Educational and Vocational Pathways. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was administered to N = 400 senior secondary students (Class XI, n = 214; Class XII, n = 186; 384 females, 16 male) across schools in Delhi. Data were collected via a validated 15-item Awareness Inventory evaluated on a three-point scale (Yes, No, Not Sure). Findings demonstrate an awareness gap: while conceptual recognition of curricular breadth (78.2%) and applied scientific foundations (71.8%) remains high, procedural awareness of higher education entrance protocols, professional certifications, and institutional vocational tracks drops sharply, with 58.5% indicating uncertainty or an outright lack of knowledge. The study suggests that there is a need to outline and embed procedural career roadmaps directly into secondary textbooks and institutional guidance frameworks.