Despite the recognized effectiveness of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), there are few examples of the development of a CURE-based course in a large-enrollment undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory. Herein, we describe the development and implementation of a series of undergraduate laboratory experiments centered…

The heterogendered cultural discourse that privileges heterosexuality and normalizes sexual and gender binaries damages the science knowledge and opportunities to engage in science learning that children experience in elementary school science. This article analyzes a typical science lesson on crayfish to show how the heterogendered obsession with…

A prominent feature of the Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd has been the renewed call for schools to become antiracist. What can be learnt from past unsuccessful attempts to implement antiracist education? Specific critiques of the antiracist movement made by prominent academics such as Paul Gilroy are worth…

The Region 2 Comprehensive Center (R2CC) supported the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) in developing new curriculum frameworks for mathematics, science, and English language arts (ELA). This partnership was formed because of 2019 legislation that mandated new statewide academic standards as well as new curriculum frameworks to inform…

The paper provides a first person account of participant evaluation research of curriculum innovation in a school serving students with profound learning difficulties. It describes how the aspirations of the school leadership team to introduce science, combined with advisory support, overcame the initial anxiety of teaching staff about teaching an…

This study responds to the demands of the rapidly changing landscape of education, the 21st century competencies and development of curriculum. Those competences are being interpreted all over the world resulting to differing curricular changes. In the Finnish National Core Curriculum 2016 they are presented as seven transversal competences that…

Project-Based Learning (PjBL) curricula offer unique opportunities for student engagement, yet they do not guarantee an engaging classroom. Furthermore, there has been little scholarly work on PjBL pedagogy that supports student engagement. This qualitative research study explores enactment of a PjBL Advanced Placement Physics 1 curriculum and the…

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Curriculum Development: Theory into Design.] Fifteen years ago, following recommendations from research on science education for prospective teachers and for students more broadly, "Physics and Everyday Thinking" introduced activities within an inquiry-based undergraduate physics course…

In science courses in general, but especially in first year chemistry classes, the amount of content that is delivered is often overwhelming and too complex for the student to easily cope with. Students not only have to gain knowledge in a variety of different fields, they also have to learn new laboratory skills and analytical techniques.…

First-year undergraduate curricula and their delivery should assist students in the transition from previous learning experiences to learning in higher education. However, the so-called articulation gap or discontinuity between secondary and higher education has been identified as a key structural curriculum problem for first-year success in South…

We have successfully developed a one-semester general chemistry course that meets the primary learning goals of the traditional two-semester sequence. It is appropriate for physical, life, and earth science majors. Since implementation, 88% of students who start general chemistry complete it, an increase from 72% in our prior traditional…

Scientific problems of the twenty-first century involve complex research questions that require an interdisciplinary approach. Educational research suggests that overall student achievement is greater in an interdisciplinary science curriculum than in a discipline-specific science curriculum. Regardless, the secondary school science curriculum in…

This article presents findings from a multi-year study of a grant-funded professional development fellowship program that supports teachers in becoming science teacher leaders and improving science curriculum and instruction. The program's activities are designed to: (1) create and support a corps of teacher leaders, (2) institute a culture…

Following professional development (PD), implementation of contemporary topics into high school biology requires teachers to make critical decisions regarding integration of novel content into existing course scope and sequence. Often exciting topics, such as neuroscience, do not perfectly align with standards. Despite commitment to enacting what…

The science curriculum's potential for developing students' scientific literacy offers the ideal opportunity for addressing global concerns such as the 'post-truth' epidemic. In this article, we review the Year 10 "Australian Curriculum: Science" for its capacity to help students become producers and consumers of knowledge. We adopt a…