Because of the BSCS commitment to science education and the use of research, I have had many opportunities to reference materials and use the skills and knowledge gained to help my district and region build and sustain science reform efforts.
Curriculum Development at the Biological Science Curriculum Study
- A 1986 article written by Joseph McInerney, past director of BSCS, describing how BSCS approached its curriculum development work, its work with teachers, and its relationship with publishers.
- Determining what content is worth knowing in biology included how it aligns with enduring principles in science and how useful and important teachers thought the content was for their students.
- Lessons BSCS learned about curriculum development up through the 1980s related to the importance of fidelity of implementation, the constraints of funding, the challenges of working with publishers, and the reality of teacher preparation.
- In developing curriculum, BSCS has always worked with teams of scientists, teachers, and science educators.
This article was written by past BSCS Executive Director Joseph McInerney and published in the December 1986/January 1987 issue of Educational Leadership. The author states that by placing enduring scientific principles in a context useful to teachers and sympathetic to the prevailing educational culture, BSCS textbooks have transformed the way many students learn biology.
To read the full report, visit Educational Leadership, December 1986/January 1987.
McInerney, J. (December 1986/January 1987). Curriculum Development at the Biological Science Curriculum Study. Educational Leadership: Journal of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 44(4), 24-28.
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