Transforming science education through research-driven innovation
R&D Programs
Browse BSCS Science Learning’s robust R&D Programs and current projects below.
Featured Programs
POWER
What works best for teachers and students in science education interventions? Statistics can provide some insight—but only if interpreted in context. For instance, the way a study is conducted may impact the outcome, independent of the actual effectiveness of the intervention.
OpenSciEd Developers Consortium
The OpenSciEd initiative was launched to address a critical need in science education: the need for high quality instructional materials that are standards-aligned and practical for broad implementation.
Towards a More Humane Genetics Education
Racism is a serious problem in the United States. Research has shown that the biology curriculum can affect how students think about race.
STeLLA: Science Teachers Learning from Lesson Analysis
BSCS Science Learning has developed a nationally-recognized program for teacher learning called STeLLA ® , Science Teachers Learning from Lesson…
Current Projects
Planting Science: Digging Deeper Together
Plants are all around us. They are essential to our existence. Yet despite their ubiquity, how many science teachers truly understand plant biology and know how to effectively teach it to their students?
Assessing Students’ Progress on the Energy Concept Using Three-Dimensional Items (ASPECt-3D)
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) identifies three equally important dimensions to learning science: science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas.
Data Nuggets
Data Nuggets, a four-year research project between Michigan State University and BSCS, is studying the effects of bringing real-world data into middle and high school classrooms.
Extending and Investigating the Impact of the High School Model-based Educational Resource (MBER)
Current research suggests that scientific models can help teachers transform their science instruction and enhance student learning. This premise grounds the Model-Based Educational Resource (MBER)—developed by Dr. Cindy Passmore and colleagues at UC Davis—which engages high school biology students in constructing models to make sense of science. Now researchers are wondering: How effectively can this […]
Developing Skills in Health Literacy
Health-related information from family, friends, social media, and the internet bombard our lives every day. We make decisions as consumers about questions such as these: Why is caffeine powder dangerous when people consume caffeinated drinks every day? Why do people get a flu shot every year? Isn’t once enough? Who should take multivitamins daily? Why […]
Three-Dimensional Teaching and Learning: Rebuilding and Researching an Online Middle School Science Curriculum to Support the NGSS
Middle school science teachers are always searching for professional learning (PL) opportunities and classroom curricula that are NGSS aligned. But time is limited, and high quality NGSS-aligned materials are scarce. That’s why BSCS Science Learning’s Three-Dimensional Teaching and Learning project, or 3D Middle School Science, is valuable. Since 2015, 3D Middle School Science has been […]
PCK*lex and ArguLex
Constructed-response assessments, in which students use their own language to demonstrate knowledge, are widely viewed as providing greater insight into student thinking than multiple-choice assessments.