R&D Programs
Browse BSCS Science Learning’s robust R&D Programs and current projects below.
Featured Programs
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…
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.
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.
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.
Developing Skills in Health Literacy
BSCS Science Learning’s Developing Skills in Health Literacy project aims to help middle and high school students develop critical-thinking skills in topics about health that enable them to accurately evaluate the information they get from various sources.
Three-Dimensional Teaching and Learning: Rebuilding and Researching an Online Middle School Science Curriculum to Support the NGSS
Since 2015, 3D Middle School Science has been developing and testing digital curriculum materials and associated curriculum-based professional learning.
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.