The use of authentic practices as a leading principle for the design of chemistry curricula

Authors

  • Astrid Bulte Utrecht University. Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (Netherlands)
  • Gjalt Prins Utrecht University. Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (Netherlands)
  • Marijn Meijer Utrecht University. Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (Netherlands)
  • Albert Pilot Utrecht University. Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (Netherlands)
  • Hannah Sevian University of Massachusetts Boston. Department of Chemistry (USA)

Keywords:

Authentic practices, context, design-based research procedure, exemplary curriculum units.

Abstract

The content of the chemistry curriculum has not been changed in the past seventy years. As a result, students perceive that school chemistry is not well connected to their lived worlds. We used authentic practices as contexts to select, specify, replace and/or modify specific chemistry content. This paper describes the design-based research procedure we followed to develop new sketches for a curriculum and to design an instructional framework together with exemplary curriculum units. The framework and the units were adapted as a result of several cycles of experimentation.

keywords: Authentic practices, context, design-based research procedure, exemplary curriculum units.

Author Biography

Astrid Bulte, Utrecht University. Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (Netherlands)




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Issue

No. 23 (2017)

Section

Articles

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