Design-based research as a model for systematic curriculum development: The example of a curriculum for introductory optics
[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Curriculum Development: Theory into Design.] Although curriculum design has a long tradition in physics education research (PER), it is often criticized for unclear or inconsistent methodologies. One reason is that the theory-into-practice aspect freq...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Physical Society
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Physical Review Physics Education Research |
| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.16.020152 |
| _version_ | 1818993937785815040 |
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| author | Claudia Haagen-Schützenhöfer Martin Hopf |
| author_facet | Claudia Haagen-Schützenhöfer Martin Hopf |
| author_sort | Claudia Haagen-Schützenhöfer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | [This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Curriculum Development: Theory into Design.] Although curriculum design has a long tradition in physics education research (PER), it is often criticized for unclear or inconsistent methodologies. One reason is that the theory-into-practice aspect frequently remains blurred. Only a few curriculum projects have given insight into the rule-guided translation of learning theories into curricula and curriculum materials. This paper reports how design-based research (DBR) was used as a framework for systematic curriculum development during a six-year-long project on a middle school optics curriculum. One key feature of DBR is to deduce design principles from theoretical and empirical foundations, apply them in the creation of a curriculum, and refine them in response to data collected during successions of implementation. The design principles guide and structure the iterative cycles of design—intervention—redesign and make a systematic and nevertheless flexible design process transparent. We provide the level of detail needed to make clear how design principles were developed and applied in the creation of the optics curriculum. In addition, we use many examples to illustrate how and why the initial set of design principles was refined. We report the results of a large scale evaluation of the curriculum that shows its superiority to conventional instruction. Finally, we summarize the lessons learned during this project. This shall support other scholars in designing and implementing curricula. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T20:50:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-159cbbc485114cdca8f4cfdaf10a9bbc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2469-9896 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T20:50:00Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Review Physics Education Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-159cbbc485114cdca8f4cfdaf10a9bbc2022-12-21T19:26:56ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Physics Education Research2469-98962020-12-0116202015210.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.16.020152Design-based research as a model for systematic curriculum development: The example of a curriculum for introductory opticsClaudia Haagen-SchützenhöferMartin Hopf[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Curriculum Development: Theory into Design.] Although curriculum design has a long tradition in physics education research (PER), it is often criticized for unclear or inconsistent methodologies. One reason is that the theory-into-practice aspect frequently remains blurred. Only a few curriculum projects have given insight into the rule-guided translation of learning theories into curricula and curriculum materials. This paper reports how design-based research (DBR) was used as a framework for systematic curriculum development during a six-year-long project on a middle school optics curriculum. One key feature of DBR is to deduce design principles from theoretical and empirical foundations, apply them in the creation of a curriculum, and refine them in response to data collected during successions of implementation. The design principles guide and structure the iterative cycles of design—intervention—redesign and make a systematic and nevertheless flexible design process transparent. We provide the level of detail needed to make clear how design principles were developed and applied in the creation of the optics curriculum. In addition, we use many examples to illustrate how and why the initial set of design principles was refined. We report the results of a large scale evaluation of the curriculum that shows its superiority to conventional instruction. Finally, we summarize the lessons learned during this project. This shall support other scholars in designing and implementing curricula.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.16.020152 |
| spellingShingle | Claudia Haagen-Schützenhöfer Martin Hopf Design-based research as a model for systematic curriculum development: The example of a curriculum for introductory optics Physical Review Physics Education Research |
| title | Design-based research as a model for systematic curriculum development: The example of a curriculum for introductory optics |
| title_full | Design-based research as a model for systematic curriculum development: The example of a curriculum for introductory optics |
| title_fullStr | Design-based research as a model for systematic curriculum development: The example of a curriculum for introductory optics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Design-based research as a model for systematic curriculum development: The example of a curriculum for introductory optics |
| title_short | Design-based research as a model for systematic curriculum development: The example of a curriculum for introductory optics |
| title_sort | design based research as a model for systematic curriculum development the example of a curriculum for introductory optics |
| url | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.16.020152 |
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