|
Definition:
The Scientific Research Basis of FOSS
The Full Option
Science System (FOSS) is research based.
Educational
research, which conforms to the standards of scientific research,
provides the theoretical basis for the FOSS program design. The accumulated results from decades of educational research
on teaching and learning guided the development of the FOSS
instructional methodologies. Educational
research is rigorous, objective, and scientific in design.
The FOSS
program, however, was created using more than a scientific research
model. FOSS was created
using a research and
development model. Not
only was the program based on academic educational research, it also
involved a systematic approach to product development, testing,
revision, and retesting that required more than two years of intense
work to complete each module. The
FOSS program development was a kind of educational research itself.
The fact that the project staff set out to uncover new
knowledge—to understand how to better teach science to elementary
students—thrusts the FOSS curriculum development process into the
research environment. All
26 K–6 modules and middle school courses (content-specific
curriculum units) were developed using the 2-year-plus development
process.
The
implicit question that underscored the FOSS research and development
process for the K–6 program was, “what is the most efficient,
effective way to teach science content, scientific principles, and
scientific habits of mind to elementary-school students?”
The answer to that question has been the consuming occupation
of the FOSS development staff for more than 15 years, and will
continue to dominate the work of the staff into the foreseeable
future. The reason the
job is not “done” is because knowledge in the field of science
education is continually evolving.
The advances in understanding and improvements in practice
and products are incremental. These two fields of research inform,
guide, and give coherence to the FOSS program development process.
|
FOSS is published and distributed exclusively
by 
FOSS
is developed at the 
FOSS was
developed in part with support of the