Initial Publication Date: February 1, 2017

GER Introductory Reading and Materials

Introductory Reports and Papers, and Webinars

Findings from GER Community Focus Groups and Surveys

Resources from the National Research Council

Discipline-Based Education Research: Understanding and Improving Learning in Undergraduate Science and Engineering (2012)

Susan R. Singer, Natalie R. Nielsen, and Heidi A. Schweingruber, Editors; Committee on the Status, Contributions, and Future Directions of Discipline-Based Education Research; Board on Science Education; Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education; National Research Council

The National Science Foundation funded a synthesis study on the status, contributions, and future direction of discipline-based education research (DBER) in physics, biological sciences, geosciences, and chemistry. DBER combines knowledge of teaching and learning with deep knowledge of discipline-specific science content. It describes the discipline-specific difficulties learners face and the specialized intellectual and instructional resources that can facilitate student understanding.

Reaching Students: What Research Says about Effective Instruction in Undergraduate Science and Engineering. (2015)

Nancy Kober; Board on Science Education; Division on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education; National Research Council

The undergraduate years are a turning point in producing scientifically literate citizens and future scientists and engineers. Evidence from research about how students learn science and engineering shows that teaching strategies that motivate and engage students will improve their learning. So how do students best learn science and engineering? Are there ways of thinking that hinder or help their learning process? Which teaching strategies are most effective in developing their knowledge and skills? And how can practitioners apply these strategies to their own courses or suggest new approaches within their departments or institutions? Reaching Students strives to answer these questions.

Papers commissioned for the DBER report that include the following (2010-2011):

Board on Science Education Commissioned Papers (2008) for the Promising Practices in Undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education (2011)

Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas, (2002).

Other Resources

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