The Tough Road to Better Science Teaching

By JEFFREY BRAINARD

Proponents of new methods encounter resistance, especially at research universities

One might expect California State University at Fullerton, with a history of preparing elementary- and secondary-school teachers, to embrace new but proven methods of instruction. Still, when its biology department began a project a decade ago to overhaul the undergraduate curriculum, the effort bogged down quickly.

Most of the professors wanted to consolidate the department's eight required