Looking for coherence in science curriculum

Despite myriad attempts over the years to design curricula with logical ordering and connections, concerns persist that students view science as a body of prescribed information to memorize. In this essay, we argue that attempts to build coherence into the curriculum reflect fundamental and enduring misconceptions about the nature of coherence itself. Using examples of prominent curriculum projects over the past decade, we argue that premeditated coherence, the kind of coherence that is planned and designed for students, may inhibit students' learning to seek coherence for themselves. We conclude with an approach to curriculum and assessment that emphasizes students' epistemic agency in seeking coherence.