The reform of science education must go beyond shuffling and relabeling old content. The current literature on change in organizations emphasizes systemic change as a necessary condition for significant, long-term improvement. Experience has demonstrated that incremental change (or tinkering) does little to alter the system, the quality, or the processes in an organization. Similarly, it is clear that fixing one part of a dysfunctional system rarely results in the desired improvement.
True systemic reform must begin with the careful examination of the fundamental principles driving the organization. For schools, that means looking first at the organization's underlying beliefs about learning and the way students learn. Next, steps must be taken to align pedagogy with practice by using practices designed around the organization's fundamental beliefs. All learning needs to be verified through assessment procedures that are consistent with both learning theory and pedagogical practice. Organizational processes must support continual improvement if systemic reform is the goal.
Every action should be analyzed according to its impact on the entire system. This holistic approach ensures that no part of the organization (or its systems) will be changed without a full understanding the implications for other components. The holistic approach demands careful strategic and operational planning by people empowered to understand the entire organization.