The Center for the Development and Support of Junior and High Schools Biology Laboratories

The Center for the Development and Support of Junior and High Schools Biology Laboratories (website)

Academic Head: Prof. Michal Zion
Academic Director: Dr. Shoshy Herman
Deputy Academic Director: Dr. Pirchi Waxman
Center Chairman: Dr. Bruria Agrest

About us

This unique center, located in Israel and known around the world, with many years of

outreach experience in enriching practical biology teaching for junior and high schools.

Principal activities and achievements

1. Developing experiments and teaching materials for lab activity for all postelementary

schools, with an emphasis on a six-year continuum of study.

2. Directing a supply center for materials and organisms required for conducting

inquiry projects and experiments in school labs (by a web shop).

3. Providing continuing professional development for teachers and lab technicians

through exposure to innovation, expanding the database of activities with new

methods, and opening access to additional sources of information.

4. Providing guidance and consultation for schools’ biology staff member.

5. Increasing the contribution of open inquiry-based teaching to biology education.

6. Developing new pedagogical methods for incorporating meta-cognition, motivation,

and future-oriented pedagogy within biology education issues (such as homeostasis,

health, environmental and sustainability, molecular biology, and more).

Our teams

Management team

Prof. Michal Zion, Academic Head

Dr. Shoshy Herman, Academic Director

Dr. Pirchi Waxman, Deputy Academic Director

Development team

Mrs. Sara Werthimer, Mrs. Efrat Link, Mrs. Tami Ben Dor, Mrs. Bergman Hagit,

Dr. Shoshy Israeli, Mrs. Natali Shalev, Dr. Dana Shachyani, Dr. Miriam Tenenbaum, Ms. Michal Komarchero

Lab assistants team

Logistic administrator: Mrs. Zila Hafner

Lab technicians: Mrs. Michal Yakobi, Mrs. Ruty Yarom, Mrs. Moran Shalom,

and Mrs. Bety Balanga

Community engagement

The center develops experiments and teaching materials to enhance students’ biology

knowledge and their understanding of biological processes and inquiry skills, with a

strong focus on issues that directly impact the quality of life. By leading citizen science

projects, students actively engage in hands-on learning, exploring topics such as biological

control, food security, genetic, and the implications of climate change on our lives. These

projects not only deepen students’ scientific understanding but also encourage them to

think critically about how biology intersects with social justice. Through these efforts,

students are empowered to contribute to real-world solutions and become informed

advocates for sustainable and equitable practices in their communities.

Pedagogical development for teachers and lab technicians

We develop new experiments that expand the activity database for teaching in

classrooms. We help teachers and lab-technicians become familiarized with new

methods, exposing them to these methods with an emphasis on inquiry-based teaching.

Our pedagogical development courses are held in our teaching labs and are conducted

by a professional and veteran staff that is supported by an academic staff, depending on

the subject, enabling us to provide expansive enrichment on the same subject.

International engagement

The center collaborates with researchers and scientists (educators, and biologists) in

Israel and across the globe. We focus on creating platforms that facilitate cooperation

between science education researchers and between teachers and their students around

the globe, fostering a collaborative learning environment. Additionally, we organize

and participate in conferences both in Israel and abroad, ensuring that educators are

connected to the latest scientific advancements and global educational practices.

Impact

The center serves as a national leader in advancing inquiry-based pedagogy in Israel.

Representatives from many countries have visited to learn from its work. The center’s

members actively participate in decision-making forums within various Ministry of

Education committees that focus on scientific education. Additionally, the center plays

a key role in organizing the Inquiry Biology Olympiad for high school students. Over

the years, the center has published science education studies in leading international

journals and received grants from competitive funding sources, including the Israel

Science Foundation (ISF), the Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Education, and the

Ministry of Science and Technology.

A recent article has described Prof. Zion’s research group as the leading group worldwide

in the field of open-inquiry teaching. Prof. Zion won a prize for scientific innovation

in the field of science and environmental education: The impacts of open inquiry on

students’ learning in science: A systematic literature review.

Contact information

Website

Email: info@biu-edulab.org.il

Tel: +972-3-5318751