How might Covid-19 affect the biology curricula of the future? Two principles for curriculum developers to consider

Abstract

Understanding the lifestyle changes that authorities have requested or required in response to Covid-19 requires some biological knowledge. Therefore, articulations of intended biology learning at the school level will need to be evaluated, to see if they continue to be fit for purpose in light of the pandemic. This article proposes two principles of curriculum development and applies them to the (re)development of biology curricula in response to Covid-19. Firstly, while Covid-19 provides a vivid contextualisation of many biological concepts, it does not change the underlying concepts themselves. Moreover, it will not take long before it passes from being contemporary experience to a historical case study. Care is, therefore, needed to retain focus on the core concepts of biology, rather than allocating too much time to the particulars of the Covid-19 case. Secondly, biology curricula are often used to educate a population about public health. However, policymakers should be aware that knowledge alone is often insufficient to generate healthy behaviours.