Chapter 12: Pinchas (Pini) Tamir: A Long-Distance Runner Across and Beyond Science Education

How do we start and structure an essay on Pinchas Tamir’s career? Tamir (or Pini, as his colleagues and students alike call him) did it all: He was a school teacher, curriculum developer, teacher educator, leader of systemwide educational change, and an incredibly productive researcher. His versatile activities were intertwined, feeding and extending each other, reflecting his wide perspective and integrative approach to research and practice. Most of Tamir’s studies and projects were carried out in the context of biology education in Israel and are rooted in his previous school teaching of biology and horticulture. Yet, as we describe and discuss below, the impact of his work has crossed boundaries, reaching other science disciplines, international science education, and the wider arena of education.