This symposium presents aspects of a European project that was funded through the Science and Society program. The project seeks to design, develop and validate through research a set of modules on various aspects of the properties of materials. In the symposium we will present results from the various Local Working Groups that make up the project consortium but we will also concentrate in three aspects of the process that have emerged as important concepts for the design of educational innovations: The issue of authenticity of the teaching and learning activities; the substantial participation of teachers as well as researchers in the design process; the important role of reflective research as a medium for analysis and evaluation of the effectiveness and overall impact of any innovation.