Next Generation Science Standards Research Articles

Ways of Knowing in the Life Sciences and Connections to the NGSS Practice-Crosscutting Concept Pairs and Groups

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) engage students in the epistemic, or knowledge building, components of science through three-dimensional learning. Each scientific domain has its own epistemic aspects that result from different social groups going about science in different ways to conceptualize different bodies of knowledge; education researchers recommend that these be included in science education. While the Science & Engineering Practices and Crosscutting Concepts of the NGSS apply to all sciences, they can be combined in ways that reflect the domain-specific aspects of the life sciences. In this paper, we define and describe simplified epistemic themes, or ways of knowing, within the life sciences for educators to use as a guide when creating lessons and units. Then, we outline example Practice-Crosscutting Concept pairs and groups that curriculum developers can use in learning performance statements to reflect these ways of knowing.

New Jersey Leaves No Bite Behind: A Climate Change and Food Waste Curriculum Intervention for Adolescents in the United States.

Food waste is a major contributor to climate change. Schools offer a unique opportunity to educate on this issue while also reducing food waste generation; however, few climate-change education curricula that include a food waste component have been developed and tested with fidelity. Thus, the purpose of this cluster randomized controlled study was to assess the effectiveness of a climate change and food waste education program called NJ Leaves No Bite Behind (NJLNBB) among fifth-grade students. Lessons on food waste and sustainable food behaviors were developed that aligned with NJ Student Learning Standards for Climate Change and Next-Generation Science Standards. Participants (n = 162) completed pre- and post-test surveys that assessed knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and behaviors. Post-test, the experimental group (n = 102) had significantly (p < 0.05) higher mean scores in knowledge, social norms, behavioral intentions, and perceived behavioral control compared to the control group (n = 60), with medium effect sizes, as determined by partial eta-squared. There were no significant between-group differences in mean score attitudes, self-efficacy, motivation to comply, or climate-friendly behaviors post-test. Almost three-quarters of participants who received the program agreed or strongly agreed the lessons were fun (75.5%), liked the card games (72.5), and learned a lot (78.4%). These findings are promising in terms of teaching adolescents the impacts of food waste on the climate.

Exploring epistemic aspects of engineering for K–12 science and engineering education

AbstractBackgroundSince the advent of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there has been an increasing focus on engineering in K–12 education. As educators and researchers have gained a better understanding of the nature of engineering in the decade following the release of the NGSS, there are new opportunities for growth and complexity.PurposeThis study used an epistemological approach to seek insights from experts in the science and engineering communities about the prominent aspects of engineering for K–12 education.Design/MethodThis mixed‐methods study employed a three‐round Delphi study and a focus group meeting to elicit experts' opinions on the epistemic aspects of engineering that could shed light on the nature of engineering knowledge and practices. Constructivist grounded theory methodology was used to identify preliminary themes concerning the epistemic aspects of engineering and then to develop main themes by combining relevant themes together.ResultsThe analysis process yielded 21 preliminary themes that reflect key ideas about the engineering knowledge base, engineering design activities, and values and norms of the engineering community. Additionally, the current study identified eight main themes that captured the broader patterns in the data.ConclusionsThe outcome of this study, including the preliminary themes and main themes concerning the epistemic aspects of engineering, could serve as a conceptual tool for establishing and improving students' conceptions of engineering and as a guide for designing and implementing engineering design activities in K–12 education settings.

Supporting K-8 Teachers’ Capacity to Develop Quality Formative Science Assessments

ABSTRACT During a two-year span, a cohort of K-8 science teachers undertook the task of creating formative assessments aligned with the Next-Generation Science Standards for their individual classrooms. Practice-based professional development was utilized to support teachers in a cyclical manner as they cooperatively developed, administered, and reflected on a series of assessments they designed across two study phases. In order to measure developmental progression of the formative assessments across the study’s two phases, project leadership designed an assessment quality rating instrument targeting four components of a given formative assessment: (a) learning goal(s), (b) task/prompt, (c) success criteria, and (d) next instructional steps. Using this criterion-based instrument, 123 assessments were subjected to consensus scoring using a 0–3 rating for each component (e.g. learning goals). Results indicated teachers developed higher quality formative assessments during the project’s second phase. More specifically, they developed learning goals and success criteria that were identified as being multi-dimensional, meaning the assessment component was designed to assess more than content. Implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed, specifically related to the supports needed for teachers learning to progressively design and implement full spectrum, science-based, formative assessments. Finally, suggestions for future research are discussed given the potential value of using assessment design to introduce a cycle of teacher-driven self-reflection.

Science Teachers’ Initial Use of NGSS Science Practices in Diverse Classrooms

ABSTRACT In the landscape of U.S. education, the widespread adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) offers a unique vantage point for researchers to better understand teacher-, school- and classroom-level factors that advance reform initiatives in science classrooms. Addressing a gap in current knowledge, our study probes how secondary science teachers implement one dimension of NGSS-the science practices (SPs). Our data collection encompasses teacher interviews and meticulous observations of science lessons, coded for NGSS science practices (SPs) and inquiry-based teaching. Embracing a methodologically rich approach, our study employs both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. Quantitatively, we analyzed 801 weeks of lessons taught by 56 secondary science teachers and found patterns in SP use. Selected high-quality science lessons were then spotlighted, providing examples of the quantitative findings, showcasing teachers use of SPs and inquiry-based teaching strategies. Through our analysis, we found that physical science subjects and participants from the Master of Arts in Science Teaching program demonstrated a higher average use of SPs compared to their life science and undergraduate program counterparts. When analyzing the use of specific SPs, we found that analyzing and interpreting data (SP4) and mathematical and computational thinking (SP5) emerged as noteworthy. This study’s findings carry implications for science teacher education and professional development programs, urging efforts to augment both the quantity of rigor of SP use in the secondary science classroom. Our research contributes insights that can inform strategies for the enhancement of science education alignment with the objectives set forth by NGSS

How to develop modelling competence for Vietnamese students

Developing modeling competence is an educational objective in many countries such as “SEP 2: Developing and Using Models” in Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). In Vietnam, the new physics-education curriculum has clearly defined the key learning outcomes, including modeling-competence elements as well. Experiencing modelling cycle is an effective way to develop modelling competence for students. Our recent work studies which tool is suitable for students and how to integrate this tool in modelling activities. This paper presents the use of Coach 7 modelling software to investigate common physics phenomenon of oscillations, shows feasibility and effectiveness of these activities via tryout.

Considering the Lessons of Curriculum Studies in the Design of Science Instruction: Varieties of Meaning and Implications for Teaching and Learning

This article is an introduction to the rich domain of curriculum studies with specific reference to science teaching and learning. It is designed not as a systematic review or theoretical treatise but rather as an overview for those charged with transforming science content and processes into a classroom curriculum. In other words, while written from the scholarly perspective of curriculum studies, the hope is that it will be seen by teachers as a set of possibilities rather than recommendations while reminding educators that what happens in classrooms to students and their parents is the curriculum, but it is only one of many that might have been delivered. To accomplish this, this paper explores the complex definition of curriculum including the notions of the kinds of curriculum from null, to formal, received, and learned with an emphasis on what occurs as a specific curriculum design results in effective and even faulty learning, a unique consequence proposed here. Next, we explore the common curriculum ideologies or orientations including those focused on academic advancement, tradition, student-centeredness, and social improvement. Finally, a formal recommendation for the content of science instruction in the U.S.—the Next-Generation Science Standards, is are considered as a conclusion by applying the expansive perspective of the term and nature of curriculum discussed throughout.

Internalization of Indigenous Knowledge in the Education Curriculum for Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

Indigenous knowledge in Indonesia is very diverse, but some of it is threatened with extinction due to the impact of modernization on people's lifestyles. This research aims to find new methods of integrating indigenous knowledge into the curriculum for preparing prospective science teachers. The new method is targeted to become a reference for prospective science teacher education providers in Indonesia. The research uses mixed methods to find the impact of integrating indigenous knowledge in the curriculum for preparing prospective science teachers, according to the NGSS. The impact on prospective science teachers' profiles is the ability to integrate indigenous knowledge in preparing NGSS. The research targets were 15 heads of science education study programs from 15 different tertiary institutions and 20 prospective science teachers from three different study periods (one year, two years, and more than three years). The difference between study periods is considered because applying a curriculum integrating indigenous knowledge has only begun in the three classes used in this study. The research results found that the longer the study period, the more prospective teachers have the skills to integrate indigenous knowledge more clearly. The N-Gain test obtained a result of 0.5 (medium), meaning that the existing curriculum on the skills of applying science concepts to prospective science teachers about indigenous knowledge is in the medium category. Systematic integration of the curriculum for preparing prospective science teachers makes NGSS and indigenous knowledge in academic texts, courses, teaching materials, and final projects for graduation requirements.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Online Professional Development for Rural Middle-School Science Teachers

ABSTRACT In rural, geographically dispersed school districts, access to high-quality face-to-face professional development (PD) is challenging. Our study developed and compared the effectiveness of an online PD for middle-school science teachers working in remote, rural areas of Kansas with an evidence-based traditional face-to-face PD with the goal of supporting change in teachers’ conceptual understanding and self-efficacy in utilizing Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), change in instructional practices, and overall student content learning. Fifteen rural middle-school science teacher participants were randomly selected to participate in the online or traditional PD, then taught the Toward High School Biology curriculum to their 504 middle-school students. Findings aligned with our hypothesis that online PD is as effective as traditional in improving student content knowledge related to the curriculum. Teachers’ instructional practices in using Next Generation Science Standards improved, as did their use of student-centered instruction and making science relevant to the lives of their students. Our study supports the importance of designing PD that effectively and economically brings teachers in isolated and diverse rural communities together.

Toward a justice‐centered ambitious teaching framework: Shaping ambitious science teaching to be culturally sustaining and productive in a rural context

AbstractWe find ourselves at a time when the need for transformation in science education is aligning with opportunity. Significant science education resources, namely the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) framework, need an intentional aim of centering social justice for minoritized communities and youth as well as practices to enact it. While NGSS and AST provide concrete guidelines to support deep learning, revisions are needed to explicitly promote social justice. In this study, we sought to understand how a commitment to social justice, operationalized through culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris, Culturally sustaining pedagogies and our futures. The Educational Forum, 2021; 85, pp. 364–376), might shape the AST framework to promote more critical versions of teaching science for equity. Through a qualitative multi‐case study, we observed three preservice teacher teams engaged in planning, teaching, and debriefing a 6‐day summer camp in a rural community. Findings showed that teachers shaped the AST sets of practices in ways that sustained local culture and addressed equity aims: anchoring scientific study in phenomena important to community stakeholders; using legitimizing students' stories by both using them to plan the following lessons and as data for scientific argumentation; introducing local community members as scientific experts, ultimately supporting a new sense of pride and advocacy for their community; and supporting students in publicly communicating their developing scientific expertise to community stakeholders. In shaping the AST framework through culturally sustaining pedagogy, teachers made notable investments: developing local networks; learning about local geography, history, and culture; building relationships with students; adapting lessons to incorporate students' ideas; connecting with community stakeholders to build scientific collaborations; and preparing to share their work publicly with the community. Using these findings, we offer a justice‐centered ambitious science teaching (JuST) framework that can deliver the benefits of a framework of practices while also engaging in the necessarily more critical elements of equity work.

English language proficiency standards aligned with content standards: How the Next Generation Science Standards and WIDA 2020 reflect each other

AbstractThe Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) provide a vision for contemporary science education with all students, including the fast‐growing population of multilingual learners in the United States K‐12 context. The shifts heralded by the NGSS have resulted in significant changes to English language proficiency (ELP) or English language development (ELD) standards so they better align with content standards and support all students, including multilingual learners, to engage in language‐rich disciplinary practices (e.g., arguing from evidence). The purpose of this article is to describe ELP/ELD standards aligned with content standards. Specifically, we describe how the policy initiatives of the NGSS as science standards and WIDA 2020 as ELP/ELD standards reflect each other in terms of conceptual foundations and architecture of the standards guiding classroom practices. By becoming more explicitly aware of how science standards and language standards present “mirror images” of each other, science educators will be better positioned to collaborate with their language education colleagues. As this article is intended to engage science educators who are generally familiar with the NGSS but likely new to ELP/ELD standards, we describe WIDA 2020 in detail and in ways accessible to a broad audience. In doing so, we aim to ensure the science education and language education communities are coordinated in their efforts to promote equitable science learning for all students, including multilingual learners. We close with implications for research, policy, and practice through collaboration between science education (as well as other content areas) and language education.

Interactive word walls for 3D learning: Visually representing the NGSS in elementary science methods courses

AbstractEven though the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were released over a decade ago, science is still infrequently taught in early childhood and elementary classrooms. A lack of teacher confidence due to inadequate content knowledge may be a contributing factor, making access to high‐quality elementary science methods courses even more imperative. This article highlights preservice elementary teachers’ use of an interactive word wall, an instructional strategy that explicitly documented their experiences with disciplinary core ideas, scientific and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. Students enrolled in four undergraduate elementary science methods sections participated in the creation, implementation, and evaluation of their classroom's interactive word wall. Through written assignments, classroom discussions, and photographic documentation, students helped to identify seven benefits of using this strategy while collaboratively building their interactive word walls. This article describes the process of setting up the word walls, the students’ choices during the construction of the walls, and their reflections on the benefits and challenges associated with using an interactive word wall at the university level. This article provides teacher educators with a strategy to strengthen students’ understanding of the NGSS framework and encourages preservice teachers to reflect upon how to use this strategy in their future classrooms.

Use of a project-based aquaponics curriculum in rural Kentucky school districts increases secondary students’ understanding of ecosystems

There is a need for secondary schools to provide more authentic, hands-on experiences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and, specifically, project-based investigation environments in the classroom that manifest the next generation science standards (NGSS) following practices they prescribe. This study investigated how, and to what extent, a contextualized aquaponics project-based investigation (APBI) 10-week model unit affected high school students’ understanding of standard-based ecological relationships and concepts concerning interactions in ecosystems and, specifically, the phenomena carrying capacity and bacterial nitrification process. Using a quantitative method, quasi-experimental research design, three different student groups who participated in the authentic, hands-on APBI curriculum (i.e., treatment groups) and a control group were given a pre- and post-content-aligned test (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt;=88), which measured changes in students’ ecological knowledge. The results in this study revealed that the curriculum was an effective method to provide meaningful learning and content understanding of standard-based ecological concepts and relationships. The evidence from this study suggests that authentic instructional experiences can facilitate students’ understanding of standard-based ecological concepts and knowledge of ecosystems, as the three treatment group students showed statistically significantly higher mean difference (improvement) sum scores after taking the pre- and post-content-aligned assessment when compared to the control group. Overall, the gain in understanding can be attributed to the project-enhanced unit implemented in this study. The implications of this study suggest APBI models may create authentic science learning environments that promote student learning of scientific concepts. In addition, APBI can offer engaging curricula that articulates NGSS.

The relationships between elementary students' knowledge‐in‐use performance and their science achievement

AbstractThis longitudinal study examines the relationship between students' knowledge‐in‐use performance and their performance on third‐party designed summative tests within a coherent and equitable learning environment. Focusing on third‐grade students across three consecutive project‐based learning (PBL) units aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the study includes 1067 participants from 23 schools in a Great Lakes state. Two‐level hierarchical linear modeling estimates the effects of post‐unit assessments on end‐of‐year summative tests. Results indicate that post‐unit assessment performances predict NGSS‐aligned summative test performance. Students experiencing more PBL units demonstrate greater gains on the summative test, with predictions not favoring students from diverse backgrounds. This study underscores the importance of coherence, equity, and the PBL approach in promoting knowledge‐in‐use and science achievement. A systematically coherent PBL environment across multiple units facilitates the development of students' knowledge‐in‐use, highlighting the significance of designing science and engineering practices (SEPs) and crosscutting concepts coherently and progressively, with intentional revisitation of disciplinary core ideas (DCIs). The study also investigates how the PBL approach fosters equitable learning environments for diverse demographic groups, offering equitable opportunities through equity‐oriented design. Contributions include a coherent assessment system that tracks and supports learning aligned with NGSS, emphasizing the predictive power of post‐unit assessments, continuous monitoring and tracking. The implications of context similarity and optimal performance expectations within units are discussed. Findings inform educators, administrators, and policymakers about the benefits of NGSS‐aligned PBL systems and the need for coherent and equitable learning and assessment systems supporting knowledge‐in‐use development and equitable opportunities for all learners.

Modeling Complex Data from Simulations to Assess Middle School Students’ NGSS-Aligned Science Learning

ABSTRACT The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) delineate three interrelated dimensions that describe what students should know and how they should engage in science learning. These present significant challenges for assessment because traditional assessments may not be able to capture the ways in which students engage with content. Science simulations engage students with science phenomena while collecting data on student simulation use. However, there are limited guidelines on how to analyze this type of complex data for assessment. This study aims to investigate how two statistical approaches (Bayesian Networks and Item Response Theory) model student learning in a science simulation. The simulation data included process data, embedded table responses, and open-response reflection answers. The results did not suggest a best model for this data, but highlighted uses and challenges of the different models and illustrate a method for utilizing complex data to help understand both what and how students are learning.

How Crosscutting Is the Energy Concept within Physics Teaching and Learning

Much of the attention on the crosscutting concepts within the Next-Generation Science Standards (NGSSs) have gone to their coherence across different STEM disciplines. In this paper, we raise the question of the coherence of the energy concept within the teaching and learning of physics itself. Our investigations of teachers’ and students’ approach to solving problems, where both mechanical and thermal energy play equally important roles, indicate that the separation of energy studies in different units (mechanics, thermodynamics, etc.) leads to a cognitive disconnect of the understanding of different energy types and the inability to explain processes that involve both mechanical and internal energy, especially when the internal energy of the living organisms that are associated with a process is involved. We also find that when students gain experience analyzing scenarios where thermal energy plays a subtle yet critical role in addition to mechanical energy, they are able to apply this understanding to novel scenarios.

Next generation science standards assessment for Java coastal students

In the 21st-century, we need a generation who can read and face the challenges of the times. The research aimed to master patterns of science with the next generation science standards (NGSS) standards of junior high school students in north coastal areas of Java Island. The research method is quantitative expose-facto and subjects were 228 students determined by purposive sampling. The students who come from Tegal, Pekalongan, Pati and Demak Regencies north coastal Java Island, Indonesia. The results showed a significant difference between the achievement of students in Tegal, Pekalongan, Pati, and Demak Regencies (p=0.012; ∝=0.05). Based on the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, there was a significant difference between the groups of students’ achievements in mastery of science oriented NGSS. It can be concluded that the achievement among students from four different regions is quite significant. Students from families with middle and upper economic levels have low achievement but students with low economic levels have high academic achievement.

Sea Grant Center for Great Lakes Literacy Shipboard Science Workshop Evaluation

AbstractYouth have an important role in current and future Great Lakes stewardship. Educating youth and empowering them to be Great Lakes stewards requires educators to be knowledgeable and confident, and therefore more likely to engage in teaching Great Lakes literacy activities in their classroom, thus contributing to a Great Lakes‐literate public. The Shipboard Science Workshop (SSW) for educators is a vessel‐based professional learning opportunity aboard the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's research vessel (R/V) Lake Guardian. During the week‐long SSW, educators learn from professional scientists, Sea Grant staff, and each other about Great Lakes research through the lenses of place‐based education (PBE) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The goals of the SSW are to (1) enhance understanding of scientific concepts, processes, or techniques; (2) influence changes in teaching practices, curriculum, or personal behaviors; (3) influence communication and promotion of pro‐environmental behaviors with others; and (4) establish communities of practice, including educators, scientists, and SSW coordinators. Herein, we present the findings of a 10‐month follow‐up survey to evaluate the SSW efficacy from 2016‐2019. Overall, the SSW appears to have achieved its goals. We discuss the implications of these results within the PBE framework for shifting educators’ classroom approaches and empowering youth inquiry and leadership on complex Great Lakes issues.

Scaffolding Learning Via Multimodal STEM Text Sets for Students With Learning Disabilities

The importance of text complexity has gained recognition since the Common Core State Standards (CCSS-ELA) were developed. The Linking Science and Literacy for All Learners (LS&amp;L4AL) program uses multimodal STEM text sets to link reading grade-band complex texts with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) sense-making. We define a multimodal STEM text set as a coherent collection of resources pertaining to an anchor phenomenon and line of inquiry that support learners’ acquiring the disciplinary literacy skills and sense-making called for by the NGSS and CCSS-ELA shared practices. The anchor phenomenon and line of inquiry are determined by the anchor text—a rich, complex grade-band level text about natural phenomena with research-generated data from recent STEM primary literature. In this study, we report on a qualitative analysis of how English language arts, special education, and science middle school teachers ( N=11) scaffolded instruction to support students, including students with learning disabilities, in reading complex STEM texts to develop sense-making of scientific phenomena.

Analysis of Natural Science Education Innovations Based on The STEAM Approach: A Systematic Literature Review

The purpose of this study was to find out various kinds of science learning innovations and educational developments using the STEAM approach. The method used in this research is a systematic literature review by analyzing 23 Scopus-indexed articles and 7 Sinta-indexed articles. The results of the study show that science learning is developed on the STEAM approach implementing learning applications that are integrated with traditional musical instruments, integration strategies, SSIT-based, traditional sciences, professional development pathways, implementation PjBL Learning model, and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The development of education in the STEAM approach is very rapid, it is evident that the level of success of teachers in STEAM-based learning increases the ability of students both in terms of cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. It can be interpreted that the application of the STEAM approach is very important to improve the success of the quality of education on a small or large scale.