Teachers’ use of the next generation science standards for development of instructional materials: the role of alignment messages and teacher sensemaking

When reforms intended to improve science education are initiated at the national level, they must first pass through several layers of the educational system before reaching teachers and students in the classroom. Studies of reform have shown that alignment between each of these levels is critical for the effectiveness of reforms. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are the most recent iteration of national reforms intended to improve science teaching and learning. These standards provide a particular challenge, however, in maintaining alignment across each level as they are more complex than previous standards. As such, it is even more critical to understand how these standards are being interpreted and used by stakeholders at each level of the system, and especially by teachers who will ultimately determine how they are operationalized in the classroom.

The two studies in this dissertation examine this problem from two different perspectives. First, by a thorough and systematic content analysis of one body of literature directed at teachers. This analysis focuses on messages teachers are sent regarding alignment to the standards and what language is used to represent NGSS reforms. Study two uses teacher interviews and analysis of teacher developed instructional materials to determine how teachers are receiving and operationalizing these messages within their classrooms. Together, these studies provide insight into how teachers are understanding and enacting the NGSS and provide valuable information for development of materials and learning opportunities to scaffold teachers’ understanding and use of the standards to affect positive changes in science education.