Collaborative Research: Next Generation Science Standards and Designing School System Educational Infrastructure to support Elementary School Science Instruction

为了产生基础知识，该项目将研究学校级和系统级STEM学习环境的开发，通过课堂上的高质量科学教学来支持下一代科学标准（NGSS）的实施。这项研究具有重要意义，因为NGSS在课堂教学中实施基础理想时依赖于当地的自由裁量权，但很少有系统和学校组织起来支持教师这样做。因此，该项目将为教师提供更多的知识和经验，以有效实施NGSS。此外，它还将开发和测试组织和管理的实用理论，详细说明工作的关键领域，这些领域对于将学术标准与课堂教学联系起来至关重要。本文将构建有效的、系统级的和学校级的科学学习环境模型来实施这一理论框架。该项目通过描述是什么使学校系统和学校有效地支持NGSS等教与学的根本变革，从而符合国家利益，这将使其他人能够在这些见解的基础上进一步发展，从而支持为所有学生提供更有效的STEM学校经验。ECR项目强调在该领域产生基础知识的基础STEM教育研究。投资在至关重要、广泛和持久的关键领域：STEM学习和STEM学习环境，扩大STEM参与，以及STEM劳动力发展。该项目将采用描述性的、理论构建的纵向研究方法，通过一系列五项研究来调查系统和学校如何应对NGSS。该研究项目将针对目前正在实施NGSS的3个州的12个学区和24所小学。五项研究的比较案例研究设计将以研究系统、学校和州一级教学改进方面具有互补专业知识的研究人员之间的跨学科合作为特色。这种方法将通过解决当代教育改革的一个基本挑战，即国家和州的学术标准与课堂教学的协调，促进对教育政策、系统和学校改进以及教学改进的认识。这项研究的成果将通过支持学校和系统，确保为学生提供卓越和公平的教育机会，为更广泛的社会进步做出贡献。这些成果还将发展出一种实用的组织和管理理论，反过来，这将增加直接指导科学学习、教学和成果在更多学校大规模改进的潜力。这些支持将有利于那些将标准作为惩罚性政策工具，而不是作为激励和支持教学变革的资源的学校和系统。将利用大规模开放在线课程、政策简报、面向大学和学校的出版物以及主要社交媒体向教育工作者、教育政策制定者和其他利益相关者广泛传播结果。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

To generate foundational knowledge, this project will examine the development of school-level and system-level STEM learning environments that support the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) through high-quality science instruction at the classroom level. This study is significant since the NGSS depend on local discretion in operationalizing foundational ideals in classroom instruction, yet few systems and schools are organized to support teachers in doing so. As such, this project will address the need for additional knowledge and experiences for teachers to effectively implement the NGSS. In addition, it will develop and test a practical theory of organization and management detailing key domains of work that are essential to bridging academic standards to classroom instruction. It will construct models of effective, system-level and school-level science learning environments to enact this theoretical framework. The project serves the national interest by characterizing what makes school systems and schools effective in supporting fundamental change in teaching and learning such as NGSS, which will allow others to build on these insights, thus supporting the development of more effective school experiences with STEM for all students. The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field. Investments are made in critical areas that are essential, broad and enduring: STEM learning and STEM learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development. Using a descriptive, theory-building longitudinal research approach, the project will investigate how systems and schools are responding to NGSS through a series of five studies. The program of research will target 12 school districts and 24 elementary schools in 3 states that are currently implementing NGSS. A comparative case study design across the five studies will feature cross-disciplinary collaboration among researchers with complementary expertise in studying systems, schools, and state level instructional improvement. This approach will advance knowledge of educational policy, system and school improvement, and instructional improvement by addressing a fundamental challenge of contemporary education reform: the coordination of national and state academic standards with teaching and learning in classrooms. Outcomes from this research will make contributions to broader social progress through support for schools and systems in ensuring excellence and equity in educational opportunities offered to students. These outcomes will also develop a practical theory of organization and management which, in turn, will increase the potential for directly guiding improvements in science learning, teaching, and outcomes at scale in larger numbers of schools. These supports will be beneficial to schools and systems that are experiencing standards as punitive policy instruments, rather than as resources for motivating and supporting instructional transformation. Massive open online courses, policy briefs, university and school-oriented publications, and major social media outlets will be used to disseminate results broadly to educators and education policymakers and other stakeholders.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.