A Needs Assessment for the Adoption of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in K-12 Education in the United States

Abstract

Since its inception, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) blue print has attracted interest from more than 40 states in the United States. The overall objective of these proposed changes is to align K-12 science education with current trends in technology and career needs. However, the assessment of teacher preparedness and classroom technology needs is still a critical factor in the implementation of these changes. Our study conducted a needs and preparedness assessment using online surveys on public K-12 teachers before the implementation phase. The data collected for this study comprised 214 responses from schools in 16 states across the US. The study indicates that most of the teachers were not knowledgably equipped to fuse the proposed changes in standards with the current curricula and their teaching plans. The teachers made several suggestions, based on their views regarding the level of preparedness of their students. The implications of these findings and suggestions for further adjustments are presented and discussed.

Scientific and engineering practices aligned with the NGSS in the performance of secondary stage physics teachers

“…This result is in keeping with the findings of [ 2 , 3 , 18 ] in which practicing and developing models ranked "low." However, this result differs from the findings of [ 14 , 27 – 30 ] which revealed a “good” level of the NGSS practices in teachers’ performance.…”

“…Table 4 shows that the general mean of this practice ranked "medium" at (3.03). This result mirror the findings of [ 2 , 3 , 14 , 28 – 30 ] which revealed a “good” or “medium” level of the NGSS practices in teachers’ performance.…”

“…The NGSS adopted the term “scientific practices” instead of science processes because it combines the practices and skills of the scientist, i.e. whoever teaches science, in addition to the skills of the engineer who solves problems [ 14 ]. This is to ensure that students acquire the correct and real mechanism by which scientific research is conducted.…”

Evaluation for Science Courses in the Middle Stage of Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Based on Light of the Next Generation Science Standards NGSS

“…In general, the results of the current study were in line with the results of the previous studies that showed the need for the development and improvement of the science courses according to the Next Generation Science Standards [8] [10]- [15] [33]. The current study differs from these studies in a very important aspect in which it worked to evaluate the science books in a whole stage and in all dimensions and fields of the Next Generation Science Standards.…”

EQUILIBRIUM game: a virtual field trip through a complex system

“…But these resources are often lacking. In the context of the NGSS, there is, for instance, increasing concern about, on the one hand, the readiness of teachers, students, and staff and, on the other, the availability of needed classroom technology resources to support the implementation of these new standards (Harris et al, 2017). Supportive teaching materials are essential because the underlying philosophy of the behavior of complex systems does not become a part of a student's thinking when experienced only through reading and listening (Meadows, 2007).…”