Developing a Fine-Grained Learning Progression Framework for Carbon-Transforming Processes

Abstract

Science educators have called for using the learning progression approach to align curriculum, instruction, and assessment. In line with this trend, we conducted both assessments and teaching experiments with students from grades 4 to 12 (717 students participated in the pre-assessments and 682 students participated in the post-assessments). The goal of the study is to develop a learning progression framework that provides effective guidance for curriculum and instruction on carbon-transforming processes in socio-ecological systems. We conducted the study in three research cycles. We developed a matter-and-energy learning progression framework during the first two cycles. This learning progression framework was used to guide the teaching intervention in the third research cycle. Clinical interviews and written assessments were implemented before and after the teaching intervention. In the process of data analysis, we found that the matter-andenergy learning progression framework did not provide a fine-grained depiction of students' reasoning. Therefore, we developed the five-practice learning progression framework, and used it to re-analyze data. Results indicate that the teaching intervention has helped students to achieve significant learning gains, but it was not effective enough in helping students achieve the upper anchor of the learning progression framework-constructing sophisticated scientific explanations. The results also indicate that students tended to rely on coherent and consistent reasoning to construct explanations. Based on the findings, we provide instructional suggestions and discuss the implications for climate change education and learning progression research.

Framing students’ progression in understanding matter: a review of previous research

“…As research suggests that validating a complex model like the one presented in this study is an extensive and iterative process of refining both the underlying model and the utilised assessment instruments (cf. Jin, Zhan, & Anderson, 2013;Merritt, 2010;Merritt & Krajcik, 2013;Stevens et al, 2010), the model presented in this study might be considered a sound starting point for current and future research on fostering students' progression in understanding matter. Xiufeng Liu (PhD 1993 University of British Columbia, Canada) is a professor of Science Education and associate dean for Interdisciplinary Research in the Graduate School of Education, University at Buffalo, State University of New York.…”

Promoting student progressions in science classrooms: A video study

“…We measured students’ learning outcomes using the LPF‐based assessments, and used that information to revise the instructional units. This work is reported in another article on the project (Jin, Zhan, & Anderson, ).…”

“…Research on using learning progressions has also been carried out. Some researchers have assessed learning outcomes of interventions that used learning progression‐based curriculum (Jin, Zhan, & Anderson, ; Plummer & Krajcik, ; Songer, Kelcey, & Gotwals, ). Others have studied teachers’ understanding of learning progressions (Jin, Shin, Johnson, Kim, & Anderson, ) and teachers’ use of learning progressions in planning and implementing lessons (Furtak, ; Furtak & Heredia, ).…”

Crossing the Threshold: Bringing Biological Variation to the Foreground

“…It is not uncommon, however, for students to have difficulty moving from basic to more sophisticated levels of understanding (Mohan et al. , 2009; Jin et al. , 2013; White and Maskiewicz, 2014).…”