Next generation science classrooms: The development of a questionnaire for examining student experiences in science classrooms

Abstract

In the United States and internationally, there has been an increased emphasis on the practice turn or a focus on engaging students in more authentic representations of how science is practiced. In this article, we describe the development of a student questionnaire to investigate the extent to which students report being engaged in learning experiences similar to those explicated through the practice turn. We developed a questionnaire that consisted of 35 questions that were separated into four constructs. The questionnaire was determined to be internally consistent, with a high reliability estimate. Confirmatory factor analysis showed item clustering consistent with the research‐derived constructs indicative of a practice turn focus in science classrooms. Furthermore, early evidence from this pilot study is provided to reveal the ability of the questionnaire to detect student experiences that are differentiated at the teacher‐level. Based on the analyses completed, the questionnaire appears to be a needed and useful measure of student‐reported learning experiences that can provide an indication of students’ opportunity to learn in ways aligned to the most recent reforms in science education.

Adaptation of the New Generation Science Standards Questionnaire to Turkish: A Validity and Reliability Study

“…By including these actions and developing thinking, reasoning and problem-solving skills, students will learn what it really means to be proficient in science. Focusing on students' learning experiences in science lessons is important for reviewing and improving learning opportunities (Campbell et al, 2021). In this context, the aim of examining the next generation science classroom questionnaire by adapting it to Turkish is to bring a measurement tool to the literature on how middle school students perceive science lessons and science.…”

“…Applications for next generation science standards, which are based on the integration of science lessons with engineering applications, are among the strategies adopted in the science curriculum (MEB, 2018). Campbell et al (2021), it is aimed to adapt the "Next Generation Science Classroom Questionnaire" to Turkish and Turkish culture and to bring it into the literature. For this purpose, permission to adapt the scale and necessary ethical permissions were obtained by interviewing Todd Campbell, one of the authors who developed the scale.…”

“…As a result of the EFA, a four-factor scale structure was decided. The original scale consists of 4 main factors, and the items of the Turkish version of the scale were also placed on four factors and were found to be compatible with the original scale form (Campbell et al, 2021). It was concluded that the confirmed four-factor structure explained approximately 56% of the total variation in variance.…”

“…For this reason, it is important to determine the views, experiences and interests of middle school students towards next generation science standards. The aim of the current study is to adapt the "Next Generation Science Classroom Questionnaire" developed by Campbell et al (2021) for middle school students into Turkish.…”

“…In the study, the "Next Generation Science Classroom Questionnaire" developed by Campbell et. al (2021) for 7th and 8th grades was used as a data collection tool.…”