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Integrating NGSS Science Practices in Middle School Science Classrooms: Examining the Process of Two Lesson Study Teams

Abstract

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) necessitate significant instructional shifts toward engaging diverse groups of students in science practices in support of content understanding (NRC, 2012, 2013). The theoretical and empirical foundations of the NGSS practices are well-documented (AAAS, 1993, 1996, NRC, 1996, 2012), but little is known about how teachers' are translating NGSS practices into their science instruction. Because lesson study (LS) is a classroom-based and teacher-driven professional development (PD) approach, it is an ideal platform for teachers to collaboratively experiment with instructional practices and novel curricula as they shift their classroom pedagogies to align with NGSS. This study focuses on delineating the mechanisms through which two middle school LS teams incorporate NGSS practices as they develop, implement, and revise science lessons. The findings contribute to the pressing need for research to inform the current NGSS shifts in science teaching and learning.