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We present a curriculum and instruction framework for computer-supported teaching and learning about complex systems in high school science classrooms. This work responds to a need in K-12 science education research and practice for the articulation of design features for classroom instruction that can address the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) recently launched in the USA. We outline the features of the framework, including curricular relevance, cognitively rich pedagogies, computational tools for teaching and learning, and the development of content expertise, and provide examples of how the framework is translated into practice. We follow this up with evidence from a preliminary study conducted with 10 teachers and 361 students, aimed at understanding the extent to which students learned from the activities. Results demonstrated gains in students’ complex systems understanding and biology content knowledge. In interviews, students identified influences of various aspects of the curriculum and instruction framework on their learning., National Science Foundation (U.S.) (1019228)

We present a curriculum and instruction framework for computer-supported teaching and learning about complex systems in high school science classrooms. This work responds to a need in K-12 science education research and practice for the articulation of design features for classroom instruction that can address the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) recently launched in the USA. We outline the features of the framework, including curricular relevance, cognitively rich pedagogies, computational tools for teaching and learning, and the development of content expertise, and provide examples of how the framework is translated into practice. We follow this up with evidence from a preliminary study conducted with 10 teachers and 361 students, aimed at understanding the extent to which students learned from the activities. Results demonstrated gains in students’ complex systems understanding and biology content knowledge. In interviews, students identified influences of various aspects of the curriculum and instruction framework on their learning.

A number of students’ biology misconceptions can be attributed to their lack of understanding in complex systems. Comprehending complex systems can be counter intuitive and difficult. A literature review reveals that we have yet to systematically determine a learning approach to address these learning challenges. In this paper, we propose that learning progressions research offers a methodical approach to organize the learning pathways students take to improve conceptual competence in complex systems. As a first step, we articulate a sequence of complex systems ideas - from the least to most difficult - by analyzing students’ written responses. Using an Item Response Theory model, we found that the easiest ideas to grasp are those that relate to the interconnected nature of these systems whereas the most difficult ideas are those concerning the decentralized organization of the system, and the predictability of the system effects., National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant No. 1019228)

This study investigates science teachers' understanding and teaching of complex systems. The field of complex systems is the study of how parts of a system give rise to its collective behaviors. Since the 1990s, scientific and educational agencies have advocated the importance of complex systems in science education. Despite this call for instructional emphasis in complex systems, recent studies have shown that students continue to have poor understanding of these systems. Current efforts in addressing this problem have focused on promoting student learning of complex systems. There are also a few studies that examine this problem from a teacher perspective. While these endeavors have yielded various successes and discoveries, the findings concerning teachers' complexity understanding and instructional practices are not conclusive. This is because most studies are small-scale, involve selective teachers, or investigate singular aspects of complex systems understanding. In short, we have yet to gain a thorough insight of the extent science teachers understand and teach complex systems. This research addresses the gaps directly by looking at science teachers' understanding and teaching of complex systems. It examines what they know and teach about complex systems, how their instructional practices may be influenced by their understanding and why the ideas may be difficult to comprehend and teach. This research was conducted with 90 11th and 12th grades science teachers across six Singapore schools. A mixed methods design was used. The findings revealed that while science teachers might appreciate the complex nature of systems, their understanding was not comprehensive: few teachers had prior knowledge of this domain; and certain complex systems ideas appeared better understood than others. It was also found that complex systems ideas were conveyed in science lessons but the extent the ideas were taught was uneven. These ideas were conveyed more often in biology than i

In this paper we present a framework for building complex systems understanding in high school biology classrooms. The goal is to provide a modular heuristic that can inform the construction of curricular and instructional experiences including tools for teaching and learning and professional development workshops. Brief examples from current National Science Foundation-funded project activities and evaluation results from an exploratory study demonstrate the utility of the framework in practice.

In this paper we present a framework for building complex systems understanding in high school biology classrooms. The goal is to provide a modular heuristic that can inform the construction of curricular and instructional experiences including tools for teaching and learning and professional development workshops. Brief examples from current National Science Foundation-funded project activities and evaluation results from an exploratory study demonstrate the utility of the framework in practice.