Gaining Understanding of Systems and the Impact of Infrastructuring on Teaching and Learning of the Next Generation Science Standards: Formation of a Measurement Instrument

Science reforms in the United States' education systems have been ongoing for over the last 50 years. These reforms are continually revised in response to the demand to increase employment in STEM careers. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) released in 2013 are the most recent standards-based science reform effort created using years of scholarly research and input from experts including scientists, engineers, research professors, state representatives, and teachers. The NGSS are a standard that guide learning science through inquiry and the use of the three-dimensions of learning defined in "A Framework for K-12 Education (2012)." Science educational reform has been slow since the release of the NGSS in 2013, with unique challenges faced by school systems to support teachers in the desired implementation of the standards. To help understand the challenges school systems are facing in implementation of the NGSS a measurement instrument was created and vetted through field testing. The instrument, Survey of Administrators Needs and Challenges of Science Instruction (SANCS) was created through an iterative process. The survey instruments had very low field-testing participation rates that resulted in data that did not support or refute the reliability of the instrument, leading to questions about relevance and measurement utility. Further field testing will be required to determine reliability of the measurement instrument for use in uncovering themes that might emerge helping districts, researchers, and professional development teams make informed decisions about improving their infrastructuring process supporting NGSS implementation. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]