The effect of three-dimensional instruction aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards on student learning in high school science

Abstract

This action research focused on student learning when instruction and curriculum have been aligned with the three-dimensional learning model of the NGSS. In the author's school district, we are committed to a science curriculum that emphasizes laboratory-based instruction. However, the science and engineering practices of the NGSS suggest some different approaches to this instructional methodology. If those revisions prove effective, the author's students will have improved learning opportunities for both the core disciplinary content and the science and engineering practices. They may also learn these concepts at a deeper level. Consequently, this action research project measured learning at both the acquisition and application/transfer levels to evaluate the depth of student learning.