A Study of the Effectiveness of the Next Generation Science Standards Implementation at a Private US Curriculum School in Dubai, UAE
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Date
2018-10
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The British University in Dubai (BUiD)
Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards, the latest science education reform in the United States, in order to determine its effectiveness in one private US curriculum school in Dubai, UAE. The school has been chosen based on its good KHDA reputation and low students' achievements in external examinations. Mixed methods approach of both quantitative and qualitative instruments have been adopted. Twenty science teachers have been purposefully selected and participated in the close-ended teachers' questionnaire to evaluate their receptivity and perceptions of the NGSS. Then, nine science teachers have been interviewed and observed in their classrooms to assess the extent of accommodations between the intended, perceived and operated curriculum. The quantitative data from the questionnaire has been analyzed using SPSS while the qualitative data from the interviews and observations have been analyzed using the thematic content analysis. The results reflected that the science teachers were convinced about the NGSS curriculum despite the encountered challenges during its implementation. Teachers' descriptions of their instructional practices were compatible with the components and demands of the NGSS though few teachers have ignored the integration of the cross cutting concepts in the teaching practices. However, the classroom observations have showed that despite well- informed understanding of the NGSS content and structure, the teachers were not able to completely shift their classroom instructions as what they have described. This has suggested the presence of gaps between the perceived and implemented NGSS in the classrooms. The results could be utilized for planning professional development sessions to better understanding the changes in science teaching that the NGSS are trying to offer and thereby support the science teachers to shift instructions towards the three dimension model of learning of the NGSS. Lastly, this study would be a precursor for a variety of following research in evaluating the implementation of NGSS from different perspectives in the context UAE.
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Keywords
Next Generation Science Standards (Education)., US curriculum school, science education, United Arab Emirates (UAE), classroom observations