Sara Cooper and Aneesha Badrinarayan

A decade later, NGSS curriculum and assessments are ready to evolve again to better support learners and their learning. For the past decade, the field of science education has mobilized to embrace the opportunity of designing coherent science instructional materials, assessments, and professional learning to fulfill the ambitious vision presented in “A Framework for K-12 Science”. A catalyzing moment in our collective work has been the recognition of the fundamental role phenomena and problems play in orchestrating a system that centers sensemaking. As we reflect on the successes and challenges of this past decade and look toward the future, phenomena might once again be the driver for our next decade of progress, if we are willing to consider a paradigm shift in how we approach phenomena and problems in our work.

To date, our efforts have focused on defining and categorizing phenomena in one of two ways:

types for use in curriculum and assessment materials: anchoring, investigative, everyday
how they relate to transfer expectations: near, proximal, distal

This approach has led to more meaningful learning, helping us shift from uninspiring science classes focused on learning about and memorizing science facts, to science learning that engages learners deeply in figuring out phenomena and problems. But many of us have had a nagging feeling that something is still missing. When we talk to teachers about what they’re experiencing in classrooms, we hear things like:

“The phenomena in [high-quality instructional materials] are definitely more compelling than my old textbooks, but I find that some of my learners just really don’t care about nature/the natural world, and so they’re my learners who are disengaged every time.” -middle school teacher in MA
“After 3 or 4 units, let alone multiple grades, my learners are really comfortable with the kinds of phenomena and routines in [high-quality instructional materials]--comfortable to the point of being bored. I sometimes change up a unit just to give them some spice!” -middle school teacher, LA
“I find that all of the phenomena in my curriculum are sort of ‘general good’ phenomena–they’re something someone cares about, but there isn’t a ton of room for my specific kids to get deeply invested and want to do something. I worry that we’re cultivating a very particular kind of relationship with the world–like, yeah, care about it, but not too much…not enough to motivate an action.”- high school teacher, LA.

When we take a closer look at the phenomena curriculum and assessment designers select, we see a pattern emerge: the types of phenomena included primarily focus on eliciting learner’s understanding of science ideas to the exclusion of more multifaceted and sophisticated ways science intersects with society, culture, and other disciplines. This approach stifles opportunities for learners to see science as part of a larger human experience, limits the authenticity of their sensemaking, and–perhaps more worryingly– risks alienating learners who have been marginalized and left out of science.

A group of rural educators participating in the 5D Assessment on-line course were asked to, “Brainstorm at least three candidate phenomena that will address the targeted 3D understandings and engage student interest. What are some specific phenomena that require these ideas to explain? Describe the phenomena below in a sentence or two.” The 24 phenomena here were randomly selected from the 80 phenomena generated. Orange represents phenomena that may be culturally relevant for the targeted population of learners.

Phenomenon Selection is an Equity Issue.

Supporting all learners, and particularly those who have traditionally been left out of science, means tasks and activities must reveal thinking from a wide range of learners. To do so, tasks must be compelling to the learners completing the assessment to harness their engagement, interest, and motivation offering them an enticing reason to demonstrate what they know and can do in ways that feel less like a ‘gotcha’ and more caring. This requires that instructional materials and assessment tasks are built around phenomena and problems that provide mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors (Sims Bishop, 1990) for learners to see themselves, consider different perspectives, and develop the capacity to step into the lived experiences of others. Providing mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors within curriculum materials and assessment tasks signals that we value science in service of learner perspective taking, ethical decision making, possessing an empathetic worldview, and connecting historic events to contemporary realities, as well as the learning and unlearning process required to critically examine and disrupt injustices in the world.

Let’s consider a paradigm shift in how we think about the phenomena and problems anchoring curriculum and assessment. To disrupt the pattern of phenomena and problem selection and to better support our learners who need it most, what if we approached phenomena/problem generation and selection by prioritizing aspects of science that are often backgrounded or overlooked? This shift in perspective could open up a world of possibilities for engaging, authentic assessment experiences and provide a structure to guide conversation and learning about equitable assessment designs that draw in learners who are waiting at the margins to be engaged in meaningful science learning.

Priorities to Foreground

History of Science: Exploring the development of scientific ideas over time, highlighting key discoveries and technologies as well as the individuals and circumstances surrounding them.
Nature of Science: Encouraging critical thinking by examining the methods, limitations, and ethics of scientific inquiry.
Science and Technology Intersections: Examining the reciprocal relationship between scientific discoveries and technological advancements.
Unsettled Science: Engaging in ideas, theories, and science applications that are controversial, incomplete, and/or tentative.
Economic and Political Aspects: Analyzing the economic implications and policy decisions influenced by scientific research.
Culture of Science: Understanding how scientific knowledge is shaped by societal values, beliefs, and practices.
Cultural Competence: Centering learning around a particular group of people in ways that; create awareness of, build empathy for, and develop openness to, the lived experiences of culturally diverse peoples.

Of course, embracing such a shift would require a concerted effort to rethink the tools and processes embedded in our unit and task design and professional learning practices, but the potential benefits are immense. By prioritizing phenomena that are meaningful in different ways over the course of learners’ science education experiences, we can better support them in becoming lifelong learners and active participants in the scientific process. We can foster a generation of critical thinkers and problem solvers who are equipped to tackle the complex challenges of the future and restore the injustices that have accumulated over time. However, implementing these approaches may come with trade-offs that must be considered; such as increased complexity, resource requirements, and potential challenges in managing controversial topics or diverse perspectives.

Considerations

Emotive Responses: Exploring phenomena and problems that take learners deeper into the complexities of science will elicit emotive responses. Carefully attending to the types of emotions learners might experience and designing for those emotions can be a valuable way to support both engagement and self efficacy.
CCCs, SEPs to Leverage: Some CCCs and SEPs may come to the foreground and can be leveraged for deeper learner sensemaking. For example, taking a historical view may allow learners to spend more time examining causal relationships and system interactions with the benefit of hindsight, which can be very helpful for some core ideas and developmental progressions.
Interdisciplinary connections: Leveraging cross-content connections leads to more meaningful experiences by drawing attention to different values and drawing on multiple perspectives for meaning-making. These connections enhance both learner engagement and understanding of science.
Task Formats: Particular task formats may facilitate more productive learning experiences when different priorities are made. For example, community-based research projects are a way for learners to apply scientific concepts within their own cultural contexts.
Capacity-building: Perspective taking, ethical decision making, empathy, compassionate action, creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving–these are just some examples of competencies that can be supported as students investigate science phenomena and problems.
Personal Relevance: Foregrounding particular priorities may make some learners feel ‘further’ from the task and they may need support making a connection. Varying foregrounded priorities and supporting learners in knowing how to apply different lenses themselves are strategies to employ to ensure all learners can connect with the learning.
Resources: It may take additional time and resources to surface appropriate stories, data, and information for sensemaking.

What we need is a new heuristic for selecting phenomena.

This heuristic makes visible the multifaceted world of science, where each idea, concept, and discovery is illuminated through various lenses–natural, imagined, historical, contemporary, cultural, political, and economic–revealing layers of depth and complexity. Each lens offers a unique vantage point, allowing us to perceive science in its entirety, from its roots in the natural world to its manifestations in the human imagination, from its evolution through history to its relevance in contemporary society, from its interplay with cultural beliefs and practices to its implications in political and economic spheres. Moreover, the application of multiple lenses simultaneously unveils profound issues of social, political, and ecological justice. By examining scientific ideas through interconnected perspectives, learners can uncover how scientific knowledge is not only shaped by societal norms and power dynamics but also how it, in turn, influences these structures. Through this critical lens, we can illuminate disparities in access to scientific resources, representation in scientific discourse, and the distribution of scientific benefits and burdens. By embracing diverse viewpoints, we can empower learners to address the challenges of our time, from climate change and environmental degradation to systemic injustices and inequities.

Foundational Heuristic Assumptions.

Science content can be explored through multiple types of phenomena and problems.
There are no clear divisions between categories, rather as new ‘lenses’ are applied, different aspects are made visible to learners. For example, because science itself is a cultural endeavor, the separation of natural and cultural here is only a mechanism to apply a lens that addresses the culture of a particular group of people.
All types of phenomena and problems are important for learners to experience at some point and at some frequency across the totality of their science learning experiences.
Different types of phenomena are meaningful in different ways–by intentionally varying across these types, the net impact on learners is that they are (1) more likely to experience something that is meaningful to them directly, and (2) they are more likely to see how science can be used in a variety of ways and contexts.
Phenomena/problems can elicit different types of intended and desirable emotions to support engagement when situated within the context of a scenario.
Cultural connections to build cultural competence can be integrated with every type when designed intentionally and attended to explicitly in ways that increase awareness or understanding of diverse cultures.
Cross disciplinary connections can be integrated with every type whether that be multiple disciplines of science or disciplines outside of the domain of science.

Defining a set of lenses for clarity.

These are working definitions of the different types of phenomena with the categories; scientific, socio-institutional, temporal, and cultural.

What does it look like to apply the heuristic?

This example illustrates what it looks like to apply the lenses to the same generic phenomenon–turtle populations are declining around the world. The example highlights how different lenses bring other observations into focus. Notice what changes and what stays the same as the focus shifts, and think about how these shifts might change the way learners experience the science content.

What does it look like when teachers brainstorm phenomena using this new heuristic?

A group of K-12 educators participating in an on-line webinar series were asked to apply the new heuristic to 9 phenomena starters in 7 minutes after a brief introduction. The phenomena here were selected from the 185 phenomena generated. What phenomena/problems can we discover related to; mountain building and destruction, energy production or thermal energy, fireworks are many colors, bird migration patterns or disruptions, chemical reactions in our world, soil composition and/or soil quality, a Rube Goldberg machine that completes a task, collisions with space junk, solar eclipses.

When we look at the phenomena teachers brainstorm when they have just the little nudge that a new heuristic provides compared to the phenomena that come to mind without its guidance, we see a glimpse of how much more varied and meaningful science curriculum and assessment might be.

As we look ahead to the next decade of science education, let us dare to imagine… Let’s pursue a future where phenomena and problems are explored in ways that reveal the complex intersections of science with history, culture, and society. Let us embrace the possibility of redefining how we approach selecting and using meaningful phenomena for learning and assessment. Let us pave the way for a brighter, more engaging future where all learners see themselves reflected in science, see science as relevant to their lifeworlds, and feel empowered to tackle injustices to create a more kind and caring world.

About the authors:

Sara Cooper is a curious and passionate science educator supporting the transition to more caring assessment practices through her work with the State Performance Assessment Learning Community. While located in Lincoln Nebraska, she works as a research associate at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Aneesha Badrinarayan is the Director of State Performance Assessment Initiatives at the Learning Policy Institute.

This material is based in part upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number DRL-2010086. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

What if there's a paradigm shift waiting to happen in how we approach phenomena?