Understanding teacher instructional change: the case of integrating NGSS and stewardship in professional development

Abstract

The environmental education (EE) field has encountered persistent challenges in fostering the integration of EE practices in public schools, a challenge that may be addressed through integration of EE with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in the United States. In addition to the potential for fostering EE, the integration of EE and NGSS may provide a unique set of conditions for understanding how and why teachers shift their practice to incorporate more EE in their classrooms. Using a mixed methodology research design, this study examines the outcomes and processes of a professional development institute that integrated NGSS and student-driven environmental stewardship. This study provides evidence that integrating NGSS Science and Engineering Practices with stewardship may help infuse EE into classrooms. The research also contributes to theoretical understanding of the processes by which professional development shapes teacher change within an organizational context. Specifically, teacher instructional change was predicated on a shift in their beliefs that stewardship was possible in a standards and accountability-based educational context. The requisite shift in beliefs came about through the expectations and supportive resources provided by the professional development, teacher observation of student engagement, and the justification NGSS integration provided for stewardship activities.

Keywords:

• Science education
• stewardship
• professional development
• teacher instructional change

Acknowledgements

The 2015 CEEF Teacher Institute and this research was primarily funded by the California Department of Water Resources and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Additional support came from CEEF, Sandia National Laboratories, and Metropolitan Water District. Many thanks to Bill Andrews, CEEF Ex Officio Advisor, for successfully obtaining the grant support, designing and directing the CEEF Institute, and supporting all research activities. Finally, we thank the 8086 class for providing a thoughtful sounding board.

Notes

1. CEEF (California Environmental Education Foundation) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit foundation established at the recommendation of the Environmental Education Task Force Steering Committee in 2003. CEEF’s mission is to promote environmental literacy and stewardship by identifying and coordinating efforts that support the highest standards of practice and by increasing the flow of resources to those efforts. The organization has agreed to share its participation in the research publically (http://www.caeefoundation.org).

2. This handbook was adapted from guidelines that were developed by the K-12 Alliance.

3. One teacher missed the last Institute day, thus the final sample is 27.

4. All teacher names are pseudonyms.