Science Learning Progressions, Discourse, and Teacher Pedagogical Content Knowledge
Abstract
"The work reported here is part of national project across middle and high schools in the U.S. to develop learning progression frameworks (descriptors and assessments) for three core strands of environmental science: biodiversity, the carbon cycle, and the water cycle. As indicated in the Next Generation Science Standards (2013), learning progressions are descriptions of increasingly complex understandings of a subject (e.g., the water cycle) and associated measures for the development of learner knowledge. A progression is anchored at the lower end by what we know from interviews and observations about how younger students reason. The learning progressions in our work are anchored at the upper end by what disciplinary education experts identify as the knowledge needed for college, career, and citizenship readiness. The development of the learning progression framework is grounded in teacher practice and student learning experiences."
