Through semi-structured interviews, the first research question was addressed. This research question was intentionally kept broad due to the exploratory nature of this study. The findings from the interviews were analyzed to create the questionnaire used in the pilot study and full study.
Participants
The participants for the elicitation study consisted of nine professors of science education and secondary science teachers located in the U.S. West and Midwest. In order to be included in the study, participants needed to have familiarity with NGSS and/or K- 12 science education. Three of the participants were middle or high school teachers who have been working to implement NGSS in their classrooms. Four of the participants were university professors of science education or education. Two of the participants were not professors or teachers, but have extensive experience with the process of implementation
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of NGSS due to the organizations with which they are affiliated. A summary of the participant demographics and background are given in Table 3.1.
Table 3.1. Elicitation Study Participant Demographics and Background Information Participant
Code
Gender Role in Education Years of Experience in the Field of Education Are you familiar with NGSS? (Yes, No, Somewhat) 1 M Professor of Biology
who teaches biology and pre-service education
>15 years Yes
2 F University administrator
who works with graduate level science education
>15 years Yes
3 F Science representative
for a state Department of Education who
previously taught pre- service teacher education, chemistry, and biology
>15 years Yes
4 M Professor of Chemistry
who teaches chemistry and pre-service teacher education
>15 years Somewhat
5 F High school chemistry
teacher
10-15 years Yes
6 F High School chemistry,
biology, and earth science teacher
<2 years Yes
7 M Professor of Chemistry
and Chemistry Education
>15 years No
8 F Professor of pre-service
teacher education
10-15 years Yes
9 M Middle school science
teacher
<2 years Yes
Data Collection
In-depth interviews were used in order to understand the experiences of science education experts. This type of interview is one of the most common qualitative methods and is “optimal for collecting data on individuals’ personal histories, perspectives, and
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experiences” (Mack, Woodsong, MacQueen, Guest, & Namey, 2005). During the in- depth interviews, I considered myself the student seeking knowledge on the topic of implementation of NGSS while the interviewee was the expert sharing their experiences; this mindset is an essential part of the in-depth interview (Mack et al., 2005). Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was obtained from the University of Northern Colorado (Appendix C)--IRBNet ID: 957989-2.
Participants were interviewed either in person, by phone, or by written
communication. A demographic form, including information such as role in education, years of experience, and familiarity with NGSS, and a consent form were completed before the interview. The administration of the interview, which contained 13 semi- structured questions (see Appendix A), took 30-60 minutes. Phone and in-person interviews were audio recorded and later transcribed. A written record was kept for participants who chose to answer the questions via a word document.
Trustworthiness and Rigor
To ensure trustworthiness in the elicitation study, an external person with
expertise in qualitative research and I discussed and were in complete agreement with the resulting themes. To show consistency and trustworthiness in the results, a triangulation was used by comparing the interviews of secondary teachers to professors of science education in which similar themes among both groups of participants were observed. Personal Stance of the Researcher
My interest in studying NGSS arose because I will soon be a high school science teacher implementing these science standards. I have had the opportunity to create several lessons and units using NGSS. This experience has created an interest in learning
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about teachers’ perspectives on how implementation is going in their classrooms. I have had an overall positive experience using NGSS in the classroom, but I was interested to hear both positive and negative opinions of these standards.
Theoretical Stance
Approaching this study through a social constructionist theoretical stance allowed the participants and me to identify the perceptions of these science standards and how they are implemented in schools. Social constructionism acknowledges that we are social beings who construct knowledge through interactions with each other and our world (Creswell, 2013). All participants had their own ideas and opinions of the standards due to their unique experiences. Furthermore, I wanted to ensure an interview environment in which they felt comfortable voicing their opinions. Their reality of using the science standards is dependent on the participants’ classroom and life experiences, thus representing a social constructionism theoretical stance.
Data Analysis
The interview transcripts were analyzed for common themes and patterns
employing NVivo Pro 11 software using thematic analysis procedures (Creswell, 2013). “Thematic analysis is a method for identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns
(themes) within data” (Braun & Clarke, 2006, p. 6). The transcripts were organized and categorized into concepts and keywords commonly discussed in the interviews. Data were connected using themes to show how concepts were interrelated. Based on the results of the analysis, a quantitative questionnaire was created to send to high school science teachers.
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