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The emphasis on an equitable vision of science learning in current science education reform efforts sees students as contributing to knowledge-building through drawing on their rich cultural and linguistic backgrounds while engaging in the three dimensions to make sense of compelling, relevant phenomena. However, this vision will not be fully realized without coherence between curriculum, instruction, and assessment. As a majority of states have now adopted standards aligned to or adapted from the Framework, we see an urgent need for assessments that can support rather than conflict with equitable science learning. In this study, we seek to understand the current state of Framework-aligned assessment tasks. We have amassed 352 middle school tasks, originating from state-level assessment banks and assessment developers at universities or research organizations. Our preliminary findings from characterizing 104 tasks revealed that the majority of tasks target dimensions of the NGSS or Framework-based standards and include a phenomenon. However, there are challenges in framing phenomena that attend to students’ interests and identities and engage students in three-dimensional sensemaking. Additionally, some phenomena are not based in real-world observations and are not authentic from students’ perspectives, which makes it difficult for students to see connections of local or global relevance.
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This content will become publicly available on March 24, 2026
“You get to tinker with your brain”: Middle school students’ perspectives on three-dimensional, phenomenon-driven assessments
In response to reform efforts to center students’ interest and identity in the context of assessment, we pilot tested a set of three-dimensional, phenomenon-driven assessment tasks and asked students to respond to additional items that prompted them to reflect on their experience with the tasks. Using a qualitative approach, we analyzed written responses from 502 middle school students across the United States. Through inductive and deductive coding, we developed a comprehensive framework that captures students' experiences across five dimensions: cognitive engagement, affective engagement, relevance to students’ lives, beyond-classroom connections, and assessment design and features. By exploring these dimensions, the framework aims to provide a comprehensive lens for understanding how students experience science assessments, revealing key insights into the factors that influence their engagement and learning. Ultimately, this framework can serve as a practical tool for educators and researchers to analyze and improve science assessments by centering students' voices, thereby fostering deeper learning, promoting student agency, and supporting all learners.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2201438
- PAR ID:
- 10604027
- Publisher / Repository:
- National Association for Research in Science Teaching International Conference
- Date Published:
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- National Harbor, MD
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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