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Science education

In recent years, the focus of science education reform has shifted to engaging students in three‐dimensional science learning experiences aligned with the National Research Council's ( ) Framework for K‐12 Science Education. This movement has been associated with a focus on students participating in science as practice, which represents a significant shift from previous reform efforts, that focused on scientific inquiry. In our experiences as educational researchers deeply engaged in partnerships with teachers, administrators, district, and state science curriculum supervisors, as well as in public‐facing conversations about standards aligned with the Framework , we have repeatedly found ourselves in conversations about how the new reforms are similar or different to scientific inquiry, as well as other previous waves of reform. In this article, we revisit key terms that describe the emphasis of different waves of reforms, including the current ones, to support conversations with others outside the research community about stability and change in the purposes of science education. We highlight important nuances and differences between the vision of reform presented in the Framework and past visions, with the intention of informing conversations about science as practice, the central importance of phenomena, and incremental sensemaking.

Coming to terms: Addressing the persistence of “hands-on” and other reform terminology in the era of science as practice