Leveraging Instructional Routines to Facilitate NGSS Implementation in High-School Science

This study employed a collective case study approach to understand how science teachers, who had participated in a sustained professional learning community, leveraged routines to implement NGSS-aligned instruction after professional learning supports had been removed. The theoretical framework was drawn from studies that suggested high leverage practices, such as routines, can support ambitious teaching if embedded within professional learning that incorporates situated and proximate learning opportunities. Qualitative data were collected and coded for each of the three case study participants, including individual interviews, focus group discussion, and low-inference transcripts of classroom observations. The findings indicated that the teachers believed that the routines were supportive in increasing student engagement and equity and were valuable tools in NGSS implementation. They found the immersive and collaborative professional learning valuable in unpacking the NGSS. However, little evidence was observed for the implementation of routines or NGSS-aligned instructions in two of the three cases. The lack of transferability of the routines to new contexts may be due to significant contextual barriers such as time constraints, lack of administrator buy-in, and the misalignment between the standards and high-stakes standardized exams. Some participants were not successful in navigating external barriers to fully realize the potential of instructional routines in their classroom. These findings have implications for state and district policymakers to ensure the alignment of standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment while providing time for professional learning for educators to understand both barriers and levers for implementation.