Congratulations to Cheryl Lynn Spada who on Thursday, May 21, 2026, successfully defended her dissertation.
The title of Cheryl’s dissertation is, "COLLECTIVELY MAKING THE SHIFT: TEACHING NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS AFTER PARTICIPATION IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE."
Overview of Problem: The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) ushered sweeping changes in K–12 science teaching via its three-dimensional learning model. Teaching NGSS with fidelity requires a paradigm shift in practices promoting student-driven use of authentic science and engineering practices and understanding coherent ideas across four disciplinary core ideas.
Research Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative research was to articulate any changes in classroom pedagogical practices of K–12 science teachers who participated in a year-long professional development community of practice focused on the three-dimensional learning model of NGSS.
Research Design: A qualitative multiple case study design was employed via two semi-structured interviews coupled with analysis of classroom artifacts. Situated learning theory, as described by Lave and Wenger (1991) was the theoretical framework, exploring learning as a domain of social practice, situated in the context in which it’s acquired.
Sample: Two levels of purposeful sampling took place. First, members of a state-sponsored Master Teacher Program who were members of a PLT focusing on NGSS were selected. Next, information-rich cases from primary (K–6), and secondary (7–12) levels were identified.
Data Collection and Analysis: Two rounds of semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted via Zoom between November 2025 and March 2026 to explore participants’ experiences and meaning-making based on participation in NGSS-focused PLTs. Participants were asked to provide artifacts for review and analysis between the two interviews.
Findings/Results: A cross-case qualitive analysis was employed leading to identification of five emergent themes: (a) administration and teacher agency in pedagogical decision-making, (b) cultivating ownership and authority through communities of practice, (c) pedagogical mastery, (d) meaning making, (e) refined and reflexive professional judgement.
Conclusions/Implications: The collaborative environment of out-of-district, long-term communities of practice drove meaningful development of pedagogical content knowledge, teacher self-efficacy and teacher expertise, functioning as the main site for teacher-directed capacity-building and reflexiveness. Therefore, on-going collaborative learning teams of science teacher-practitioners collectively grappling with real-world complexities of the NGSS three-dimensional learning model should be supported due to their positive impact on teacher pedagogical practices.
Dissertation Committee Chair(s):
Dr. Peter Troiano
Dissertation Committee Member(s):
Dr. Yiping Wan
Dr. Angela Pagano
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