In this article, we put forward a new approach to the teaching of scientific reasoning in biology with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). We argue that a framework based on the idea of six styles of scientific reasoning provides the best guide for biology teachers to the nature of scientific reasoning in biology and how it might be taught. The current framework of the crosscutting concepts fails to provide a narrative for what makes biology distinctive and how biological scientists reason. By contrast, a framework of styles of scientific reasoning does offer a coherent argument for the biology curriculum in grades K–12, a justification for each performance expectation, and a vision of how each standard might support the development of scientific reasoning in biology. Examples and implications for curriculum designers and educators are discussed.
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November/December 2020
Research Article|
December 02 2020
How Might the Next Generation Science Standards Support Styles of Scientific Reasoning in Biology?
Stephanie Rafanelli,
Stephanie Rafanelli
STEPHANIE RAFANELLI is a Research Associate at Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305; e-mail: stephanie.rafanelli@gmail.com.
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Jonathan Osborne
Jonathan Osborne
JONATHAN OSBORNE is Kamalachari Professor of Science Education, Emeritus, at Stanford University; e-mail: osbornej@stanford.edu.
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The American Biology Teacher (2020) 82 (9): 579–583.
Citation
Stephanie Rafanelli, Jonathan Osborne; How Might the Next Generation Science Standards Support Styles of Scientific Reasoning in Biology?. The American Biology Teacher 2 December 2020; 82 (9): 579–583. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2020.82.9.579
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