Date
12-16-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Constance Pearson
Keywords
Next Generation Science Standards, Critical Thinking Skills, Rural Schools, Secondary Science Teachers, STEM education
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Vipin Das, JanakiKutty, "The Perspectives of Secondary School Science Teachers Regarding the Next-Generation Science Standards in Fostering Critical Thinking Skills in the Rural Public High Schools of a Southeastern Coastal State: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7856.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7856
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of secondary school science teachers regarding the Next-Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in fostering students’ critical thinking skills in rural public schools in a southeastern coastal state. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s social cognitive theory (SCT), which helps describe the interconnected personal, behavioral, and environmental factors that explain teachers’ challenges in implementing NGSS. SCT provided a framework for answering the central research question: What are the perspectives of secondary school science teachers in rural public secondary schools of a southeastern coastal state regarding the Next-Generation Science Standards in fostering students’ critical thinking skills? The data were collected through interviews, document analysis, and focus groups. The study used the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method by Moustakas (1994) to analyze and describe the data. Data collection generated common themes, helping explain the essence of the phenomenon. The practical, empirical, and theoretical implications of data synthesis are discussed in the results, with suggestions for further research. The results of this study highlighted challenges in rural education settings, students’ mindset towards learning science, and a call for comprehensive professional development. The insights from this study showed that influence of external pressure affects teachers’ ability to implement NGSS standards to foster student critical thinking.
