“Value-laden”: exploring constructivist values in the design and implementation of digital inquiry modules for middle school science classrooms

Science education reforms in the United States emphasize student-centered inquiry and engagement with authentic disciplinary practices. Guided by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), these reforms are grounded in constructivist theories of learning that position students as active meaning makers. However, little is known about how constructivist values are interpreted and enacted during the design of digital inquiry modules, or the impact of these values on the experience of students and teachers who use them. In this study, I describe the design and implementation of a digital inquiry module created by an interdisciplinary, museum-based design team for use by students and teachers in middle school science classrooms, focusing on how constructivist theories of teaching and learning are embedded in the design process and experienced by teachers and students who use the module. To do this, I conducted a sequential mixed methods study that uses Reflexive Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022) and descriptive statistics to explore the perspectives of the a) module designers and the b) teachers who used a related digital inquiry module in their classrooms, and c) “students” as described by their teachers. The study is guided by the following questions: 1) To what extent are constructivist values toward teaching and learning applied to the collaborative design of an NGSS-aligned digital inquiry module created by an interdisciplinary design team for use in science classrooms? 2) How are constructivist values experienced by teachers who use the digital inquiry module in their science classes? 3) What are teachers’ perspectives of their students’ experiences with the digital inquiry module? My findings describe how the design team and teachers valued authenticity and accuracy of module materials and activities, matching the design to students’ abilities, supporting student engagement, providing meaningful learning experiences, and connecting to the broader classroom context, albeit with slightly different emphases for these themes. I discuss the similarities and differences between these perspectives and end with implications for museums, design teams, and educators.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Curriculum and Instruction

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Lane, McKenna

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dornfeld Tissenbaum, Catherine
• Kang, Jina
• Lindgren, Robb
• Lindgren, Samantha
• Tissenbaum, Michael

• Science Education
• Digital Learning
• Informal Learning
• Curriculum Design
• Instructional Design
• Interdisciplinary Design

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 McKenna Lane

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/130201

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F130201