Okhee Lee

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Professor at New York University

We propose a conceptual framework for STEM education that is centered around justice for minoritized groups. Justice‐centered STEM education engages all students in multiple STEM subjects, including data science and computer science, to explain and design solutions to societal challenges disproportionately impacting minoritized groups. We articulat...

The limited availability of research instruments that reflect the vision of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) restricts the field's understanding of whether and how teachers are making instructional shifts called for by the standards. The need for such instruments is particularly urgent with teachers of multilingual learners (MLs), who a...

This qualitative study examined the college pathways of mostly working-class immigrant-origin youth of color (Black, East Asian, Latino/a) in New York City. Using a thematic analysis approach with bridging multiple worlds theory and social capital theory as guiding conceptual frameworks, we examined facilitators and barriers that 30 working-class i...

This article outlines a physical science unit designed to engage middle school students in explaining plastics and designing solutions to plastic pollution. The unit centers around the driving question: “What happens to the plastics we use every day?” Students begin by investigating plastic waste in their own school environment and then delve deepe...

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) provide a vision for contemporary science education with all students, including the fast‐growing population of multilingual learners in the United States K‐12 context. The shifts heralded by the NGSS have resulted in significant changes to English language proficiency (ELP) or English language developme...

When pressing societal challenges (e.g., COVID-19, access to clean water) are sidelined in science classrooms, science education fails to leverage the knowledge and experiences of minoritized students in school, thus reproducing injustices in society. Our conceptual framework for justice-centered STEM education engages all students in multiple STEM...

As the vision in A Framework for K‐12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) takes hold in schools and classrooms, there is an urgent need for teacher professional development (PD) programs that align with NGSS‐designed curriculum materials and address the unique strengths and needs of diverse student groups, including m...

The crosscutting concepts (CCCs) are a collection of ideas that span the science and engineering disciplines. While various standards documents have identified similar sets of ideas in the past, calls for their explicit inclusion into science and engineering instruction began in earnest only about a decade ago. When these calls began, the research...

In this paper, we critically examine the way in which scholars have traditionally defined and problematized attrition. Through a series of examples of large-scale intervention impact studies, we share insights about the sources and consequences of attrition that expand our notion of how and why attrition occurs. We also discuss potential steps for...

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have spurred renewed interest in the epistemologies that students adopt as they engage in science practices. One framework for characterizing students' epistemologies is the epistemologies in practice framework (Berland et al. (2016), Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 53(7), 1082–1112), which focu...

Research on TESOL materials development has focused primarily on instructional materials for contexts in which students are learning English separate from academic content (e.g., science, mathematics). This research could benefit from expansion given the increasing number of contexts in which students are learning content and English language simul...

As one of the most pressing societal challenges we face in the United States and globally, COVID-19 has further exposed injustices disproportionately impacting minoritized groups. Other challenges, including climate change and sustainability, likewise disproportionately impact minoritized groups. In K-12 classrooms, unprecedented societal challenge...

Contemporary conceptions of content learning that emphasize disciplinary practices offer opportunities to see and hear multilingual learners’ (MLs’) participation in new ways. However, research on disciplinary practices with MLs has primarily targeted those practices traditionally considered language intensive, such as explanation and argumentation...

Computational models are increasingly being used in K-12 science classrooms to engage students in developing and testing explanations of phenomena. However, research has only begun to consider whether integrating computational models into science instruction could be particularly beneficial to students from diverse backgrounds, including a fast-gro...

When students are given opportunities to address problems important to them, the engineering design process (EDP) helps show the way. In this article, we describe a unit that was implemented in second grade to demonstrate how the engineering design process (EDP) afforded agency to one teacher’s elementary students (this unit was adapted for use wi...

In December 2020, the WIDA Consortium released the WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition. In the coming years, the 2020 Edition will be implemented across 36 states, the District of Columbia, and four territories and agencies in the US. The 2020 Edition also arrives at a time when the field of TESOL is grappling with m...

Students use science and engineering practices (SEPs) alongside disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) to engage in the engineering design process (EDP) around a problem they see in their local community. Then they propose design solutions for addressing this problem, present their ideas to peers, and receive feedback from their peers and teacher. Teachin...

In today’s task, students answer the following questions: What are the causes of the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minority groups? Why is the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention guidance for how to slow the spread of COVID-19 necessary, but insufficient? What kinds of system-level solutions can our society i...

The adoption of A Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) across the U.S. requires that the field of science education develops high-quality instructional materials. This need is particularly urgent as schools and districts are expected to design or adapt instructional materials for an increasingly dive...

As advances in computational technologies are changing the fabric of society, computational thinking (CT) is increasingly seen as a fundamental skill that all students should learn. While the bulk of research on CT has focused on its integration into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) content, there is a growing body of scholarship t...

Asset-Oriented Framing of Science and Language Learning With Multilingual Learners The purpose of this commentary is two-fold: (a) to contrast contemporary asset-oriented perspectives with traditional deficit-oriented perspectives across policy, research, and practice and (b) to call on the science education research community to collaborate with...

In this task, students answer this question: Are there differences in how people are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States? If so, why are there differences, and what should we do about the disproportionate impact of COVID-19? Students use science and engineering practices alongside disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concept...

As science teacher educators committed to making science relevant to students’ lives and consequential in the pursuit of justice, we highlight how science intersects with society, especially how science is represented and made accessible through the media. A most prominent case of how science and society intersect is currently affecting our daily l...

In the United States, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012) and Next Generation Science Standards ( NGSS ) offer a vision of rigorous science standards for all students across K-12 classrooms. As science and engineering practices (e.g., develop models, argue from evidence, construct explanations) are language inte...

In today's task – How can we make informed decisions to keep ourselves and our communities safe during the COVID-19 pandemic?– students and their families use science and engineering practices alongside disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts to explain differences found when comparing COVID-19 data in their local county to those in anoth...

The purpose of this study was to investigate how computational modeling promotes systems thinking for English Learners (ELs) in fifth-grade science instruction. Individual student interviews were conducted with nine ELs about computational models of landfill bottle systems they had developed as part of a physical science unit. We found evidence of...

The latest content standards in U.S. K–12 education are academically rigorous for all students, including a fast‐growing population of English learners (ELs). Because these standards are different from previous standards in terms of not only their rigor but also their theoretical underpinnings, enacting instruction aligned to the standards will req...

The COVID-19 pandemic is a historic global event that has extended to all parts of society and shaken the core of what we know and how we live. During this pandemic, the work of STEM professionals has taken center stage. Through our close observations of how the events of the pandemic have been unfolding across the globe, we propose an instructiona...

The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 mandates that English language proficiency (ELP) standards align with content standards. As the fast-growing population of English learners (ELs) is expected to meet college- and career-ready content standards, the purpose of this article is to highlight key issues in aligning ELP standards with content standa...

The purpose of this study is to present a conceptual framework that integrates science and language learning for all students, including English learners (ELs). This framework is grounded in the mutually supportive nature of science instructional shifts, spurred by A Framework for K‐12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012. A framework...

All students come to school with resources for making sense of the world around them. In the NGSS classroom, crosscutting concepts (CCCs) can be thought of as resources scientists and students use to make sense of phenomena. Traditionally, CCCs have been viewed as outcomes of instruction. However, by reframing CCCs as resources students bring to th...

As federal legislation requires that English language proficiency (ELP) standards are aligned with content standards, this article addresses issues and concerns in aligning ELP standards with content standards in English language arts, mathematics, and science. It starts with a brief description of federal legislation for alignment between ELP stan...

This study examined the effectiveness of a fifth grade science curriculum and professional development intervention at increasing teachers’ science content knowledge (SCK) over the period of 3 years. The intervention included an inquiry-based science curriculum and ongoing professional development opportunities concentrating on both science content...

As the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English language arts (ELA)/literacy and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) highlight connections across subject areas, convergences and discrepancies come into view. As a prominent example, this article focuses on how the CCSS and the NGSS treat “argument,” especially in Grades K–5, and the e...

Elementary school teachers’ perceptions of school resources (i.e., material, human, and social) for teaching science to diverse student groups were examined across three school districts from one state. As part of a 3-year curricular and professional development intervention, we examined the effect on teachers’ perceptions after their first year of...

Executive Summary An estimated 10 percent of the nation's public school students —nearly 5 million students— are working to acquire English language proficiency. To better serve these English learners, the authors make the following recommendations: • Language and literacy instruction for students should be tied to science, social studies, and othe...

This study was part of the Promoting Science among English Language Learners (P-SELL) efficacy study, a research and development project that implemented a curricular and professional development intervention to improve science achievement of English Language Learners (ELLs) in urban elementary schools. The study used a cluster randomized control t...

The authors evaluated the effects of P-SELL, a science curricular and professional development intervention for fifth-grade students with a focus on English language learners (ELLs). Using a randomized controlled trial design with 33 treatment and 33 control schools across three school districts in one state, we found significant and meaningfully s...

As part of a three-year curricular and professional development intervention focused on English language learners (ELLs), this study examined the intervention's effect on teachers’ science knowledge and instructional practices after one year of implementation. The P-SELL (Promoting Science Among English Language Learners) intervention comprised cur...

A new wave of science education reform is emerging through the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). This article describes how the NGSS address diversity and equity issues. It starts with an overview of changing student demographics in the nation, as the traditional minority groups in terms of poverty and race and ethnicity have become the num...

Using data collected from two multiyear teacher professional development projects employing randomized control trials, this study describes the development and validation of a paper-based test of elementary teachers' science content knowledge (SCK). Evidence of construct validity is presented, including evidence on internal structural features usin...

Background: In exploring how emergent bilingual learners' prior knowledge from home and play contexts might influence their scientific reasoning, this study drew upon two distinct research traditions: (a) experimental research from the developmental and cognitive psychology tradition, and (b) research on culturally and linguistically diverse learne...

In spite of reform efforts, opportunities for all students to learn science remain illusive. Recent studies indicate that science curricula do not meet students' learning needs. Research-based curricula focusing on science inquiry with English language learners (ELLs) have yet to be developed. To encourage development ofappropriate science riiateii...

Teacher knowledge of science content is an important but under-studied construct. A curricular and professional development intervention consisting of a fifth grade science curriculum, teacher workshops, and school site support was studied to determine its effect on teachers' science content knowledge as measured by a science knowledge test, a ques...

Background/Context The current research on teacher knowledge and teacher accountability falls short on information about what teacher knowledge base could guide preparation and accountability of the mainstream teachers for meeting the academic needs of ELLs. Most recently, research on specialized knowledge for teaching has offered ways to understan...

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) offer a vision of science teaching and learning that presents both learning opportunities and demands for all students, particularly student groups that have traditionally been underserved in science classrooms. The NGSS have addressed issues of diversity and equity from their inception, and the NGSS Div...

This study examines relationships between measures of teacher science content knowledge using multiple instruments. A teacher questionnaire and a science test were administered to 203 elementary school teachers. A random subsample of 62 teachers was observed during science instruction. All teachers were asked the number of science courses they took...

Grounded in teacher professional development addressing the intersection of student diversity and content area instruction, this study examined school teachers' pedagogical reasoning complexity as they reflected on their second language learners' science problem solving abilities using both home and school contexts. Teachers responded to interview...

The National Research Council (2011) released “A Framework for K–12 Science Education” that is guiding the development of the Next Generation Science Standards, which are expected to be finalized in early 2013. This article addresses language demands and opportunities that are embedded in the science and engineering practices delineated in the Fram...

This study examined elementary teachers’ instructional strategies for promoting scientific understanding and inquiry and supporting English language development with diverse student groups including English language learners. The study was part of a 5-year research and development project consisting of reform-based science curriculum units and teac...

The school-aged population in the United States is becoming more culturally and linguistically diverse, while achievement gaps across content areas persist. At the same time, more rigorous academic demands are being placed on all students, including English language learners (ELLs). Teachers of ELLs face the double challenge of promoting English la...

As part of a larger investigation into the educational experiences of Haitians in South Florida, this study explores factors that influence the identity development and academic success of Haitian students. Individual and focus group interviews with Haitian students, parents, and teachers provide the context for studying how pressures from both hom...

Despite the expectation that all students should achieve high academic standards, content area instruction and English for speakers of other languages instruction for English language learners (ELLs) have traditionally been conceptualized as separate domains, resulting in educational inequities for ELLs. This is because effective instruction to pro...

Background Current classroom practices have largely been shaped by changing student demographics, including English language learners (ELLs), and evolving accountability policies. The teacher professional development intervention in this study takes place against this backdrop. Research Questions This study examined change in teachers’ knowledge a...

Current classroom practices in the U.S. and internationally have largely been shaped by changing student demographics and accountability policies. This special issue includes manuscripts that develop conceptual frameworks or report on empirical studies addressing large-scale interventions of educational innovations for diverse student groups in var...

Background/Context With the ever increasing diversity of schools, and the persistent need to develop teaching strategies for the students who attend today's urban schools, hip-hop culture has been proposed to be a means through which urban youth can find success in school. As a result, studies of the role of hip-hop in urban education have grown in...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a hands-on science curriculum, which integrates mathematics and supports English language development, on third-grade students' mathematics achievement—specifically the measurement subscale of the statewide assessment. The data drew from a larger five-year research and development project c...

Background/Context While different instructional approaches have been proposed to integrate academic content and English proficiency for English language learning (ELL) students, studies examining the magnitude of the relationship are non-existent. This study examined the relationship between the “form” (i.e., conventions, organization, and style/v...

The study examined relationships among key domains of science instruction with English language learning (ELL) students based on teachers' perceptions of their classroom practices (i.e., what they think they do) and actual classroom practices (i.e., what they are observed doing). The four domains under investigation included: (1) teachers' knowledg...

This study examined both student and school predictors of science achievement as measured by a high-stakes state test. The study involved 23,854 fifth-grade students from 198 elementary schools in a large urban school district with a diverse student population. Multilevel modeling was conducted to examine both student and school predictors simultan...

The study examined US elementary teachers’ knowledge and practices in four key domains of science instruction with English language learning (ELL) students. The four domains included: (1) teachers’ knowledge of science content, (2) teaching practices to promote scientific understanding, (3) teaching practices to promote scientific inquiry, and (4)...

Student initiatives play an important role in inquiry-based science with all students, including English language learning (ELL) students. This study examined initiatives that elementary students made as they participated in an intervention to promote science learning and English language development over a three-year period. In addition, the study...

Two leading science educators provide a comprehensive, state-of-the-field analysis of current trends in the research, policy, and practice of science education. This book offers valuable insights into why gaps in science achievement among racial, ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic groups persist, and points toward practical means of na...

Recent test-based accountability policy in the U.S. has involved annually assessing all students in core subjects and holding schools accountable for adequate progress of all students by implementing sanctions when adequate progress is not met. Despite its potential benefits, basing educational policy on assessments developed for a student populati...

Science Education and Student Diversity: Synthesis and Research Agenda (Lee & Luykx, in press) analyzes and synthesizes current research on how racial/ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic variability affects science achievement among K-12 students who have traditionally been underserved by the education system. The book begins with scien...

As part of our professional development intervention, this study examined third-grade ELL students' writing achievement that included “form” (i.e., conventions, organization, and style/voice) and “content” (i.e., specific knowledge and understanding of science) in expository science writing. The study included six treatment schools from a large urb...

This study examined the effect of fidelity of implementation (FOI) on the science achievement gains of third grade students broadly and students with limited literacy in English specifically. The study was conducted in the context of a professional development intervention with elementary school teachers to promote science achievement of ELL studen...

In this study, the authors examined what distinguished highly effective from typical elementary schools in mathematics by examining the conceptions of fourth-grade teachers with regards to mathematics education (curriculum, instruction, and assessment) and student diversity (ability, culture, language, and socioeconomic status). The study was condu...

This descriptive study examined urban elementary school teachers’ perceptions of their science content knowledge, science teaching practices, and support for language development of English language learners. Also examined were teachers’ perceptions of organizational supports and barriers associated with teaching science to nonmainstream students....

The assessment of differential item functioning (DIF) in polytomous items addresses between-group differences in measurement properties at the item level, but typically does not inform which score levels may be involved in the DIF effect. The framework of differential step functioning (DSF) addresses this issue by examining between-group difference...

This study examined predictors of the following three science teaching practices with English language learning (ELL) students: (a) reform-oriented practices to promote understanding and inquiry, (b) traditional/conventional practices, and (c) English language development practices. Data were collected from 140 third- through fifth-grade teachers....

This study examined the impact of the 3-year implementation of a professional development intervention on science achievement of culturally and linguistically diverse elementary students. Teachers were provided with instructional units and workshops that were designed to improve teaching practices and foster positive beliefs about science and liter...