Abstract
Learning objectives occupy a foundational role in educational practice by communicating the purpose of instruction to students, guiding the development of assessment, and informing the design of instructional activities. Since the release of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), considerable efforts have been made to improve preservice teachers' ability to plan and implement NGSS-aligned science instruction. However, research on how preservice teachers (PSTs) construct NGSS-aligned science learning objectives remains limited. This study examined how elementary PSTs identified the three NGSS dimensions-science and engineering practices (SEPs), crosscutting concepts (CCCs), and disciplinary core ideas (DCIs)-from performance expectations and translated them into learning objectives with support from a three-dimensional (3D) mapping tool. By analyzing 132 maps and 242 learning objectives, our findings offer insights into both the progress and challenges PSTs face when constructing three-dimensional science learning objectives. Key findings include: 1) most PSTs were able to create two- or three-dimensional learning objectives using the 3D mapping tool; 2) the three NGSS dimensions appeared in PSTs' learning objectives to varying degrees, with DCIs included in most objectives, SEPs in about three-quarters of them, and CCCs in only one-third of the objectives; 3) most PSTs successfully identify relevant SEPs, DCIs, and CCCs from the performance expectations selected for their lesson sequences; and 4) while PSTs could often incorporate intended DCIs into their learning objectives, they struggled to properly integrate SEPs and CCCs. We discuss possible reasons for these findings and the implications for preparing future elementary teachers to plan NGSS-aligned science instruction.