Effectiveness of Exploratory activities Based on Engineering and Science Practices of Next Generation Science Standards in Developing Exploratory Thinking among Elementary Students

The present research paper aimed to identify the effectiveness of exploratory activities based on engineering and science practices of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in developing exploratory thinking among elementary students in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The author utilized the quasi-experimental method based on the control and experimental groups. Moreover, the sample consisted of (64) 4th grade elementary female students. The "Unit of Energy" was restructured based on engineering and science practices of NGSS among the 4th grade elementary students. A teacher guide and a student notebook concerning the activities of the "Unit of Energy" were prepared. Moreover, an exploratory thinking test was developed and applied to the participants over 6 weeks. The results showed statically significant differences at the level of ≤0.01 between the mean scores of the experimental and control groups at exploratory thinking post-test and in each domain. The study recommends the need for teacher preparation programs at Colleges of Education on preparing the pre-service teachers according to NGSS that should be involved in teaching practices to evaluate pre-service teachers’ performance in practicum.