SEP-Driven Learning Intentions: Writing Learning Intentions That Promote Student Sensemaking and Three-Dimensional Learning
Published January 15, 2025
Allen, M., Mattson, S., Arnold, E., Carroll, R., Freze, M., Inouye, M. C., … Houseal, A. (2025). SEP-Driven Learning Intentions: Writing Learning Intentions That Promote Student Sensemaking and Three-Dimensional Learning. Science Scope, 48(1), 52–56.
Abstract
Teachers have undergone many shifts in their classrooms to align with the vision of the NGSS, embracing phenomenon-based teaching and empowering student-driven learning. However, an important question arises: How do these shifts reconcile with traditional district standards for clarity in teaching and learning? Many districts mandate the practice of articulating explicit learning intentions, yet often these intentions are narrowly focused on content, inadvertently hindering student sensemaking and failing to foster three-dimensional learning. This article proposes an alternative approach, centered on the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), to crafting learning intentions that not only facilitate student sensemaking but also encompass all dimensions of the NGSS. This shift redirects attention to what students should be able to do (SEPs) and how they should understand it (crosscutting concept), tailored to the specific context of the phenomenon being studied. In doing so, it maintains transparency regarding student outcomes while actively encouraging sensemaking, thus bridging the gap between district expectations and the promotion of conceptual understanding.
