Networks of Power and Privilege: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the US Next Generation Science Standards

Science holds significant power in shaping many of our everyday choices. Thus, it is important for science education to foster the development of scientific literacy for all students, so that they can navigate science-related issues in their daily lives. This study carries out a critical discourse analysis of the US Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) through an actor network theory framework to explore how the NGSS document is shaping the discourse of science education. The findings of this study show that the NGSS delivers a highly technocratic document that leaves little room for democratic engagement. It seems to place an emphasis on science education that is necessary for entry into STEM fields. The NGSS appears to have co-opted the notion of a "science for all" approach to push a neoliberal agenda of science education that serves to fuel the economic market and privileges a select few.