Promoting Language Literacy in the Science Classroom

1. Presentation of Research Findings for the NARST 2012 Annual International Conference Promoting Language Literacy in the Science Classroom Sandie Grinnell Mount Elden Middle School Barbara Austin Wittenberg University

2. “It is this factual informational text that dominates today’s knowledge-everywhere world” (Alberts, 2010, p. 405). Source: http://www.crdfglobal.org/about-us/george-brown-award/profile/2011/07/21/dr-bruce-alberts

3. Background

4. Research Questions • What beliefs do teachers hold about the pre-teaching of vocabulary in a science lesson about sound? • How do teachers reason about the use of informational texts in a science lesson? • What similarities exist between recommendations about teaching reading and methods teachers espouse for teaching about sound?

5. Are we developing scientifically literate students? • The Condition of Education 2011: • 21% of twelfth grade students scored at or above the Proficient level (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2009) • 179 out of 300 is Proficient

6. The Role of the Learning Cycle in Developing Scientifically Literate Students

7. The Role of the Learning Cycle in Developing Scientifically Literate Students

8. The Role of the Learning Cycle in Developing Scientifically Literate Students

9. Interconnected Nature of Reading and Science • Language is a tool used by scientists (Yore, et al., 2004). • The inclusion of reading in science: • Allows students to develop reading comprehension skills • Demonstrates use of reading for a purpose (Morrow, Pressley, Smith and Smith, 1997; Dyasi & Dyasi, 2004) • Can enhance learning through inquiry (Pearson, Moje, & Greenleaf, 2010)

10. Informational Text • Inconsistency between classroom practice and literacy needs of adults • Classroom focus placed upon literary text • Adults require ability to gain knowledge from informational text (Venezky, 2000) • Low student achievement in reading informational text (Duke, 2000)

11. Recommendations for Reading Instruction • Development of prior knowledge • Comprehension of text is difficult without it (Smith,2004). • Direct vocabulary instruction increases student achievement (Beck, McKeown, & Omanson, 1987; Bruer, 1993; Harmon, Hedrick, & Wood, 2005). • Pre-teaching vocabulary recommended for English Language Learners (Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2008).

12. Summary of Literature Review • The primary goal of educational system is to produce citizens who possess both scientific and language literacy skills. • Science provides a meaningful context in which students can practice reading from informational text. • Reading and vocabulary instruction can be placed within the explanatory phase of a science lesson sequenced using a learning cycle.

13. Methods

14. Conceptual Framework • Science instruction provides a meaningful context in which reading literacy skills can be developed. • A learning cycle should be used to sequence learning events in a science lesson, because it allows students to explore scientific phenomena prior to giving them explanations of concepts.

15. Setting • 110 participants from four counties in the southwestern United States • Grade span taught by participants: K – 7th • Between 1 and 26 years of experience

16. Sample Learning Event

17. Participant Data

18. Data Analysis • Initial analysis was conducted by both authors and six graduate students • EZ-Text Software • Grounded theory approach • >70% inter-rater reliability Cohen’s kappa for 22 codes in original codebook • Literacy code

19. Development of New Codebook • Literacy data reviewed • “Not literacy” code added to indicate that a literacy activity was not chosen • Grounded theory approach again developed codes representative of teacher thinking • Second coder was given 20 responses • 100% agreement on the coding of these responses

20. Findings

21. Major Themes • Literacy • Vocabulary chosen • Reading chosen • Not Literacy • Vocabulary not chosen • Reading and summarizing not chosen • Literacy and the learning cycle • Vocabulary before exploration • Vocabulary after exploration • Reading before exploration • Reading after exploration • Vocabulary and reading and summarizing before exploration • Vocabulary and reading and summarizing after exploration

23. Vocabulary Themes • 79 participants chose vocabulary instruction • 59 placed it early in sequence

24. Vocabulary Allows for Communication • 13 participants reasoned that vocabulary should be taught for purposes of communication. • “A student must know the proper terms when explaining how things work” (20114/2A 1/5). • “Vocabulary enables students to speak a common language. At this point, they can relate the words to the knowledge they’ve learned thus far” (40120/2A 4/5). • “After the student has built a basic foundation knowledge about waves, he will apply the new vocabulary to the new concepts…vocabulary is important to communicate in the new language” (40135/2A 2/5).

25. Vocabulary Connected to Prior Learning • 25 selected vocabulary after another activity • “These terms relate to the exploration of sound undertaken so far” (10126/2A 3/4, following identifying objects that vibrate to make sound and slinky activity). • “Next, I would go into the vocab [sic] and explain what some of their findings were called” (20107/2A 2/5, following identification of objects that vibrate to make sound). • “Once the students have experimented and made their own discoveries, the teacher can listen to students’ explanations. As they are discussed, the teacher can help provide ‘official’ vocabulary and a solid knowledge of what they have discovered” (40111/2A 2/3, following design of experiment to test factors that affect sound).

26. Pre-teaching Vocabulary • 30 teachers indicated that vocabulary should be pre-taught: • “I have always been taught and textbook series support this format, that the introduction of vocabulary terms prior to the actually [sic] teaching of the content helps prepare the students for a better understanding of the concept being taught” (10111/2A 2/5). • “It is important that students understand the vocabulary prior to beginning the lesson. Teachers should preteach [sic] this information” (40102/2A 1/5). • “Children need background & vocabulary to stick new information to. Introducing terms helps prepare them to describe what they’re about to learn” (10124/2A 1/4).

28. Reading and Summarizing Not Chosen • 86 participants did not select reading and summarizing

29. Reading Difficult • 10 teachers indicated that reading and summarizing would be too difficult for their students. • “Most of my students would need help understanding” (10120/8A 0/5). • “Since a certain proportion of each class has students with reading difficulties, this can also be a daunting task with increasing frustration at lack of understanding” (40111/8A 0/3). • “This lesson does not reach students who are ELL or have difficulty reading” (40123/8A S0).

30. Reading Boring • 15 teachers explained that they did not choose reading and summarizing because it was boring. • “I don’t think this would grab they’re [sic] attention, and they would check out before we started” (10109/8A 0/4). • “I didn’t choose this activity because it seems rather boring and not interactive” (40110/8A 0/5). • “This is a real boring way to teach. If youre [sic] going to use this method you might as well not come to class [sic] just write the assignment on the board and leave” (40131/8A 0/3).

31. Reading Ineffective • 22 teachers expressed their belief that reading and summarizing are not effective for ensuring meaningful learning. • “If all the students do is read from a book and record what they read the information will not ‘stick’ with them” (20119/8 0/4). • “Early elementary students would not retain a lot of what they learned from this teaching method. It would not be meaningful for them” (40118/8A 0/4). • “Students are going to remember very little about what they read. This is a fairly abstract concept and students will have a hard time making connections when the material is only presented in print” (40128/8A 0/5). • “Useless” (20101/8A S0).

32. Reading Not Hands-on • 24 teachers explained that they did not chose reading and summarizing because it was not hands-on or lacked direct, sensory experiences. • “Sound needs to be heard, felt, experienced and hands-on due to the nature of sound itself” (10112/8A 0/4). • “I also believe the students would learn more from hands on [sic] materials and be able to take the information into the real world experiences” (10128/8A 0/4). • “This step does not give children a chance to really explore what sound is. No hands-on experience” (40121/8A 0/4).

33. Discussion

34. Importance of Prior Knowledge • Teacher recognition of the necessity for adequate prior knowledge is consistent with research: • Novak and Gowin, 1984 • Osborne and Freyberg, 1985 • Smith, 2004

35. Bias Toward Language Literacy Strategies in Science Teaching Nearly 50% of teachers who chose vocabulary as part of a sequence placed it before student exploration of scientific concepts.

36. However… • They didn’t see the merit in teaching reading during a science lesson: • Reading is difficult. • Reading is boring. • Reading is un-engaging. • Reading is not a worthwhile pursuit in a science lesson. • Because reading is not hands-on, it is perceived to have no role in elementary school science (Pearson, Moje, and Greenleaf, 2010).

37. Teacher Confusion About Effective Teaching Practices • Pre-teaching vocabulary • Conflicts with NSES recommendations for inquiry-based teaching • Conflicts with A Framework for K-12 Science Education recommendations for instruction of scientific practices • Omitting reading instruction from science lessons • Conflicts with National Reading Panel recommendations for allowing students to encounter informational text in contextually appropriate situations.

38. How Vocabulary Instruction Fits in with Science Teaching • Should be introduced during the Term Introduction or Explain phase of a learning cycle • Vocabulary gives terminology for explored phenomena. • It allows students to communicate about observations they have made. • Vocabulary prepares students to read about the phenomena they have observed.

39. Limitations of This Study • No opportunities for clarification or elaboration. • Teacher misunderstanding of assessment directions • Failure to sequence events • Snapshot of thinking may or may not reflect actual teacher practice

40. Future Work • Analyze teacher beliefs about prior knowledge: • What role does prior knowledge play in science learning? • What are beliefs about how prior knowledge is most effectively constructed in science lessons? • Are teachers able to differentiate between methods with which to build prior knowledge in science, as opposed to other disciplines? • Were MSP programs effective in changing teacher thinking about vocabulary and reading inclusion in science lessons?

41. Additional Data

43. Literacy and the Learning Cycle

44. Both Vocabulary and Reading/Summarizing Before Exploration • Nine participants placed both vocabulary instruction and reading and summarizing before exploration. • Participant 10113 selected vocabulary as 2/5 and reading and summarizing as 3/5, with 1/5 consisting of slinky activity selected for its value as a “hook” and preceding the testing factors of sound activity. • Participant 30101 selected reading and summarizing as 1/5 and vocabulary as 2/5, preceding slinky exploration.

45. Reading and Summarizing Before Exploration • 11 teachers placed reading and summarizing before exploration. • “Teacher introduces subject and has students read. Students now know pre Knowledge [sic] of the subject” (30101/8A 1/4). • “The sw [students will] become familiar with the basics of waves. This will become foundation knowledge” (40129/8A 1/5).

46. Vocabulary Before Exploration • 37 teachers placed vocabulary prior to exploration. • “It’s important to start a lesson with vocabulary so that students can understand more of what is being taught throughout the rest of the lesson” (10115/2A 1/4). • “Students first need to have an understanding of the terms that will be used. Students need some prior knowledge before they are thrown into an assignment” (20113/2A 1/5). • “It is important that students understand the vocabulary prior to beginning the lesson” (40102/2A 1/5).

47. Both Vocabulary and Reading/Summarizing After Exploration • Eight participants placed both vocabulary instruction and reading and summarizing after exploration. • Participant 20115 selected reading and summarizing as 3/5 and vocabulary instruction as 4/5, following the instrument building activity. • Participant 30113 selected vocabulary instruction as 2/3 and reading and summarizing as 3/3 following the slinky exploration.

48. Reading and Summarizing After Exploration • 11 teachers sequenced reading and summarizing after exploration activities. • “This will relate to the prior knowledge they’ve learned from doing the experiments” (20108/8A 3/5). • “Next we will read the content. The students now have a visual and understanding of the vocabulary to help with the understanding of new content” (40115/8A 3/5).

49. Vocabulary After Exploration • 39 teachers placed vocabulary instruction after at least one exploration activity. • “Vocabulary, because they can relate to previous experiment + make a connection” (10117/2A 2/5). • “After the explorations and activities that relate to sound, the students shld [sic] learn the terminology to enhance their knowledge” (20108/2A 5/5). • “At this point, they can relate these words to the knowledge they’ve learned thus far” (40102/2A 4/5).

50. Contact Information Sandie Grinnell Mount Elden Middle School sgrinnell@fusd1.org Barbara Austin Wittenberg Univerisity baustin@wittenberg.edu Grinnell_2012NARST_paper.pdf