Science education for students with special needs

Abstract

Students with special needs tend to show significantly lower achievement in science than their peers. Reasons for this include severe difficulties with academic skills (i.e. reading, math and writing), behaviour problems and limited prior understanding of core concepts background knowledge. Despite this bleak picture, much is known on how to significantly improve science achievement for students with special needs. A recent comprehensive meta-analysis indicates that inquiry instruction which infuses appropriate scaffolds and supports, can significantly improve science achievement for students with special needs. This article will delineate the types of supports and scaffolds that students with special needs require to be successful in inquiry instruction. It will also provide concrete examples of how these supports have been successfully applied in an inclusive third through fifth grade science approach (i.e. the science writing heuristic).

Keywords:

• special needs
• argumentation
• inquiry
• science learning
• disciplinary literacy

Acknowledgements

The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, US Department of Education, through Grants R305A090094 and R305B10005 to The University of Iowa. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the US Department of Education.

Notes

1. Science education journals with the highest impact factors for Education and Educational Research, Journal Citation Reports Social Sciences Edition (2010).