Supporting the Use of Scientific Language: Teachers’ Use of Content-Foregrounded Educative Features

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to determine how elementary teachers used scientific language during a whole-class discussion to describe 3 biological phenomena (interactions, dependent relationships, and interdependent relationships) with and without educative curricula. Findings revealed that the ways in which the 6 teachersenacted the discussion reflected and varied from the original written curriculum materials. In addition, teachers provided with curriculum materials that contained educative features foregrounding scientific content tended to use scientific language to describe the 3 phenomena more frequently and more accurately than teachers given curriculum materials without the educative features. Teacher interviews provided insight into teachers’ perceived struggles enacting the whole-class discussion and teachers’ perceived importance of the use of scientific language. These findings have implications for curriculum developers, teacher educators, and teachers. The study highlights the need to support teachers’ use of scientific language and ability to talk science with elementary students.

KEYWORDS:

• curriculum development
• elementary science education
• science education
• scientific language
• teacher education-practicing teachers

Acknowledgments

We appreciate the participation of the teachers and students with whom we worked as well as our colleagues.

Funding

This research was funded by the National Science Foundation (grant number: 1007753). However, any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed here are our own.

Notes

¹ The Teacher Beliefs About Effective Science Teaching survey measures beliefs along three factors: learning theory–aligned science instruction, confirmatory science instruction, or all-hands-on-all-the-time science instruction. All-hands-on-all-the-time instruction represents an activity-focused stance without sense making. Learning theory science instruction reflects a constructivist approach. Confirmatory science instruction reflects an emphasis on students completing investigations to confirm ideas that they have been taught. Fit indices provide evidence for the appropriateness of the three-factor solution across all grade ranges. Cronbach’s alpha reliabilities for each grade range were greater than .70. Cognitive interviews suggested validity, and administration mode (paper or online) produced no difference in score, providing evidence for reliability and validity (Smith et al., 2014).

² Limited data on teacher preparation time suggested that all six case study teachers spent similar lengths of time preparing to teach Ecosystems Lesson 5.

³ Ms. Kilpatrick was unavailable for interview.

⁴ The duckweed needing the light is classified as an interaction rather than a dependent relationship.

⁵ Elodea is a type of water plant.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the National Science Foundation (grant number: 1007753). However, any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed here are our own.