Pacific CRYSTAL Project: Explicit Literacy Instruction Embedded in Middle School Science Classrooms

Autor/inn/en	Anthony, Robert J.; Tippett, Christine D.; Yore, Larry D.
Titel	Pacific CRYSTAL Project: Explicit Literacy Instruction Embedded in Middle School Science Classrooms
Quelle	In: Research in Science Education, 40 (2010) 1, S.45-64 (20 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0157-244X
DOI	10.1007/s11165-009-9156-7
Schlagwörter	Research and Development; Science Programs; Visual Literacy; Science Teachers; Scientific Literacy; Classrooms; Researchers; Teaching Methods; Literacy Education; Middle Schools; Science Instruction; Science Education; Science Curriculum; Middle School Teachers; Middle School Students; Science and Society + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Forschung und Entwicklung; Literacy; Visualization; Visualisation; Schreib- und Lesekompetenz; Visualisierung; Science; Teacher; Teachers; Science teacher; Wissenschaft; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Classroom; Klassenraum; Researcher; Forscher; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Middle school; Mittelschule; Mittelstufenschule; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Naturwissenschaftliche Bildung; Middle schools; Student; Students; Schüler; Schülerin
Abstract	Science literacy leading to fuller and informed participation in the public debate about science, technology, society, and environmental (STSE) issues that produce justified decisions and sustainable actions is the shared and central goal of the Pacific CRYSTAL Project. There is broad agreement by science education researchers that learners need to be able to construct and interpret specific scientific discourses and texts to be literate in science. We view these capabilities as components in the fundamental sense of science literacy and as interactive and synergetic to the derived sense of science literacy, which refers to having general knowledge about concepts, principles, and methods of science. This article reports on preliminary findings from Years 1, 2, and 3 of the 5-year Pacific CRYSTAL project that aims to identify, develop, and embed explicit literacy instruction in science programs to achieve both senses of science literacy. A community-based, opportunistic, engineering research and development approach has been utilized to identify problems and concerns and to design instructional solutions for teaching middle school (Grades 6, 7, and 8) science. Initial data indicate (a) opportunities in programs for embedding literacy instruction and tasks; (b) difficulties generalist teachers have with new science curricula; (c) difficulties specialist science teachers have with literacy activities, strategies, genre, and writing-to-learn science tasks; and (d) potential literacy activities (vocabulary, reading comprehension, visual literacy, genre, and writing tasks) for middle school science. Preinstruction student assessments indicate a range of challenges in achieving effective learning in science and the need for extensive teacher support to achieve the project's goals. Postinstructional assessments indicate positive changes in students' ability to perform target reading and writing tasks. Qualitative data indicate teachers' desire for external direction and the need for researchers to expand the literacy framework to include oral discourse. A case study of teachers' use of a specific literacy task and its influence on students revealed indications of robustness and effectiveness. Experiences revealed procedural difficulties and insights regarding community-based research and development approaches. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10