Meeting linguistic challenges in the science classroom: pre-service ESL teachers' strategies

This study explores the perceptions and challenges of Malaysian pre-service teachers teaching science in a second language. A qualitative case study method was used with multiple sources of data to provide insights into the challenges that a group of pre-service teachers faced during their teaching practicum. The pre-service teachers had to overcome various challenges that arose due to factors such as lack of competency in the medium of instruction and the students' varying levels of language ability. In addressing the challenges faced, they employed various strategies, including code switching and mixing, teacher-student collaboration, rephrasing and re-emphasizing, the use of instructional aids, and the use of analogies. The evidence presented in this study suggests that attention should be given to addressing the English language policy in the science teacher education programme.     

The alignment between the fourth grade Lebanese science curriculum and classroom assessments

The purpose of this study was to investigate the alignment between the fourth-grade summative classroom assessments and the ‘Matter and Energy’ unit in the Lebanese science curriculum using: content and cognitive levels. Summative assessments were collected from a sample of 17 schools. The alignment between the classroom assessments and the Lebanese science curriculum were examined using three instruments: Curriculum Coding Sheet, Items Coding Sheet, and Item Analysis Sheet. The curricular learning objectives were used for matching the test items to the learning objectives in terms of content. Findings showed moderate content alignment; further analysis revealed that public schools had higher content alignment, and they covered a wider range of topics. In terms of cognitive level, there was a low alignment between the assessments collected and the curriculum; however, there were items that had higher cognitive level. Recommendations for curriculum developers and future research are discussed in light of these findings.     

Test item linguistic complexity and assessments for deaf students

Linguistic complexity of test items is one test format element that has been studied in the context of struggling readers and their participation in paper-and-pencil tests. The present article presents findings from an exploratory study on the potential relationship between linguistic complexity and test performance for deaf readers. A total of 64 students completed 52 multiple-choice items, 32 in mathematics and 20 in reading. These items were coded for linguistic complexity components of vocabulary, syntax, and discourse. Mathematics items had higher linguistic complexity ratings than reading items, but there were no significant relationships between item linguistic complexity scores and student performance on the test items. The discussion addresses issues related to the subject area, student proficiency levels in the test content, factors to look for in determining a "linguistic complexity effect," and areas for further research in test item development and deaf students.     

Translanguaging and equity in groupwork in the science classroom: Adding linguistic and cultural diversity to the equation

Cultural Studies of Science Education - Alexis Patterson’s paper researches equity in groupwork in the science classroom by looking at micro-interactions. She points to the key features of...     

Motivation and strategy use in science: Individual differences and classroom effects

This study examines individual and classroom-level differences in motivation and strategy usage in sixth- and seventh-grade middle school science. Results suggest that students who experience academic difficulties differ from both high achieving and special education students on measures of self-efficacy, goal orientation, expectancy, value, and self-concept of ability in science, with students who experience academic difficulties occasionally demonstrating less adaptive patterns of motivation and cognition than special education students in science. We used hierarchical linear modeling to examine between-classroom differences in learning-focused goal orientation. Findings indicate that students who have science teachers that use ability-focused instructional practices (e.g., pointing out the best students as an example to others) are less learning focused, and exhibit a diminished relation between self-concept of ability and being learning focused in science. Implications for science education reform are discussed.     

论中学政治课堂教学生活化的误区及应对策略

本文论述了中学政治课堂教学生活化的误区,并提出了相应的策略,以期对政治课堂教学生活化这一课题做出有益的探索。     

Language effects in international testing: the case of PISA 2006 science items

We investigate the extent to which language versions (English, French and Arabic) of the same science test are comparable in terms of item difficulty and demands. We argue that language is an inextricable part of the scientific literacy construct, be it intended or not by the examiner. This argument has considerable implications on methodologies used to address the equivalence of multiple language versions of the same assessment, including in the context of international assessment where cross-cultural fairness is a concern. We also argue that none of the available statistical or qualitative techniques are capable of teasing out the language variable and neutralising its potential effects on item difficulty and demands. Exploring the use of automated text analysis tools at the quality control stage may be successful in addressing some of these challenges.     

Generalizability theory and the fair and valid assessment of linguistic minorities

We discuss generalizability (G) theory and the fair and valid assessment of linguistic minorities, especially emergent bilinguals. G theory allows examination of the relationship between score variation and language variation (e.g., variation of proficiency across languages, language modes, and social contexts). Studies examining score variation across items administered in emergent bilinguals' first and second languages show that the interaction of student and the facets (sources of measurement error) item and language is an important source of score variation. Each item poses a unique set of linguistic challenges in each language, and each emergent bilingual individual has a unique set of strengths and weaknesses in each language. Based on these findings, G theory can inform the process of test construction in large-scale testing programmes and the development of testing models that ensure more valid and fair interpretations of test scores for linguistic minorities.     

Curriculum reform and choice of science: Consequences for balanced and equitable participation and achievement

In 1988, most schools in Western Australia adopted a Unit Curriculum structure in the first three years of high school, following piloting of the scheme in seven schools in 1987. The goais of the Unit Curriculum are stated to be excellence, equity, and relevance, and one of its key features is the increased flexibility students have in making their subject selection. This article reviews the science enrollment and achievement patterns of males and females studying in the pilot schools in 1987, and for the first three years of the operation of the Unit Curriculum in 1988, 1989, and 1990. The data indicate that lowering the age for subject choice is associated with a reduction in the amount of science studies, especially by females, and with the early manifestation of sex-stereotyped subject selection. It appears that if early sex stereotyping is to be avoided, then students need to be provided with more structure in their selection of units. This article emphasizes the need for all involved in system-wide curriculum change to be fully informed of the potential benefits and dangers of curriculum models which allow wide flexibility, especially where curriculum change affects students' “choice point”.     

Management of science classroom tasks and effects on students' learning opportunities

This study examined the work that students completed during six or seven week units of instruction in four different science classes. The purpose of the study was to assess the kinds of learning opportunities students had as they dealt with science content and the problems teachers faced in managing different kinds of assignments, particularly assignments that required students to use higher level cognitive operations. Management strategies associated with these assignments are described and the effects of these strategies are considered.     

ALICE: Acquisition of linguistic items in the context of examples

Most natural language terms-such as verbs, nouns, conjunctions, prepositions-have a context-dependent meaning. The dependence of the meaning on the context changes with languages. This variability accounts for many errors made by students while learning a foreign language.ALICE is an interactive system which relies on a pragmatic representation of conceptual differences of linguistic terms in several languages (currently, subordinate conjunctions in English, French and Italian) and offers diagnostic and remedial strategies for mistakes made by a student in translating from or into any of the available languages.     

The effects of classroom climate on college science students: A replication study

This replication studied the effect of two specific classroom climates on learning of science process skills and content achievement in college science classes. Two classroom climates were established and designated as discovery classroom climate (DCC) and nondiscovery classroom climate (NDCC). The term discovery denotes the degree of freedom the teacher established in classroom interactions, both verbal and nonverbal. Verbal interactions were monitored with the Science Laboratory Interaction Categories. These data indicate that students in the two classroom climates achieved equally as well on learning of biological content of the course and on scores in science process skills as measured by the Welch Science Process Inventory. This study indicates students in the less directive discovery climate learned as much content as a more directive comparison class—they lost nothing of what is traditionally sought in a college science class. Differences between the original and the replication study on the Science Process Inventory were noted.     

课堂典型题例设计原则

在课堂教学中，设计出好的典型题例，不仅有助于学生对概念、原理的理解和应用，还有助于培养学生严密的逻辑思维能力和解决生产、生活实践的能力。那么，如何设计好典型题例呢？笔者认为必需遵循以下的原则。     

Talking about science: An interpretation of the effects of teacher talk in a high school science classroom

This paper builds on research in science education, secondary education, and sociolinguistics by arguing that high school classrooms can be considered speech communities in which language may be selectively used and imposed on students as a means of fostering academic speech community identification. To demonstrate the ways in which a high school teacher's language use may encourage subject area identification, the results of an interactionist analysis of data from a 2-year ethnographic study of one high school chemistry classroom are presented. Findings indicate that this teacher's uses of language fell into three related categories. These uses of language served to foster identification with the academic speech community of science. As a result of the teacher's talk about science according to these three patterns, students developed or reinforced particular views of science. In addition, talking about science in ways that fostered identity with the discipline promoted the teacher as expert and built classroom solidarity or community. These results are discussed in light of sociolinguistic research on classroom competence and of the assertions of science educators regarding social and ideologic implications of language use in science instruction.     

The effects of professional development on science teaching practices and classroom culture

The current science education reform movement emphasizes the importance of professional development as a means of improving student science achievement. Reformers have developed a vision for professional development based upon intensive and sustained training around concrete tasks that is focused on subject‐matter knowledge, connected to specific standards for student performance, and embedded in a systemic context. Using data from a National Science Foundation Teacher Enhancement program called the Local Systemic Change initiative, this study employs hierarchical linear modeling to examine the relationship between professional development and the reformers' vision of teaching practice. The findings indicate that the quantity of professional development in which teachers participate is strongly linked with both inquiry‐based teaching practice and investigative classroom culture. At the individual level, teachers' content preparation also has a powerful influence on teaching practice and classroom culture. At the school level, school socioeconomic status was found to influence practice more substantially than either principal supportiveness or available resources. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 37: 963–980, 2000     

Science assessments for all: Integrating science simulations into balanced state science assessment systems

This article reports on the collaboration of six states to study how simulation‐based science assessments can become transformative components of multi‐level, balanced state science assessment systems. The project studied the psychometric quality, feasibility, and utility of simulation‐based science assessments designed to serve formative purposes during a unit and to provide summative evidence of end‐of‐unit proficiencies. The frameworks of evidence‐centered assessment design and model‐based learning shaped the specifications for the assessments. The simulations provided the three most common forms of accommodations in state testing programs: audio recording of text, screen magnification, and support for extended time. The SimScientists program at WestEd developed simulation‐based, curriculum‐embedded, and unit benchmark assessments for two middle school topics, Ecosystems and Force & Motion. These were field‐tested in three states. Data included student characteristics, responses to the assessments, cognitive labs, classroom observations, and teacher surveys and interviews. UCLA CRESST conducted an evaluation of the implementation. Feasibility and utility were examined in classroom observations, teacher surveys and interviews, and by the six‐state Design Panel. Technical quality data included AAAS reviews of the items' alignment with standards and quality of the science, cognitive labs, and assessment data. Student data were analyzed using multidimensional Item Response Theory (IRT) methods. IRT analyses demonstrated the high psychometric quality (reliability and validity) of the assessments and their discrimination between content knowledge and inquiry practices. Students performed better on the interactive, simulation‐based assessments than on the static, conventional items in the posttest. Importantly, gaps between performance of the general population and English language learners and students with disabilities were considerably smaller on the simulation‐based assessments than on the posttests. The Design Panel participated in development of two models for integrating science simulations into a balanced state science assessment system. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 363–393, 2012     

Advances in research on classroom dialogue: learning outcomes and assessments

The goal of this special issue is to examine how certain modes of classroom dialogue might contribute to students' learning outcomes. The articles in this special issue share the idea of classroom talk as a problem-oriented dialogue. In other words, an interactional configuration based on exchanges among students and teachers that go beyond the predominantly monologic approaches of classroom talk. In each of the contributions to this special issue, different types of learning outcomes were studied as a result of specific ways of orchestrating classroom dialogue. All in all, the studies in this special issue yield a picture of the field as a productive research area: they provide evidence for the plausibility of the assumption that dialogic orchestrations of classroom talk may produce various desired learning and developmental outcomes in students, depending on what outcomes we want to articulate, and how they are assessed. Although the studies in this special issue yield promising results for future improvements of classroom practice more (preferably longitudinal) research is required.     

Striving 2.0: Faculty Collaboration and Advocacy as Strategies for Overcoming Post-Striving Organizational Priorities

Innovative Higher Education - A case study at a large, public research university was conducted to understand how post-striving environments, defined by those universities that achieved very high...