Improving Science and Literacy Learning for English Language Learners: Evidence from a Pre-service Teacher Preparation Intervention

Assessing Conceptual Understanding via Literacy-Infused, Inquiry-Based Science among Middle School English Learners and Economically-Challenged Students

“…In addition to language, science involves a certain set of practices referred to as science and engineering practices [9] and new ways of thinking about the natural world [7]. Therefore, to facilitate students' learning, researchers have advocated the integration of literacy and science and determined that this integration can promote improved English literacy skills and scientific thinking for EL and EC students (e.g., [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]). Engaging in inquiry-based instruction has resulted in or promoted improved student learning for the general student population and has been noted by several researchers and scholars for over 50 years (e.g., [20][21][22][23][24][25]).…”

Measuring and comparing academic language development and conceptual understanding via science notebooks

“…Literacy instruction in the content area classrooms seems to help diverse students increase their academic language (Lara-Alecio et al, 2012;Lee, Deaktor, Hart, Cuevas, & Enders, 2005;Shaw, Lyon, Stoddard, Mosqueda, & Memon, 2014), conceptual understanding (Fradd, Lee, Sutman, & Saxton, 2001;Lee, Maerten-Rievera, Penfield, LeRoy, & Secada, 2008;Lynch, Kuipers, Pyke, & Szeze, 2005;Shaw et al, 2014), and overall science achievement (Lara-Alecio et al, 2012;Lynch et al, 2005). Science notebooks, in particular, have been lauded as an effective literacy integration tool since the publication of the National Science Standards (National Research Council, 1996) and continue to be promoted in the literature since the publication of the Next Generation Science Standards (Achieve, Inc., 2013).…”

“…On the one hand, former ELLs can be exited too early from second-language (L2) support programs based on their social language rather than their academic language development (Cummins, 1981;Scarcella, 2003) making it difficult for them to exhibit their content-are knowledge in school settings (Abella, 2005). On the other hand, former ELLs may outperform ES students because they have more language and literacy support in the classroom (Shaw et al, 2014). Gender, in the context of science and economically disadvantaged ES students is of particular interest in a language-rich assessment study, given that girls seem to dominate in second-language learning (Brantmeier, Schueller, Wilde, & Kinginger, 2007), but are at a disadvantage in the field of science in terms of achievement and career choices (X.…”

Vocabulary Development in Science: Studying a Middle School Sheltered Classroom

“…This simplistic view of science language along with the particular classroom practice which "frontloads" the science vocabulary ahead of the content learning seem have been problematized in research (Brown & Ryoo, 2008;Settlage, J., Madsen, A., & Rustad, 2005) and recent professional development studies seek a more integrated approach to merge science literacy into the instructional activities (Gibbons, 2009;Shaw, Lyon, Stoddart, Mosqueda, & Menon, 2014;Weinburgh et al, 2014;Zwiep et al, 2011). For example, in Shaw and colleagues' study (Shaw et al, 2014), science literacy was addressed through active use of the content terms by the teacher and sufficient opportunities for students to use these words as well.…”

“…For example, in Shaw and colleagues' study (Shaw et al, 2014), science literacy was addressed through active use of the content terms by the teacher and sufficient opportunities for students to use these words as well. In Weinburgh and colleagues' study (Weinburgh et al, 2014), they described a 5R instructional model in which the vocabulary instruction was woven into the inquiry science.…”