Making Science Accessible to All: Results of a Design Experiment in Inclusive Classrooms

Abstract

Recent science reform documents call for students to develop robust understandings of scientific concepts and reasoning through inquiry-based instruction. The challenge of this goal is increased in heterogeneous inclusive classroom settings with students identified as having learning disabilities and emotional impairments. This article describes a design experiment conducted over two school years in which we investigated the experiences and outcomes for special needs students in guided inquiry science instruction in upper-elementary grade classrooms (n = 4). Phase 1 ('97-'98) of the design experiment utilized qualitative and quantitative data to construct case studies of individual learners with special needs. Patterns across the cases informed the identification of advanced instructional strategies hypothesized to support special needs students relative to language/cognition, print literacy, attention, and social relations challenges. In Phase 2 ('98-'99), we studied learning outcomes from instruction including the advanced strategies (same teachers, topics as Phase 1). Our findings indicate that in Phase 2 (with the advanced strategies) all students demonstrated significant learning gains over Phase 1 and that special needs and low-achieving students in three of four classes showed changes in understanding comparable to those of normally achieving students. We conclude by identifying implications of these findings for the roles of general and special educators. ANNEMARIE S. PALINCSAR, Ph.D., is Jean and Charles Walgreen professor in Reading and Literacy, University of Michigan. SHIRLEY J. MAGNUSSON, Ph.D., is senior research associate, University of Michigan. KATHLEEN M. COLLINS, Ph.D., is assistant professor, University of San Diego. JANE CUTTER is a doctoral student, University of Michigan. THE CHALLENGE OF INQUIRY-BASED scientific reasoning through inquiry-based instruction SCIENCE INSTRUCTION (National Research Council, 1996). While many aspects Recent science reform documents call for students to of inquiry-based instruction speak to its appeal, it is a develop deep understandings of scientific concepts and very complex form of instruction, placing many Volume 24, Winter 2001 15 Sage Publications, Inc.

Including children with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms: implications for pedagogy from a systematic review

“…The studies indicate that attention to community and classroom participation should not be at the expense of attention to curriculum-related teaching and learning. Palincsar, Magnusson & Cutter's (2001) finding that significant learning gains depend on social and cognitive supports, underlines this point.…”

“…In these studies this co-construction took the form of peer-led discussion groups (Cushing, Kennedy, Shukla, Davis & Meyer, 1997;Stevens & Slavin, 1995a;1995b), careful questioning of pupils (Palincsar, Magnusson & Cutter, 2001) and focusing on social cognition and behaviours (Frederickson & Turner, 2002). In the cooperative learning groups, that were the subject of several of these studies, Adaptation of instruction • Case study: scaffolding to assist cognitive learning processes (Flem, 2000) • One teacher's application of mnemonic strategy instruction in her inclusive, Grade 4 social studies class (Mastropieri, Sweda & Scruggs, 2000) Adaptation of materials • Impact of professional development leading to use of new strategies and materials to support pupils struggling with reading (Bryant & Linan-Thompson, 2001) Adaptation of assessment • Adaptation of teaching, environment, materials and assessment (Bryant, Dean, Elrod & Blackburn, 1999) Adaptation of classroom environment • One teacher's approach combining activity-oriented science curriculum with the building of caring relationships in her classroom and developing enthusiasm for science and fulfilling students' personal purposes (Zembylas, 2002) Behavioural/programmatic intervention • Pupils trained to attract teacher attention and thus increase (a) the rate of teacher attracting, (b) the rate of teacher praise received, (c) the rate of instructional feedback received, and (d) accuracy in work completion (Alber, Heward & Hippler, 1999) • Simple peer-prompting procedure for reducing or eliminating annoying/disruptive sounds made by child with developmental disabilities (Arceneaux & Murdock, 1997) Computer-based pedagogy • The electronic mirror and emotional growth: influencing self-appraisals and motivational affects in students with EBD through the use of computer-mediated education (Luth, 2001) • Computer-assisted cooperative learning in Grade 3 mathematics instruction compared with whole-class computer-assisted learning (Xin, 1999) Peer tutoring • Academic effects of classwide peer tutoring during spelling instruction compared to traditional teacherled instruction (Mortweet, 1999) • Pupils with learning disabilities and students at risk for referral for special education assessment trained as tutors for younger children in a peer tutoring programme (Yasutake, 1996) Peer group interactive • Strategies for active facilitation of social interactions, empowering children, building a sense of community in the classroom, modelling acceptance, and developing school organisational supports.…”

Science and Social Studies for Students With Disabilities

“…Teachers have rich opportunities, during discussion, to stimulate students' learning by provoking them to examine and defend their opinions and by exposing them to different perspectives. And discussions provide an on-thespot means for teachers to monitor and expand students' conceptual learning (Palincsar, Magnusson, Collins & Cutter, 2001). As one teacher reported, I have found, in class discussions, I have been enlightened by a student's viewpoint; something that I never thought of in that manner, it took a child to help me see a different angle.…”

“…The living and nonliving things in an ecosystem help each other. (Ma tropieri et al, 1998, p. l 74) Similarly, Palincsar, Magnusson, Collins, and Cutter (2001) studied inclusive upper-elementary science classes studying floating and sinking, and properties of light, over a 2-year period. These researchers reported substantial overall learning gains when they implemented appropriately adapted hands-on instruction for students with learning disabilities.…”

Special Education Curriculum in an Era of High Standards

“…Palincsar's subsequent work in science instruction reflects many of the practices found in reciprocal teaching (Palincsar, Magnusson, Collins, & Cutter, 2001). While students engaged in communities of practice where they discussed their thinking and worked in collaborative small groups, the nature of the discourse centered on the scientific investigation of light and its interaction with matter.…”