Greenleaf, C. L, Litman, C., Hanson, T. L., Rosen, R., Boscardin, C. K., Herman, J., Schneider, S. A., Madden, S., & Jones, B. (2011). Integrating literacy and science in biology: Teaching and learning impacts of reading apprenticeship professional development. American Educational Research Journal, 48(3), 647-717. doi: 10.3102/0002831210384839
The authors of this quantitative empirical research study explored the relationship between integration of reading instruction into a high school biology classroom and students’ growth in the areas of reading and biology. The authors further examined how professional development training in reading instruction influenced science teachers’ ability to integrate reading activities into the high school science curriculum.
The participants of this study were a random assortment of high school biology teachers from high schools across California, educating a variety of demographic student populations. Teachers in the experimental group were given 10 days of Reading Apprenticeship professional development training focusing on the integration of reading instruction in a biology classroom. Results of this study show that teachers who participated in the professional development program were more able to incorporate literacy into their classroom instruction than teachers who had not attended the training. Furthermore, students who had been instructed by teachers attending the professional development showed higher levels of reading and biology achievement, and increased confidence when approaching scientific reading.
Educators can use the information from the results of this study to better their own practices in the classroom through the integration of collaborative learning, metacognitive processes, and reading comprehension instruction. Professional development can provide necessary information and training for educators on how effectively integrate academic literacy elements into biology content instruction.
The authors of this quantitative empirical research study explored the relationship between integration of reading instruction into a high school biology classroom and students’ growth in the areas of reading and biology. The authors further examined how professional development training in reading instruction influenced science teachers’ ability to integrate reading activities into the high school science curriculum.
The participants of this study were a random assortment of high school biology teachers from high schools across California, educating a variety of demographic student populations. Teachers in the experimental group were given 10 days of Reading Apprenticeship professional development training focusing on the integration of reading instruction in a biology classroom. Results of this study show that teachers who participated in the professional development program were more able to incorporate literacy into their classroom instruction than teachers who had not attended the training. Furthermore, students who had been instructed by teachers attending the professional development showed higher levels of reading and biology achievement, and increased confidence when approaching scientific reading.
Educators can use the information from the results of this study to better their own practices in the classroom through the integration of collaborative learning, metacognitive processes, and reading comprehension instruction. Professional development can provide necessary information and training for educators on how effectively integrate academic literacy elements into biology content instruction.