Girod, M., & Twyman, T. (2009). Comparing the added value of blended science and literacy curricula to inquiry-based science curricula in two 2nd-grade classrooms. Journal of Elementary Science Education, 21(3), 13-32.
The authors of this quantitative empirical research article studied the effects of two different science curricula on students’ understandings and perceptions about science. They further explored the effects of reading, writing, and language use in the classroom as a means of integrating scientific literacy in the curriculum.
The participants in this study were teachers and students, predominantly middle-class Caucasian, from two 2nd-grade classrooms at an elementary school in the Northwest. Each teacher taught a unit on habitats using a different research-based science curriculum. One teacher used “Seeds”, an experimental curriculum designed to blend the underlying concepts of literacy with hands-on, inquiry-based science (blended science and literacy curriculum). The other teacher used Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS), a science curriculum similar to the “Seeds” curriculum in terms of being hands-on and inquiry-based, but without an integrated literacy component. (inquiry-based curriculum). After the unit was taught, the authors measured students’ beliefs about and towards science (affect, interest, and identity), understanding of the nature of science (NOS), and conceptual understanding. Effects of reading, writing, and language usage were also observed. The results of this research showed that understanding of NOS and conceptual understanding of the material were higher in students learning in the classroom using the “Seeds” curriculum. There was no difference in the students’ interest and affect levels regarding science between the two curricula; however the authors noted a relationship between the use of reading, writing, and language in the classroom, and higher identity levels in students regarding learning about science.
The results of this study show that the addition of literacy components to an inquiry- based science curriculum can have a positive influence on the development of scientific literacy skills. Elementary educators can increase understanding of NOS and comprehension by incorporating elements common to both science and literacy in the curriculum, even for younger children. By incorporating reading, writing, and language activities into daily lesson plans, secondary educators can promote the development of scientific literacy in students.
The authors of this quantitative empirical research article studied the effects of two different science curricula on students’ understandings and perceptions about science. They further explored the effects of reading, writing, and language use in the classroom as a means of integrating scientific literacy in the curriculum.
The participants in this study were teachers and students, predominantly middle-class Caucasian, from two 2nd-grade classrooms at an elementary school in the Northwest. Each teacher taught a unit on habitats using a different research-based science curriculum. One teacher used “Seeds”, an experimental curriculum designed to blend the underlying concepts of literacy with hands-on, inquiry-based science (blended science and literacy curriculum). The other teacher used Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS), a science curriculum similar to the “Seeds” curriculum in terms of being hands-on and inquiry-based, but without an integrated literacy component. (inquiry-based curriculum). After the unit was taught, the authors measured students’ beliefs about and towards science (affect, interest, and identity), understanding of the nature of science (NOS), and conceptual understanding. Effects of reading, writing, and language usage were also observed. The results of this research showed that understanding of NOS and conceptual understanding of the material were higher in students learning in the classroom using the “Seeds” curriculum. There was no difference in the students’ interest and affect levels regarding science between the two curricula; however the authors noted a relationship between the use of reading, writing, and language in the classroom, and higher identity levels in students regarding learning about science.
The results of this study show that the addition of literacy components to an inquiry- based science curriculum can have a positive influence on the development of scientific literacy skills. Elementary educators can increase understanding of NOS and comprehension by incorporating elements common to both science and literacy in the curriculum, even for younger children. By incorporating reading, writing, and language activities into daily lesson plans, secondary educators can promote the development of scientific literacy in students.