Both Theory and Practice: Incorporating Reading Theory in Science Literacy Instruction

• In Event: 14.038 - Connection Between Theory and Practice: Systematic Reviews of Articles in Literacy Journals Published for Teachers

Abstract

Introduction
Many journals aimed at classroom practitioner audiences have published articles detailing recommendations to naturally integrate literacy instruction into science class, claiming to support both literacy and content-knowledge acquisition. However, these “tips” are often founded on non-empirical work or studies focused on one classroom. In 2012, Jagger and Yore conducted a literature analysis focused on journals for science teachers, specifically examining the recommendations made to incorporate scientific literacy into science classrooms. Their findings indicate that the bulk of published work lacked empirical evidence and was often atheoretical. These findings lead us to question whether journals for literacy teachers are doing a better job at providing theoretical support for science literacy integration.

Significance and Method
This paper summarizes the results of a systematic literature review examining theories driving science literacy instruction in a journal for literacy teachers. We focused our search to articles published in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, a flagship journal of the International Reading Association, as this highly respected practitioner oriented journal should be a model of best practices in the field. Twenty-three articles focused on scientific literacy and published in the past 10 years were identified and independently coded by the first author and the two co-authors. These procedures allow us to identify gaps in practitioner literature and describe methods to improve classroom science literacy.

Results
The 23 identified articles represented a range of literacy topics and subject areas. Additionally, coding of implicit and explicit reading theories demonstrated similar trends in supporting reading comprehension and vocabulary development. There is a strong focus on building vocabulary to assist in reading fluency and content-area comprehension. Most of these strategies identify techniques for students to access their background knowledge and build schema for science content.

Discussion and Conclusion
Comparing our findings to those of Jagger and Yore (2012) revealed that, like in science practitioner articles, theory can be implied in literacy articles, but it was only explicitly stated in 8 (34%) articles. Like in science practitioner journals, the recommendations in literacy-focused articles were largely based upon anecdotal evidence from a teacher or researcher, which do not provide sufficient empirical evidence to rationalize a change of curriculum.
Schema theory, which suggests learners require an intricate mapping of information to fully comprehend texts, was the most widely identified theory. Articles using Schema theory recommended activating students’ background knowledge and building vocabulary skills to aid comprehension. These strategies would help students before reading scientific materials, but do not support during or after reading processes (see Gill, 2008). Building vocabulary and connection to existing knowledge are important steps in building reading comprehension; however, these approaches are insufficient to truly engage students in science reading. Future recommendations for science literacy instruction must focus on discipline-specific practices that support students at all stages of reading.

Word Count: 484

Authors

• Katherine Landau Wright, Texas A&M University - College Station

• Amanda D. Franks, Texas A&M University

• Jiniva Serrano, Texas A&M University - College Station