Using Combined Text Genres to Reinforce the Understanding of Scientific Practices

• In Event: Working Together: The Integration of Reading and Writing in Supporting Science Learning

Abstract

This investigation examined how a teacher used the reading of combined text genres (the traditional science textbook, popular science articles, and Adapted Primary Literature [APL]) to influence the understanding of scientific practices. The participants were a sixth grade science teacher and ten students at a rigorous independent school in the southeastern United States. Data collection consisted classroom observations, interviews, and the collection of artifacts. The data was analyzed and coded using dialogic/performance analysis techniques. The following themes emerged from the data: the identification of the components of experimental design, the application of scientific knowledge to real world situations, and the elicitation of evidence to support conclusions. Study findings were presented as a single-case, holistic case study.

Authors

• Mesa Bryant Davis, Woodward Academy

• Kadir Demir, Georgia State University

• Patricia Dunac, Fayette County Schools