Integrating Science, Language, and Literacy With Diverse Learners: One Teacher's Perspective and Practice

• In Event: 29.046 - Intersections in Education: Reaching and Teaching Diverse Students

Abstract

Instruction capitalizing on the interdependent relationship between science inquiry, oral language, and writing holds potential for improving science and academic language outcomes for culturally and linguistically diverse students. This exploratory case study describes an elementary teacher’s perspective and practices while participating in a language and literacy enhanced science inquiry project: Science Talk and Writing to Excel Learning (Project STWEL). Interviews, written reflections, and videotaped lessons were analyzed to understand the teacher’s perspectives and practices while participating in the project. We found the teacher remained assured in the value of science inquiry for language development, however her perspectives and practices regarding the interdependent relationship of the disciplines, her role in the classroom, and science as an academic equalizer shifted.

Authors

• Tracy Spies, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Margarita Huerta, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Tiberio Garza, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Joseph John Morgan, University of Nevada, Las Vegas