Obstacles to Collaboration: Understanding the Implementation of Cross-Curricular Writing in Science

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: Science Instructors' Technology Use

Abstract

Teachers face many challenges meeting the literacy demands of their students, especially in high-needs schools. This qualitative case study examined the experience of an ELA teacher as she attempted to enact interdisciplinary collaborations with science teachers as part of a campus-wide writing initiative. Goals of the study were: to ascertain the obstacles to implementation of a collaborative writing intervention with science teachers and to identify the factors that contributed to the disparity in levels of implementation in the subject areas of biology and chemistry. Preliminary findings suggest that such collaborations are heavily influenced by accountability measures and power structures within the educational context.

Authors

• Kayla D Logan, University of Houston

• Mimi Miyoung Lee, University of Houston