How Separating Content and Language Learning in Secondary-Level Chemistry Enhances Learners' Subject Matter Knowledge (Poster 43)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Five
  In Poster Session: Science Teaching and Learning SIG Poster Session

Abstract

In order to investigate the effects of an innovative approach to teaching scientific concepts and terminology called Disaggregate Discourse Approach to Science Instruction (DDASI), we conducted a treatment-control study with a pre-post-test-design. 196 public school students participated in the teaching sequence “The Dead Sea is Dying” which we designed in alignment to the DDASI for the treatment group and with identical content and methods but no reference to the DDASI for the control group. In the accompanying subject-matter knowledge test, the DDASI students outperformed the control group but the differences did not become statistically significant. However, if we compare students with weaker language competences separately, we detect a significant advantage of the DDASI over high-quality instruction without a “disaggregation”.

Authors

• Robert Paul Gieske, Freie Universität Berlin
  Presenting Author

• Claus F. Bolte, Freie Universität Berlin
  Non-Presenting Author