Coordinating Mathematics and Science Investigations to Support Students to Explain Variability (Poster 4)

• In Event: Intersections Across STEM Learning Environments

Abstract

Making inferences with data is foundational to scientific practice, and an important learning goal for students. However, these inferences require students to coordinate interdisciplinary ideas into a coherent system of knowledge creation and revision. Yet, disciplinary boundaries in schools often separate these ideas and undermine connections among them. In this paper we report on our design based research where we are working to understand how to support middle school math and science teachers to better coordinate their instruction around data and inferences. We report on early points of coordination, and the ways students’ representations and explanations of variability across math and science learning environments developed across investigations about measurement, variability, data visualization, and ecology.

Authors

• Ryan Seth Jones, Middle Tennessee State University

• Sara Salisbury, WestEd

• Fonya C Scott, Middle Tennessee State University

• Lori Klukowski, Middle Tennessee State University