Improving Causal and Mechanistic Science Explanation Writing of Students With Learning Disabilities and English Learners

• In Event: Improving STEM Education for Students With Disabilities

Abstract

This study explored whether students with learning disabilities (LD) and those who are English learners (EL) could learn to write scientific explanations when taught via a cognitive apprenticeship approach to instruction. We focus on the scientific concept of causality, which is both central to scientific explanation, and challenging for novices. Three middle school students with LD and three who were EL participated in the study, and we assessed learning outcomes using single-case design (multiple-probe, multiple-baseline) design. After instruction, all participants wrote more nuanced mechanistic explanations, and they wrote more complex sentences while conveying causal relationships in each phenomenon. We also found a substantial improvement in the holistic quality of students’ post-instruction writing. Implications for teachers and researchers will be suggested.

Authors

• Yewon Lee, University of Maryland - College Park

• Susan De La Paz, University of Maryland

• Daniel M. Levin, University of Maryland - College Park