Scientific Argumentation: Providing Increased Access for Students With Learning Difficulties (Poster 5)

• In Event: Writing Disciplinary Arguments: Theoretical and Instructional Considerations

Abstract

Writing in science can be challenging for secondary students, particularly for those with disabilities, students who are English learners (EL), and students who struggle with literacy due to other cognitive, language-based, or motivational learning difficulties. Moreover, science teachers are generally not equipped to support students’ writing in ways that are authentic to science (Applebee & Langer, 2011; Author, 2018). In response, the authors of this poster first affirm the importance of and the context for written argumentation in science for students with learning difficulties. We focus on scientific explanations and present the case that it is a developmentally appropriate and meaningful task for middle school aged students, as they may take on many forms in science (i.e., hypotheses, or developing theories), if they include a claim that relates how a variable or variables relate to another or a set of variables (NRC, 2013).

Next, we recognize that to promote meaningful access to favorable instructional routines, we must first grapple with challenges faced by teachers, who must attend to grade level standards that prioritize learning factual information over the use of argumentation to support learning, and challenges faced by learners, due to cognitive and linguistic barriers to learning. To elaborate, one instructional challenge is that students with disabilities struggle comprehending grade-level science texts. Such books often use technical and unfamiliar vocabulary, lack elaboration through examples, can be conceptually dense and contain abstract ideas, and involve unfamiliar text structures (Author, 2021; Author 2011). Other instructional challenges include the fact that many students show diminished academic motivation (O’Shea et al., 2017).

Fortunately, effective instructional approaches have been used successfully to help students with learning difficulties use evidence to substantiate scientific claims in writing. The two most effective are referred to as cognitive apprenticeships and self-regulatory strategy development (SRSD). The former provide supports for learning conceptual knowledge and disciplinary ways of thinking when writing about science; the second outlines procedures for regulating writing processes, learning how to demonstrate content learning in science, and addressing individual cognitive and/or emotional challenges that students with disabilities may face.

In this poster we will share these instructional approaches and evidence-based instructional strategies (e.g., teaching students to analyze text structure, Klein & Rose, 2010 and setting the stage by previewing before students read science text, Author, 2004) as well as provide examples of recent approaches to teaching disciplinary argumentation in science (Author, 2021). We emphasize that such examples require sustained professional development to be effective (Author, 2018) and discuss our own efforts to provide PD in ways that are responsive to the needs of practitioners and schools. Our work recognizes that schools today are faced with a host of challenges such as the need to confront racism, inequity in society and we hope to support teachers and leaders to help define research goals with us. We end with recommendations for science and special education preservice and in service professional development.

Authors

• Susan De La Paz, University of Maryland

• Linda H. Mason, George Mason University