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The Iowa Department of Education organized a team of science educators to review research in science education, so that Iowa school districts could access quality research results when selecting professional development content for their teachers. This Iowa Science Content Network has been charged with locating and reviewing available research on instructional strategies and student learning in science. The team is using the Handbook of Research on Teaching and The Handbook of Research on Science Teaching and Learning as well as searches conducted by team members to guide the selection of studies and categories. In selecting research for this database, studies that meet the definition of quality research as outlined in No Child Lift Behind legislation were emphasized. The studies were reviewed using a standard method and form established by the Iowa Department of Education. All research is rated by quality of research design based on the established evaluation criteria. It is critical that users remember that the rating applies to the research design, not to the quality of the intervention studied or how powerful the method, strategy, or approach is in influencing overall student achievement.
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These reports investigate the effectiveness of a structured approach to using science notebooks for the development of expository writing, scientific thinking, and science concepts in grades K-5. The approach, developed in the Seattle Public Schools, is published in Writing in Science: How to Scaffold Instruction to Support Learning, by Betsy Rupp Fulwiler, available from Heinemann Books. The evaluation studies were made possible with funding from the Stuart Foundation.
The Expository Writing and Science Notebooks Program aims to develop students’ conceptual understanding in science, their scientific thinking, and their expository writing skills through a structured approach to using science notebooks. This study is the third that Inverness Research Associates have conducted of the program. Previous studies (see the two studies below) have focused on the benefits to students when the program is fully implemented in the classrooms of Lead Science Writing Teachers. This study, in contrast, focuses on implementation by “typical” science teachers who have taken just a few workshops. Findings suggest that the program itself is sound and can support student learning in any classroom, and that teachers with modest professional development opportunity can begin to implement it. While full implementation is needed for maximum student benefits, modest implementation has some benefits with little or no detriments. Findings also suggest that additional professional development and higher school-level priority for science are needed for fuller implementation.
The Seattle School District’s Expository Writing and Science Notebooks Program is an enhancement of the district’s K-5 science program. Its aim is to improve the teaching and learning of both science and writing through a structured approach to having students write in their science notebooks as part of their science instruction. The program includes writing curriculum linked to each science unit and a series of professional development classes for teachers. Independent experts reviewed the work in student notebooks to capture their perspectives on the key features, the quality, and the educational significance of student work in science notebooks. The researchers also conducted a written survey of elementary teachers across the district to determine the extent to which science is taught, and to compare the teaching approaches of participants in the Expository Writing program to those of other teachers.
The Expository Writing and Science Notebooks Program is part of the Seattle Public Schools’ K-5 science initiative. The program is of interest because of its deliberate approach to improving the use of science notebooks for the twin goals of improving learning in science and developing expository writing skills. The program consists both of a curriculum for writing linked to the district’s science kits, and professional development workshops. In this first study, the researchers examined the extent to which participating teachers value the program’s curriculum and teaching strategies, and the extent to which they believe it benefits their students. Researchers also carried out a direct study of the science notebooks of a sample of teachers who were implementing the writing curriculum in their classrooms. For the study of student work, researchers developed a four-point rubric to assess students’ scientific thinking, use of science process skills, and expository writing.
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The Einstein Project in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is a non-profit corporation dedicated to improving the quality of science, mathematics and technology education for K-12 students in Wisconsin. The Cornerstone Study, the Einstein Project's independent study of the effectiveness of student learning through the use of hands-on science units, supports the hands-on, minds-on approach for the learning of science.
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Klentschy, M, Garrison, L & Amaral, O.M. (n.d.) Valle Imperial Project in Science (VIPS): Four Year Comparison of Student Achievement Data, 1995-1999. NSF Foundation Grant #ESI-9731274. The El Centro School District in Southern California conducted a four year study in kit- and inquiry-based science instruction.Data were collected to measure student achievement in science, writing, reading, and mathematics for participating students. This unpublished paper provides research data with respect to the use of student science notebooks and literacy. While the results are preliminary, initial findings of this study are promising.
Klentschy, M. and Molina-De La Torre, E. (2004) Students' science notebooks and the inquiry process. In E.W. Saul (Ed.). Crossing Borders in Literacy and Science Instruction: Perspectives on Theory and Practice. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. This chapter is co-written by Michael Klentschy, the El Centro superintendent. The chapter links the research base to the key aspects of student science notebooks.
Amaral, O.M., Garrison, L & Klentschy, M. (2002) "Helping English Learners Increase Achievement Through Inquiry-Based Science Instruction", Bilingual Research Journal, 26:2. This study summarizes the results of a four-year project in science education conducted in a rural setting with English learners in grades K-6 in the El Centro Elementary School District in southern California. Data were collected to measure student achievement in science, writing, reading, and mathematics for participating students. These data were analyzed relative to the number of years that students participated in kit- and inquiry-based science instruction that included the use of science notebooks. Results indicated that the achievement of English learners increased in relation to the number of years they participated in the project. The longer they were in the program, the higher their scores were in science, writing, reading, and mathematics.
Vanosdall, R., Klentschy, M., Hedges, L.V. & Weisbaum, K.S. (2007). A Randomized Study of the Effects of Scaffolded Guided-Inquiry Instruction on Student Achievement in Science. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL. In this research paper, the authors report on a series of experimental and quasi-experimental studies designed to test the effects of a scaffolded guided-inquiry instructional system on student achievement. (“In their approach, students are guided and supported through the process of constructing their understanding of scientific concepts and the process of scientific inquiry as they work through the lessons, record predictions, observations, and reflections in their [science notebooks], and learn to articulate claims and evidence for their conclusions.”) They compare these effects to those from other instructional systems, specifically kit-based instruction and textbook-based instruction. Two randomized experiments demonstrated that scaffolded guided-inquiry used in conjunction with kit-based materials dramatically improved fifth grade science achievement compared to either text-based instruction or instruction using kit-based materials alone. The research findings presented in this paper are based on the instruction corresponding to a single instructional unit (FOSS Mixtures and Solutions) and a single grade level (grade 5).
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