Supporting the Use of Scientific Language: Teachers’ Use of Content-Foregrounded Educative Features

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to determine how elementary teachers used scientific language during a whole-class discussion to describe 3 biological phenomena (interactions, dependent relationships, and interdependent relationships) with and without educative curricula. Findings revealed that the ways in which the 6 teachersenacted the discussion reflected and varied from the original written curriculum materials. In addition, teachers provided with curriculum materials that contained educative features foregrounding scientific content tended to use scientific language to describe the 3 phenomena more frequently and more accurately than teachers given curriculum materials without the educative features. Teacher interviews provided insight into teachers’ perceived struggles enacting the whole-class discussion and teachers’ perceived importance of the use of scientific language. These findings have implications for curriculum developers, teacher educators, and teachers. The study highlights the need to support teachers’ use of scientific language and ability to talk science with elementary students.