Norges Forskningsråd BUDDING SCIENCE AND LITERACY Transatlantic Science Week Berkeley, USA, 26th October, 2011 Marianne Ødegaard - project leader Do it! Talk it! Read it! Write it! Forskerføtter og Leserøtter

Seeds of Science. Roots of Reading Do it Talk it Read it Write it Literacy activities integrated in inquiry-based science The child’s own creativity meets scientific creativity!  ”How do we resemble scientists?” Great mantra!

Motivation for study The Knowledge Promotion Reform :  Budding scientist  Basic skills Inquiry-based science ”Inquiry into authentic questions generated from student experiences is the central strategy for science teaching.” Anderson, 2007 Science and literacy ”Learning the language of science is a major part of science education.” Wellington & Osborne, 2001; Mortimer & Scott, 2003

Challenges & Paradoxes A step by step, detailed Teacher Guide – very rich in words! Norwegian teachers are used to more freedom when teaching a subject. US-context The detailed procedures ensure more open-ended and creative tasks for students Norwegian teachers in primary do not have much education in science. Where do units fit the Norwegian curriculum?

Starting point: Professional development course for teachers: ”Science and basic skills” Combines teachers’ professional competence from the classroom with researchers’ knowledge of science education Together we try out, translate and later adapt curriculum material developed at University of California, Berkeley - Lawrence Hall of Science Research-based development

Aim: To study how the interplay of indoor/outdoor inquiry-based science activities and literacy activities can improve teachers’ instructional competence and students’ learning outcome in science. We design: The Budding Science and Literacy Teaching Model Budding Science and Literacy A longitudinal design-based study of using inquiry-based science and literacy in comprehensive schooling

Professional development cohort 2 Professional development cohort 3 Professional development cohort 1 Improving the teaching model teaching improved teaching teaching S&R teaching S&R improved teaching Iterative design

Professional development cohort 1 Professional development cohort 2 Professional development cohort 3 Improving the teaching model Classroom studies: 6 teachers in 4 schools + their students ( grade) Videoobservations Interviews (teacher + students) Classroom assignments Course assignments: Written descriptions and presentations Classroom observations ???? teaching teaching S&R improved teaching teaching S&R improved teaching

Systematic variation of inquiry-based activities Multi-modal learning activities: Do-it. Read-it. Write-it. Talk-it. Firsthand- and second- hand investigations Multiple learning arenas Synergy effects of inquiries in science and literacy Explicit teaching Teaching model: (  research- based draft) Teaching model: (  research- based draft) BUDDING SCIENCE AND LITERACY (Ødegaard, Frøyland and Mork, 2011)

Systematic variation of inquiry-based activities Multi-modal learning activities: Do-it. Read-it. Write-it. Talk-it. Firsthand- and second- hand investigations Multiple learning arenas Synergy effects of inquiries in science and literacy Explicit teaching Nature of Science Formative assessment Explicit end product Teaching model: (  research- based draft) Teaching model: (  research- based draft) BUDDING SCIENCE AND LITERACY (Ødegaard, Frøyland and Mork, 2011) Modeling learning strategies Few concepts The good thing with this teaching model is that it gives support to the low achievers and challenges the high achievers. Teacher, 4th grade The good thing with this teaching model is that it gives support to the low achievers and challenges the high achievers. Teacher, 4th grade

Searching for quality!  gathering and analysing data Why are teachers so content with the teaching model/material? Why do students think this kind of learning is fun? It’s not so much what they do, but the quality of how they do it. (from PISA+ Ødegaard & Klette, 2011)

Systematic variation of inquiry-based activities Multi-modal learning activities: Do-it. Read-it. Write-it. Talk-it. Firsthand- and second- hand investigations Multiple learning arenas Synergy effects of inquiries in science and literacy Explicit teaching Modeling learning strategies Few concepts Nature of Science Formative assessment Explicit end product Research project: BUDDING SCIENCE AND LITERACY (Ødegaard, Frøyland og Mork, 2011)

Trying out Seeds and Roots: Unit: Read it (3.klasse) Wondering about what things are made of and why. Do it Write it Students make Students their own glue write down for glueing the receipe beans on paper. Talk it Which glue is best? And why??

Beginning to analyse videos: (Pilot analysis from one lesson)

Searching for incidents for in-depth analysis: Reading whole class Writing individual Writing whole class Talking whole class Talking group/pair Talking ind. presenting Doing whole class Doing group/pair Doing individual Reading Writing Talking Doing Timeline for one pilot lesson: Interesting?

Preliminary findings (PhD study): Linking everyday and scientific language Gard Ove Sørvik (2011) A focus on a few key concepts seem to support “link-making” (Scott et al. 2011) in the on-going meaning making interaction of the classroom. The concept of systems appears to be especially valuable in this regard as it functions as a link-making tool across discourses for the students—linking their everyday ways of talking and thinking to the language of school science—and in the process of forming conceptual webs (Howe 1996). Students down to the year 1 appropriated the concept of systems. The notion of systems may be important to consider in terms of big or key ideas in science (Harlen 2010) or alternately as a key idea for science in schools.

How teachers know what students understand Teachers’ formative assessment of student understanding of scientific concepts Berit Haug, PhD-student Findings based on interviews with elementary school teachers In general: -ongoing assessment of student understanding of scientific concepts is a spontaneous act that the teachers find hard to articulate -the selection of concepts to explain is based upon the teachers’ implicit presupposition of students’ knowledgebase After implementing Seeds/Roots material -the selection of key concepts provides a direction and makes it easier to know what to focus upon -introducing the concepts through writing, reading, doing and talking make students’ thinking and understanding visible, hence easier to assess “It’s hard to explain why I know the students know, it is a gut feeling.” Teacher (15 years of teaching experience) “To focus on few concepts help me guide the students in the right direction, and I know what to look for when assessing their understanding.” Several of the teachers

Some system! Before I just said things, now I can call them systems! Student, 4th grade (9 years) Before I just said things, now I can call them systems! Student, 4th grade (9 years)

Thank you!