Although previous research provides insights into how gestures function as a pedagogical tool, relatively little is known about how gesture is related to language, together creating a key meaning-making teaching resource. Drawing on the system of logico-semantic relations in Systemic Functional Linguistic theory and McNeill's description of…

This study aims to map the purposes, content and teaching approaches of science teaching aimed at schoolchildren aged 6-12 years outside the regular school setting, as described in previous research. The findings are based on a systematic search in four databases and three journals, resulting in the selection of 51 articles based on specific…

Background/purpose: This study aimed to identify the impact of teaching science based on John Zahorek's model on the acquisition of scientific concepts among seventh-grade female students. Materials/methods. It was based on the quasi-experimental method. The study participants, comprising 58 seventh-grade students, were intentionally selected from…

Vocabulary knowledge plays a critical role in supporting text comprehension and broader learning across the school day. While school offers opportunities to build vocabulary knowledge, studies have shown that very little time is devoted to vocabulary instruction at the elementary level. This may be, in part, because educators commonly report being…

Science teacher education literature has emphasized the importance of prospective teachers' prior knowledge of their K-12 experiences as a key factor influencing their professional development as future science teachers. The purpose of the study was to identify the teaching practices in prospective teachers' prior knowledge of science instruction…

Understanding teachers' experiences as they lived them and as they told them is important for conceptualizing a well-rounded view of the state of science education and the role teachers play in it. Journey mapping, a way of visualizing one's processes and experiences as they progress towards a goal, is a tool with the potential to capture…

How anthropomorphic reasoning functions in scientific thinking has been a controversial topic. There is evidence it is problematic as well as evidence it can play productive roles, for scientists and for students. In science education, however, the prevailing view remains that it is an impediment. For this study, we have chosen examples of what we…

This study aimed to explore what kinds of epistemological messages were conveyed through teacher discourse in modeling-based and traditional elementary science classrooms and how teachers framed the two classrooms distinctively through these messages. Data came from two sixth-grade teachers' science classrooms--one characterized as a…

Effective science education is crucial for developing a scientifically literate citizenry, and for many, foundational primary science education experiences play a significant role in defining their long-term science trajectories. However, primary science education has been limited by a dissonance between the poor science trajectories for…

This study examined the effect of design-based science instruction (DBSI) on sixth grade students' science achievement, as well as their development in relation to science process skills. 213 sixth grade students from three public schools participated in the study. A pilot was conducted in the unit of Systems of the Human Body and the main study…

Elementary teacher educators endeavor to prepare prospective elementary teachers to teach science in ways which best support student learning. A well-documented challenge in teacher education is the disconnect between theory and practice which many programs have worked to overcome. One framework which has been used in many teacher preparation…

This study investigates the types of instruction multilingual learners (MLs) experience in the general education classroom in upper-elementary school. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011 (ECLS-K) we examine the types of instructional practices MLs experienced in reading, math, and science in fourth and…

Learning to plan modeling-based investigations (MBIs) presents significant challenges for pre-service elementary teachers. Although they understand disciplinary core ideas and modeling practices, they address both as competing learning goals and, as novices, they have not experienced how to structure MBIs for their future students. In the context…

As part of learning to teach, teachers must learn to use a range of teaching practices. In this longitudinal study the authors explore how novice elementary teachers learn to engage in a set of high-leverage science teaching practices, such as "leading a science sensemaking discussion" and "setting up and managing small-group…

The 2019 science results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that 8th-grade students, especially economically challenged and emergent bilingual students, made few gains in science and reading achievement. Researchers have found that scientific language may be a significant barrier to student comprehension. Researchers have…