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Deoxyribonucleic Acid And Other Words Students Avoid Speaking Aloud: Evaluating The Role Of Pronunciation On Participation In Secondary School Science Classroom Conversations, Stacie Elizabeth Beck

Dissertations and Theses

Student's verbal participation in science classrooms is an essential element in building the skills necessary for proficiency in scientific literacy and discourse. The myriad of new, multisyllabic vocabulary terms introduced in one year of secondary school biology instruction can overwhelm students and further impede the self-efficacy needed for concise constructions of scientific explanations and arguments. Factors inhibiting students' inclination to answer questions, share ideas and respond to peers in biology classrooms include confidence and self-perceived competence in appropriately speaking the language of science. Providing students with explicit, engaging instruction in methods to develop vocabulary for use in expressing conclusions is …