Education Commons^™

Teachers' Conceptions And Enactment Of Disciplinary Literacy In Elementary Science Instruction: A Comparative Case Study, Melissa P. Mendenhall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This case study explores elementary teachers’ conceptions and enactment of disciplinary literacy in elementary science instruction and the interaction between the two. Specifically, the purpose of this research was to describe how four fifth-grade teachers view literacy appropriate to science. Participants for this research were invited to participate by responding to an online survey and were selected based on criteria. Data sources include interviews, teacher artifacts, and observation. Qualitative data were coded, the codes compared to ideas in the field (overall themes), and global themes were generated as sense making tools to describe trends found in each case, case comparisons, …

Why Word Problems Are Hard For High School Math Students: Problem Formulation And Disciplinary Literacy, Emily Charlotte Elliott

Senior Theses

This thesis is an extensive literature review designed to better understand the obstacles high school math students encounter when solving word problems (WPs). While many high school students find math difficult in general, students especially struggle with WPs. Often they are unable to provide correct solutions to WPs even when they are successful in solving computational problems using the same mathematical concepts (Cummins, 1988). Data from the 2007 National Survey of Algebra Teachers suggests that solving WPs is one of the skills that students are most unprepared for when entering Algebra 1 (Hoffer et al.). Additionally, many students try to …

High School Biology Teachers' Integration Of Argumention In The Context Of Disciplinary Literacy Coaching, Ashley Strong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Scientific argumentation is a core scientific practice. Although scientific argumentation has been linked to increased learning of scientific content, improved reading, writing, and critical thinking, traditional science classrooms have not included scientific argumentation. Teachers often have little experience learning or teaching science through argumentation and need support to integrate this complex practice of science into their classrooms. This study compared four high school biology teachers’ instruction of scientific argumentation as they worked with a literacy coach. Data were collected through interviews, audio recordings of classroom instruction and literacy coaching sessions, and artifacts. After analyzing the data, several key findings stood …

Reading And Writing Like A Scientist: Implementation Of Disciplinary Literacy Strategies In A Middle School Science Classroom, Cameron K. Boyette

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study examined what happened when disciplinary literacy strategies were implemented in a middle school science class along with the students’ and teachers’ perceptions of these strategies. The researcher implemented disciplinary literacy strategies that went along with the scope and sequence for seventh-grade science at the time of implementation of the study. She collected data through surveys, observations, and interviews with students and teachers. Data were analyzed through the constant comparative method and coding. When disciplinary literacy strategies were implemented, students showed compartmentalization of reading and writing to their ELAR classes. Teachers showed negative perceptions of their students’ literacy abilities. …

Social Studies Literacy, Justin Hingst

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The field of education is constantly evolving. It is the role of professionals in education to provide students with the best opportunity to be successful learners. One major element of modern American Education, literacy instruction in the content areas, has become a key point in the discussion of how to best educate students. For the better part of one hundred years, the notion that every teacher is a teacher of literacy has been considered best practice. Within the last thirty years, alternative methodologies for literacy instruction within the content areas have become more prevalent as the literacy scores of American …

Implementing Content Literacy And Disciplinary Literacy: A Mixed Methods Study Of Middle School Teachers' Pedagogical Dispositions, Madison Weary

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Researchers uphold that teachers' beliefs toward reading influence their planning and implementation, and that content area teachers are often reluctant to implement literacy strategies and skills within their instruction (Ness, 2009; Nourie & Lenski, 1998; Richardson et al., 1991). Much of this reluctance stems from teachers’ lack of familiarity with content area and disciplinary literacy or misconceptions surrounding instruction that supports literacy implementation (O’Byrne et al., 2020). However, within the field of literacy, there are tensions between the implementation of content area versus disciplinary literacy (Graham et al., 2017).

The purpose of this study was to examine middle school content …

A Case Study On The Implementation Of Disciplinary Literacy With Multimodal Design In Social Studies, John J. Castaldo

Theses and Dissertations

Social studies education provides education researchers with a less common opportunity to discover multimodal instructional methods for disciplinary literacy. During a 12-week period in 2021, four social studies teachers with at least one history course in a large suburban Mercer County, New Jersey school district participated in a case study to showcase how disciplinary literacy can be implemented using multimodal design. Given the existing lack of research on instructional literacy design for secondary grades, this study provides researchers and practitioners with multiple perspectives on how to maximize teaching practices in underrepresented areas of education. Significantly, social studies teachers will thus …

The Relationship Between The Next Generation Content Area Reading Professional Development Program On The Effectiveness Of Teaching Literacy Strategies In High School Biology Classes, Tia Pridgen Brown

Dissertations

The need for effective content area reading teachers have continued to increase since the introduction of one public school districts’ Content Area Reading Professional Development (CAR-PD) in 2006. In 2011, modifications were made to improve the program, and it became known as the Next Generation Content Area Reading Professional Development (NGCAR-PD). The purpose of this program evaluation is to investigate the relationship between NGCAR-PD certified Biology teachers and their ability to implement reading strategies with science content effectively. The context of this inquiry is a mid-sized public school district that has implemented the program since 2006 at the middle and …

High School Social Studies Teachers' Perceptions And Practices Using Workshop Model: A Qualitative Action Research Case Study, Joseph Marangell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research case study was to examine how a job-embedded professional development approach influenced high school social studies teachers' perceptions and practices related to a workshop model of instruction. Three research questions guided this work: (1) How do teachers' perceptions related to the workshop model used within social studies classrooms change over time? (2) How do teachers' practices related to the workshop model used within social studies classrooms change over time? (3) How do teachers' perceptions of disciplinary literacy and the workshop model influence their classroom practices?

Participants included two high school Modern World History teachers …

Disciplinary Literacy Pedagogical Content Knowledge (Dlpck) Today: An Exploration Of Disciplinary Literacy Pedagogical Content Knowledge Of Middle And High School Science, Social Studies, And English Language Arts, Linda M. Saraceno

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this exploratory qualitative study were to a) gain an understanding of middle and high school science, social studies, and English language arts teachers' disciplinary literacy pedagogical content knowledge b) explore teachers' dispositions towards disciplinary literacy and c) to determine whether teachers dispositions influenced disciplinary literacy instruction in the classroom. Using a pre - and post-survey, semi-structured interviews, professional development workshops, teacher reflections, and classroom observation field notes, this study discovered teachers' disciplinary literacy pedagogical content knowledge was a combination of generic literacy and disciplinary literacy skills knowledge. Teachers dispositions towards disciplinary literacy were found to be favorable …

A Multi Case Study Of Community College Discipline Faculty’S Participation In A Disciplinary Literacy Professional Learning Community, Kristen Howell Gregory

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Many students enter college with inadequate reading, writing, and critical thinking skills to successfully navigate discipline-specific college-level coursework (Duff, 2010; Hyland, 2006; Lea & Street, 1998; Tsui, 2002). As such, college faculty, and specifically community college faculty, are challenged to meet the multiple literacy needs of their students while still maintaining high expectations within their discipline-specific courses. One option is for discipline faculty (e.g., history) to integrate disciplinary literacy instruction within their courses. As discipline faculty are deemed experts in their content area and often not trained in literacy, professional development focused on disciplinary literacy could provide the knowledge and …

Impact Of Literacy On Student Readiness In Math And Science Classroom, Mackenzie Alexandra Rittner

Honors Projects

Lack of literacy, specifically disciplinary literacy, is an epidemic in education today. Here, I will illustrate how this problem presents itself in our student’s reading every day in every class. Within a literature review, many accounts are detailed about the impact literacy has on a student’s educational career. From the outset, literacy is a key factor in a student’s success in school. A research study was conducted that asked students to give varied definitions of the word ‘volume’ based on prior experience. These results showed that direct instruction in how a word can change based on its context had an …

Sixth-Grade Elementary And Seventh- And Eighth-Grade Middle School Teachers' Knowledge And Beliefs About Science Literacy, Melissa P. Mendenhall

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore Grades 6-8 teachers knowledge and beliefs about science literacy and instruction that develops science literacy, in both the fundamental and derived senses. All Grade 6 elementary teachers and Grades 7-8 middle school science teachers from five school districts in the Mountain West region of the U.S. were invited to participate by responding to an online survey consisting of open response questions and critical instances. Data were analyzed using an immersion style of coding. Findings suggest a majority of teachers view literacy as reading and writing and text as something that is …

Former Students Discuss Middle School Science Journalism : A Qualitative Study Of Personally Meaningful Disciplinary Writing., Marsha R. Buerger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study explores the experiences of six middle school students with science news writing (SciJourn) after they have transitioned to high school. The qualitative method of case study was used with the data analyzed through the method of constructivist grounded theory. SciJourn is a disciplinary approach to science literacy that allows students to choose and research their own topic, interact with experts in the field, construct their own knowledge, and have the opportunity to publish in an on-line science newspaper (Scijourner.org). Theoretically, this research draws on science as social practice where literacy learning is cognitively complex, is situated …

Improving Scientific Literacy Through Reading Strategies: An Action Research Study, Myra L. Finneran

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative action research study is to examine a Scientific Reading Intervention Model (SRIM) with students enrolled in Honors Chemistry at a private high school in South Carolina. Students were given a pre-test prior to the intervention. The research took place over a six-week period in the spring of 2017. A teacher-participant worked with the researcher-participant to implement the intervention that consisted of three reading activities—pre-reading, during-reading, and post-reading. These three activities were designed to enable the low-level science readers to better comprehend their chemistry texts by activating prior knowledge with an anticipation guide, identifying key concepts …

A Case Study Investigating Secondary Science Teachers' Perceptions Of Science Literacy Instruction, Phyllis Ann Blackmon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project study addressed the lack of inclusion of discipline literacy pedagogy in secondary classrooms in a rural school district in eastern North Carolina. Discipline literacy practices are recommended in the Common Core Standards for History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. The district had implemented content area reading strategies across content areas, yet no significant progress in secondary students' reading abilities had been demonstrated in statewide or national assessments. The conceptual framework that drove this study was disciplinary literacy, founded by the literacy research of Shanahan, Shanahan, and Zygouris-Coe. Within a qualitative case study method, this investigation of 8 secondary …

Prospective Secondary Teachers' Conceptualizations Of Literacy And Literacy In Their Content Areas, Jane Costello Bonacci

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

Beliefs, Practices, And Preservice Teachers: A Case Study, Janie Riddle Goodman

Theses and Dissertations

Existing in the chronology of content area literacy instruction is a convincing body of research that supports the role of strategic learning in students’ literacy development. However, much of what is known about teaching reading comprehension strategies is not part of the instruction found in many secondary classrooms. Even though studies have shown how students benefit from using comprehension strategies, the instructional necessities for teaching those strategies are not part of many secondary teachers’ practices. Additionally, the historical focus on literacy practices and strategies is shifting towards attention on the critical role of the disciplines in secondary literacy and the …

Processes Utilized By High School Students Reading Scientific Text, Alicia Clinger

All Dissertations

In response to an increased emphasis on disciplinary literacy in the secondary science classroom, an investigation of the literacy processes utilized by high school students while reading scientific text was undertaken. A think-aloud protocol was implemented to collect data on the processes students used when not prompted while reading a magazine article and a selection from a textbook. Following the think-aloud, participants provided an oral summary that was analyzed for content and quality to assess the effectiveness of the strategies. The data showed that familiarity with text structure and prior knowledge of the content affected the processes utilized. Differences between …

A Professional Learning Community Design: Using Close Reading Techniques To Improve The U.S. History Comprehension, Maureen Tinsley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation in practice presents a research-based model for staff development utilizing the elements of a professional learning community. The focus of this problem of practice was determined through an analysis of one high school's reading data indicating that 36% of the student body was reading below grade level according to the state assessment test for reading. Researchers have noted that reading demands for college and careers have increased (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2011; Barton, 2000; Common Core State Standards, 2014). If students do not develop reading proficiency to graduate with a high school diploma, they are at risk of …

The Effects Of The Vocabulary Think Chart Strategy On Seventh-Grade Students' Scientific Vocabulary Knowledge: A Mixed-Method Study., Paloma Ferreira

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-method study examined the effects of the use of the Vocabulary Think Chart in seventh-grade science students’ understanding of scientific vocabulary. Participants included 89 students who attended the only three regular Earth Science classes in the study site. Participants were assigned to the treatment and comparison group according to the teachers’ wish on how they wanted to participate in the study. The experimental group received one week long preparation on the use of the Vocabulary Think Chart, followed by five weeks of using the strategy independently. Results of the study did not show a significant change on students’ scientific …

Teachers' Beliefs, Knowledge, And Implementation Of Disciplinary Literacy Pedagogy In Three Advanced Placement United States History Classrooms, Stephanie Bennett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this inquiry, I investigated three Advanced Placement United State History teachers' beliefs, knowledge, and implementation of disciplinary literacy pedagogy in their Advanced Placement United States History (APUSH) classrooms. My interest in disciplinary literacy evolved from my own experiences as a high school social studies teacher and middle school intensive reading teacher. With the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, whose emphasis is, in part, on discipline-specific literacy, across the United States in 2014-2015, I recognize the need for research relevant to discipline-specific practices in the classroom. I want to contribute further to the understandings of disciplinary literacy pedagogy. …

A Formative Experiment To Promote Disciplinary Literacy In Middle-School And Pre-Service Teacher Education Through Blogging, Jamie Colwell

All Dissertations

This dissertation describes a formative experiment that investigated how strategy instruction paired with collaborative blogging could promote disciplinary literacy among eighth-grade students in a social studies classroom and among pre-service teachers in a social studies methods course. Qualitative methods were utilized to collect and analyze data in this study. To determine modifications to the intervention, an embedded, single-case study was designed to analyze data iteratively using constant comparative methods. Post-study, qualitative methods were also used to conduct retrospective analysis to connect overall findings to theory. Three modifications were made, in the middle-school setting, to the intervention, which enhanced participants' progress …