This study explores the use of Spanish in a 6 th grade bilingual science classrooms in an urban intermediate school in Texas. It is part of a research study that examines the implementation of a multi-disciplinary intervention titled Dialogic Inquiry for Socio-scientific and Conceptual Understanding in School Science (DISCUSS). We used a case study approach to describes how the treatment and control teachers used Spanish during the implementation of a unit of instruction on space exploration. Findings show that the DISCUSS protocol helped the treatment teacher create opportunities for collaboration and dialogue which are essential elements for language and science integration. However, Spanish is yet to be used as valuable resource for science learning. Teacher's Use of Spanish and Inquiry-Based Instruction in Bilingual Science ClassroomsIn our current education system, student's home language other than English is traditionally viewed as a barrier to learning. However, with an increasingly diverse student population in the United States, educators have raised the question whether a home language such as Spanish in educational contexts can benefit students' learning. Emerging research shows that Dual Language programs that purposefully integrate English-dominant and Spanishdominant students, have been successful in addressing a more rigorous curriculum in content areas (Lindholm-Leary, 2012). Therefore, it is imperative to analyze in depth the interaction of language and content learning. In science education, the use of Spanish, as a resource that facilitates understanding of complex concepts (Goldberg, Enyedy, Muir Welsh & Galiani, 2009) may be a vehicle for students' academic growth. If language is a tool to understand and learn science, what then is the role of Spanish in bilingual science classrooms? PurposeThe current study explores how Spanish is used in an English-only context to advance discursive opportunities. It is part of a larger research project examining the implementation of a multi-disciplinary intervention, Dialogic Inquiry for Socio-scientific and Conceptual Understanding in School Science (DISCUSS) in an urban intermediate school in Texas.

This study explored the instructional practices of five secondary science educators with an analysis of teachers' discourse, students' conversations, and teachers' and students' interviews for one unit of instruction. Subject matter knowledge, understanding of nature of science (Lederman, 1992;Sandoval, 2005), inquiry-based instruction (Windschitl et al., 2007), and teachers' epistemological understanding (Feucht and Bendixen, 2010) emerged as elements that were crucial to science instruction. Strong academic background and extensive professional learning did not always lead to effective instruction and learning. The most successful instructional outcomes occurred when teachers' epistemological understanding facilitated the integration of the teachers' subject matter knowledge and understanding of nature of science for an effective implementation of inquiry-based instruction.

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