Scientific Discourse: Can Our First-Year Students Express Themselves in Science?

Abstract

Scientific discourse is a specialized, semantically dense language used to formulate clear, objective arguments around experimental results. However, science classrooms are practically void of scientific argumentation and this important skill is rarely modelled or developed in these spaces. Yet, students are expected to engage with complex disciplinary texts and then demonstrate their mastery of scientific subject matter using appropriate scientific discourse. Students find this extremely challenging and many are implicitly excluded from successful engagement with the subject. The aim of our study was the assessment and development of first-year biology students’ scientific discourse skills through collaborative pedagogy, to make aspects of biology discourse explicit to all students. We drew on Legitimation Code Theory’s concept of semantic density, which considers complexity of meaning, to design a learning opportunity and then analyzed selections of students’ summative assessments. Results showed profound variation in the proficiency of the students’ scientific vocabulary and language functions, and the discourse of the school and first-year biology textbooks. We therefore argue for science pedagogy that would allow students time and opportunities to mindfully engage with complex disciplinary text and then demonstrate their mastery of their learning using appropriate scientific discourse.

Threats and risks from the digitalization of society and artificial intelligence: Views of generation Z students

“…They are increasingly resorting to this during their studies at a university. This, to some extent, contradicts research by Mouton and Grange (2020), who claimed that GenZ freshmen are increasingly involved in scientific work. A team of scientists led by Matraeva et al (2020) believed that creativity requires more technological approaches to a digital environment and AI than mindless consumption of digital goods and services.…”

Teaching crystal structures in undergraduate courses: a systematic review from a disciplinary literacy perspective

“…Writing/Speaking is also extremely important, as it appears across all the themes. This prevalence suggests that learning how to communicate technical information and engage in disciplinary discourse is an extremely important goal in science education (Mouton and Grange, 2020), Navigator 17 (Reisner et al, 2012;Small et al, 2014;Sunderland, 2014;Cushman and Linford, 2015;Ohashi, 2015;Varberg and Skakuj, 2015;Wriedt et al, 2016;Bazley et al, 2018;Lyle et al, 2018;Martı ´n-Ramos et al, 2018;Colacino et al, 2019;Lenzer et al, 2019;Stojilovic and Isaacs, 2019;Gruber et al, 2020;Ismail, 2020;Savchenkov, 2020;Evans and Evans, 2021) Interpreter 21 (Collins, 2011;Wilson et al, 2012;Small et al, 2014;Sunderland, 2014;Ohashi, 2015;Varberg and Skakuj, 2015;Campbell et al, 2016;Malbrecht et al, 2016;Thananatthanachon, 2016;Wriedt et al, 2016;Bazley et al, 2018;Lyle et al, 2018;Martı ´n-Ramos et al, 2018;Stojilovic, 2018;Zheng and Campbell, 2018;Lenzer et al, 2019;Stojilovic and Isaacs, 2019;Duda et al, 2020;Gruber et al, 2020;Ismail, 2020;Ma et al, 2020) Designer 9…”

Views on Working with Information in a Semi-Digital Society: Its Possibility to Develop as Open Innovation Culture

“…However, medical students, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, need practical information that is important to receive under the guidance of a mentor [39]. It is also important to consider the features of Gen Z in the speed of information perception and evaluation of the obtained data [40], involvement in teamwork [41], and scientific discussion [42].…”