Thematic continuities: Talking and thinking about adaptation in a socially complex classroom

Abstract

In this study I rely on sociocultural views of learning and teaching to describe how fifth–sixth‐grade students in a Fostering a Community of Learners (FCL) classroom gradually adopted scientific ideas and language in a socially complex classroom. Students practiced talking science together, using everyday, scientific, and hybrid discourses as they studied endangered species. Students' overarching content themes, or “thematic continuities,” acted as generative scaffolds for developing complex lines of inquiry, leading ultimately to the appropriation of aspects of the biological principle of adaptation. Thematic continuities provided an organizing framework for thinking and talking about previously disconnected science facts, and set the stage for the adaptationist stance. Mixed method data analyses relied on written assessments, in‐depth guided clinical interviews, video and audiotaping of small and large group participant structures, in‐class student work, and ethnographic notes. Data analysis included two discrete levels, the macro (whole and half class) and the intermediate (case study of one small group) to capture both holistic and detailed aspects of dialogue. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 1–30, 2008

Exploring the Understanding and Common Use of Scientific and Everyday Knowledge and Students’ Agency in a Kenyan High School

“…Such interrogation is documented by others (see Ash, 2008;Barton & Tan, 2009;Turnbull, 1997). Teachers and policy makers may find inspiration in the hybrid discourse spaces that form part of the findings of this study, and structured learning may involve knowledgeable adults to facilitate clarification of nonacademic forms of "science discourse."…”

“…Finding common ground between everyday and scientific knowledge occurred often, mostly during group discussions. According to Ash (2008), hybrid discursive spaces exist whenever students use their "everyday understanding" to process science concepts. In these spaces, "science discourse is neither fully everyday nor fully academic, but may contain" elements of both (p. 4).…”

Students from non‐dominant linguistic backgrounds making sense of cosmology visualizations

“…Sociocultural theory tells us that language is a powerful mediator of activity, and a manifestation of action, thus we cannot consider the doing of science without considering the language of science. When students actively participate in talking science together with authentic content and contexts, using a combination of vocabulary and discourses, they will gradually adopt scientific ideas and language (Ash, ; Lemke, ). This requires educators to give students opportunities to practice science talk as much as possible in the classroom.…”

Semantiska vågor – elevers diskursiva rörlighet i gruppsamtal

“…Därmed kan denna typ av analyser också användas som ett didaktiskt verktyg av lärare och lärarstudenter för att explicitgöra språkliga perspektiv på elevers lärande i naturvetenskaplig undervisning, vilket exempelvis kan leda till att gruppsamtal planeras och utformas utifrån föresatsen att de ska gynna elevernas utveckling av naturvetenskapliga resonemang och uttryckssätt. En sådan slutsats får också stöd i senare års forskning inom naturvetenskapernas didaktik som visar att en medveten användning av och växling mellan vardagliga och vetenskapliga språkbruk gynnar elevers lärande i de naturvetenskapliga äm-nena (Ash, 2008;Brown & Spang, 2008;Brown & Ryoo, 2008). I analysen är det möjligt att upptäcka ett flertal exempel där enskilda elever i en och samma konversation använder både ett vardagligt och ett mer ämnesspecifikt språkbruk.…”