A comparison of elementary teachers' verbal supports for students in inclusive and general classroom contexts during an NGSS‐aligned science, engineering, and computer science unit

Bibliographic Data

ID21392870
AuthorsSarah Lilly (0000-0002-5930-7889, University of Virginia Curriculum & Instruction Charlottesville Virginia USA, corresponding author), Anne M McAlister (0000-0002-4155-251X, Department of Engineering Education University at Buffalo Buffalo New York USA), Sarah Fick (0000-0001-8789-7807, Washington State University Teaching and Learning Pullman Washington USA), Jennifer L Chiu (0000-0001-7663-5748, Washington State University Teaching and Learning Pullman Washington USA)
Year2023
Volume107
Issue4
Pages853-883
Publication date2023-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueScience Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0036-8326 • E-ISSN: 1098-237X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/sce.21788
OpenAlexW4321225140
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited59

Elementary teachers are tasked with the challenge of implementing Next Generation Science Standards‐aligned projects that integrate science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science (STEM + CS) in a variety of classroom contexts. This study investigates how teachers verbally support students in two classrooms, one general education class and one inclusive class with a larger proportion of students with individualized educational plans, to engage in a Next Generation Science Standards‐aligned, STEM + CS unit. Teachers' verbal support for students to understand how (pragmatic) and when and why (epistemic) to use practices was examined during whole‐class discussions for a 4‐week unit in science, engineering, and computer science‐focused lessons. Bi‐weekly teacher surveys and weekly teacher interviews provided insight into the teachers' perceptions of students and project activities in each class section. Teachers reported instructional decisions to modify their enactment of the interdisciplinary curricular materials for the Inclusive Class and discussed their rationales for these modifications. Results suggest that instructional decisions that teachers made in how to verbally support students may depend upon their own knowledge of the different disciplines being integrated, their prior beliefs of students in different classroom contexts, and their in‐the‐moment perceptions of student needs. These factors may have led to different learning experiences for the students in each class section. Findings underscore the need for more research to better understand what kinds of support students and teachers need to be able to integrate engineering, science, and computer science content and practices within their elementary classrooms and provide equitable learning opportunities for all students

Class (philosophy) · Inclusion (mineral) · Mathematics education · Next Generation Science Standards · Pedagogy · Perception · Science education · Unit (ring theory) · Computer Science · Educational Strategies and Epistemologies · Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods · Psychology · Science Education and Pedagogy