Reading comprehension skills promote achievement in science, so how can teachers help students to develop these skills? Research indicates that students who read well are more likely to be successful in school and in life (Belk 1999). Furthermore, there is a direct link between science skills and reading skills (Carter and Simpson 1978). There are…

This study investigates the effects of a scientific literacy strategy which focuses on reading, writing, talking and doing science on the development of grade six and seven learners' general literacy skills, both in their home language (isiXhosa) and the language of classroom instruction (English). A mixed method design was used. Quantitative data…

Workforce projections worldwide show a growing need for people with strong backgrounds in math and science. As the eighth largest economy in the world, California benefits particularly from enterprises in the "STEM" fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). How well California's current public school students are…

The authors identified factors affecting problem finding depending on degree of structure of problem situation--either ill or moderately structured. Fifth-grade students (N = 115) were randomly assigned to 2 groups: Group 1 (n = 60) accomplished the ill-structured task; Group 2 (n = 55) performed the moderately structured task. Results indicated…

The reading of science-related, historical nonfiction alone does not necessarily lead students to make personal connections to science or understand science as a human endeavor interdependent with culture, society, and history. Teachers must structure students' reading to ensure that they consider specific aspects of science while reading and…

This paper sits within the research on the affordances of new technologies in the mathematics classroom and focuses on a specific feature that is available in dynamic geometry environments, i.e. measuring tools, within the context of conjecturing and proving in open geometry problems. We develop a classification of different modalities of…

This teacher's guide features step-by-step instructions for activities that use easily-obtained and inexpensive materials as well as background information, literature connections, and assessment ideas. The unit allows students the opportunity to focus on observing and describing the properties and attributes of substances. In these activities,…

The pairing of Mother Goose rhymes and nursery tales with the scientific thinking process is an effective instructional strategy linking reading and science learning at the primary level. This paper presents several such pairings which stress the basic science processes in grades K-3 of observing, communicating, comparing, ordering, and…

This research compared the outcomes of teaching middle school students two different methods of classification and phylogeny. Two classes were randomly selected and taught using traditional methods of instruction. Three classes were taught using the "Pseudozoid" approach, where students learned to classify, develop and read dichotomous keys, and…

This inquiry examines the relationship between the science and writing processes and the implications of that relationship for classroom instruction in the upper elementary grades. Drawing on historical research from constructivism and experiential learning theory, as well as current thought on knowledge and learning process, this study builds a…

This study determined Jamaican high school students' level of performance on five integrated science process skills and if there were significant differences in their performance linked to their gender, grade level, school location, school-type, student-type, and socioeconomic background (SEB). The 305 subjects comprised 133 males, 172 females,…

This paper focuses on the process of knowledge formation and scientific inquiry. Science laboratory settings may provide opportunities for students to participate in scientific inquiry. With scientific inquiry, students develop their beliefs according to experiences in which they use their prior knowledge, experimentation, and problem solving…

Discusses the need for science programs to teach students to use both analytical and creative pathways of inquiry. The first step toward this goal of integrating thinking must be to strengthen the ability to collect both objective and subjective sensory information. Lists teaching practices to accomplish this, such as accepting that the process is…

Presents a study that introduces data logging using portable computers as part of an investigative approach to science. Working with control and experimental classes of 14- and 16-year-olds, results suggest that data logging can have an impact on graphing skills at age 14 which is not necessarily repeatable at age 16. (Author/AIM)

Describes a comparative study project where seventh grade students tested water samples from 10 cave sites that had been tested 24 years ago in a study that had attempted to determine if pollution in the environment had reached cave water. Discusses lab skills and some results of the study. (JRH)