Abstract
This multiple case study examines how teachers request students’ use of their content knowledge and conceptual understandings from out-of-school experiences while reasoning about science concepts and the ways in which students perceive and respond to these requests. Three middle school teachers and a total of 57 middle school students participated in this study. The data collection involved classroom observations and multiple interviews with each of the teachers individually and with small groups of students. The findings indicate that the students appreciate the usefulness of making relevant connections between their in-school and out-of-school learning, but seldom do so during science lessons. We also found that teachers’ attempts to facilitate these types of connections during classroom discourse events involved the use of analogies, examples, or questions. Finally, the findings also indicate that students often recognize teachers’ requests but seldom relate to these requests in the way the teacher intends.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alvermann, D. E., Moon, J. & Hagwood, M. C. (1999). Popular culture in the classroom: Teaching and researching critical media literacy. Newark, NJ: International Reading Association & National Reading Conference.
Au, K. & Jordan, C. (1981). Teaching reading to Hawaiian children: Finding a culturally appropriate solution. In H. Trueba, G. P. Guthrie & D. H. Au (Eds.), Culture and the bilingual classroom: Studies in classroom ethnography (pp. 139-152). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
Ballenger, C. (1997). Social identities, moral narratives, scientific argumentation: Science talk in a bilingual classroom. Language and Education, 11(1), 1-14.
Bouillion, L. M., & Gomez, L. M. (2001). Connecting school and community with science learning: Real world problems and school–community partnerships as contextual scaffolds. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38(8), 878–898.
Calabrese Barton, A., & Tan, E. (2009). Funds of knowledge, discourses and hybrid space. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 46(1), 50–73.
Camp, C. & Clement, J. (1994). Preconceptions in mechanics: Lessons dealing with students’ conceptual difficulties. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt.
Carpenter, T. P., Lynn-Blanton, M., Cobb, P., Loef-Frank, M., Kaput, J. & McClain, K. (2004). Scaling up innovative practices in mathematics and science (research rep). Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin, National Center for Improving Learning and Achievement in Mathematics and Science.
Cazden, C. & Leggett, E. (1981). Culturally responsive education: Recommendations for achieving Lau remedies II. In H. Trueba, J. Guthrie & K. Au (Eds.), Culture and the bilingual classroom: Studies in classroom ethnography (pp. 69-86). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
Cobern, W. W. & Aikenhead, G. S. (1998). Cultural aspects of learning science. In B. Fraser & K. Tobin (Eds.), International handbook of science education. Part one (pp. 39-52). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer.
Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Cuevas, P., Lee, O., Hart, J., & Deaktor, R. (2005). Improving science inquiry with elementary students of diverse backgrounds. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 42(3), 337–357.
Duschl, R. A., Schweingruber, H. A. & Shouse, A. W. (2007). Taking science to school: Learning and teaching science in grades K-8. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
González, N., Moll, L. & Amanti, C. (2005). Funds of knowledge: Theorizing practices in households, communities, and classrooms. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Hogg, L. (2011). Funds of knowledge: An investigation of coherence within the literature. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(3), 666–677.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465–491.
Lambert, J., & Ariza, E. N. W. (2008). Improving achievement for linguistically and culturally diverse learners through an inquiry-based earth systems curriculum. Journal of Elementary Science Education, 20(4), 61–79.
Lee, O. (2002). Science inquiry for elementary students from diverse backgrounds. In W. G. Secada (Ed.), Review of research in education (Vol. 26, pp. 23–69). Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.
Lee, O. (2003). Equity for culturally and linguistically diverse students in science education: A research agenda. Teachers College Record, 105, 465–489.
Lee, O., & Fradd, S. H. (1998). Science for all, including students from non-English language backgrounds. Educational Researcher, 27, l–10.
Lincoln, Y. S. & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. London, UK: SAGE.
Luykx, A., & Lee, O. (2007). Measuring instructional congruence in elementary science classrooms: Pedagogical and methodological components of a theoretical framework. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44, 424–447.
Minstrell, J. & van Zee, E. (2003). Using questioning to assess and foster student thinking. In J. M. Atkin & J. E. Coffey (Eds.), Everyday assessment in the science classroom (pp. 61-73). Arlington, TX: NSTA Press.
Mohatt, G. & Erickson, F. (1981). Cultural differences in teaching styles in an Odawa school: A sociolinguistic approach. In H. Trueba, G. Guthrie & K. Au (Eds.), Culture and the bilingual classroom: Studies in classroom ethnography (pp. 105-190). Rowley, MA: Newbury.
Moje, E. B., Ciechanowski, K. M., Kramer, K., Ellis, L., Carrillo, R., & Collazo, T. (2004). Working toward third space in content area literacy: An examination of everyday funds of knowledge and discourse. Reading Research Quarterly, 39(1), 38–70.
Moje, E. B., Tehani, C., Carillo, R., & Marx, R. W. (2001). “Maestro, what is ‘quality’?”: Language, literacy, and discourse in project-based science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38(4), 469–498.
Rosebery, A. S., Warren, B. & Conant, F. R. (1992). Appropriating scientific discourse: Findings from language minority classrooms. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 2(1), 61-94.
Sampson, V., & Clark, D. (2008). Assessment of the ways students generate arguments in science education: Current perspectives and recommendations for future directions. Science Education, 92(3), 447–472.
Vélez-Ibáñez, C. & Greenberg, J. (2005). Formation and transformation of funds of knowledge. In N. Gonzalez, L. C. Moll & C. Amanti (Eds.), Funds of knowledge: Theorizing practices in households, communities, and classrooms (pp. 47-70). Mahwah, MA: Erlbaum.
Warren, B., Ballenger, C., Ogonowski, M., Rosebery, A., & Hudicourt-Barnes, J. (2001). Re-thinking diversity in learning science: The logic of everyday language. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38, 529–552.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Irish, T., Kang, NH. Connecting Classroom Science with Everyday Life: Teachers’ Attempts and Students’ Insights. Int J of Sci and Math Educ 16, 1227–1245 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-017-9836-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-017-9836-0