0.6 Gresham, g. (october 2011). a university/school partnership  (Page 2/10)

Theoretical framework

The planning model and implementation design was grounded in proven researched practices such as inquiry learning, vocabulary study, reading comprehension strategies, reading and writing in the content area, explicit instruction, gradual released of responsibility, and teacher coaching. Inquiry learning, a cornerstone of good science instruction, provided the foundation for the planning model.

Inquiry learning. Inquiry learning is to science as eyes are to seeing and ears are to hearing. Learning science content requires that students intellectually and physically interact with and question the content in order to construct meaning. As John Dewey (1991) once said, “…wonder is the mother of all science” (p. 31). Wondering about the world and how it works is a basic tenet of scientific discovery. For without wondering, our world would not advance. According to Teaching Standard A of the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996), teachers are to deliver an inquiry-based science program and assess the strategies to ascertain student development of science knowledge. When implementing inquiry methods, the teacher places students into application or problem-solving situations while scaffolding their progress as they develop answers to questions. Then, the teacher establishes the content base to bridge what students have grasped during the exploratory stage to actual terms and content in the field (Good&Brophy, 2008). Engaging in inquiry-based instruction fosters scientific understanding, but there are cautions one needs to address when implementing this type of instruction. If students have difficulty in reading or lack science content knowledge, teachers must provide extensive support and guidance to help students in completing their work. One such support is explicit vocabulary study.

Vocabulary study. Systematic and deliberate vocabulary instruction is one of the most important instructional interventions to implement when assisting students in understanding (Marzano, Pickering,&Pollock, 2006). When considering content areas such as science, vocabulary instruction is even more critical. Oftentimes, content area textbooks have many new words introduced on a page making the text too complex, and the vocabulary of science is more specialized (Baer&Nourie, 1993; Ediger, 2002). Vocabulary instruction is enhanced through encountering words in context, associating images with the words, and participating in deliberate, systematic instruction (Marzano, Pickering,&Pollock, 2006). Terms and phrases that are critical to a topic must be identified keeping in mind that it is best to limit the number presented. Teachers should use a variety of approaches to teaching science vocabulary. Gunning (1996) recommended the following:

1. Use the new terms in meaningful context.
2. Assist students in establishing relationships between new words and words they know.
3. Provide multiple exposures when learning new words such as analogies, associations, word origins, and cloze statements.