Examining the Impact of Literacy Infused Science Curriculum And Professional Development on Diverse Learners' Science Content Knowledge Learning

Abstract

In this dissertation, I explored the effectiveness of a literacy-infused, scaffolding embedded science intervention on fifth grade economically challenged (EC) students from high-poverty school districts and the effectiveness of the intervention on ELs from a rural school district in the U.S.-Mexico border area. To fully understand previous research regarding the scaffolding-embedded intervention on English learners (ELs) science-related content knowledge learning, a systematic review was first conducted, which consisted of two main sections: a research synthesis of qualitative studies and a meta-analysis of quantitative studies. The findings revealed the significant overall effect of scaffolding-embedded interventions on ELs’ science-related content knowledge learning without publication bias. In addition, the sample backgrounds and the formats of scaffolding implementation of empirical studies conducted previously varied widely. In summary, the scaffolding strategies were effective in improving ELs’ science-related content knowledge in different educational settings for students with various backgrounds.

To further examine the effectiveness of a literacy-infused, scaffolding embedded science intervention on diverse learners, I used the archived data from a longitudinal, federally-funded randomized control trial (RCT) study, Project Literacy-Infused Science Using Technology Opportunities (Project LISTO; Lara, Irby, & Tong, 2016; Grant # U411B16001). Consenting students, teachers, and principals across Texas were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups at the school level in the research project. The intervention included a year-long, literacy-infused science curriculum at the student level and virtual professional development (VPD) sessions during which treatment teachers worked with science education experts to build literacy-infused science instructions, design science inquiry activities, preview upcoming lesson plans, and review previous teaching videos. Treatment teachers were also provided real-time feedback by virtual mentoring and coaching (VMC) via bug-in-the-ear technology and high-definition cameras set in their classrooms.

I implemented a two-level model in analyzing the data collected from two high-poverty districts in the academic year 2018-2019 to investigate the effectiveness of the intervention on EC students. Participants included 341 fifth-grade students and 17 science teachers from two mid-high poverty schools and four high-poverty schools. A nationally norm-referenced assessment and a researcher-designed assessment measured students' science learning outcomes. Results indicated that the intervention significantly improved EC students’ science learning outcomes after one year of intervention.

Furthermore, the effectiveness of the intervention on ELs was also examined as I used the archived data from Project LISTO collected from a rural school district in the U.S-Mexico border area. The final data pool included 56 fifth-grade Hispanic ELs and two science teachers. Results revealed that treatment and control ELs significantly improved their science learning outcomes after one academic year. Treatment students improved higher than their control peers in their post-test results measured by a nationally norm-referenced assessment. It was also worth noting that the treatment ELs accomplished an average score higher than the national average in their post-test.