Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Alexandra Hack
September 6, 2020
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Literacy is the cornerstone of education and can be broken down into content literacy and
disciplinary literacy. Though both are incredibly important, the use of disciplinary literacy is
particularly vital to students’ success. There are several challenges students face in regards to
scientific literacy; students struggle with the highly specialized and abstract scientific
terminology, the need to make complicated inferences, and the lack of engaging scientific text
utilized in classrooms. In order to solve these problems, improvements must be made to teacher
education programs, the use of graphic organizers and visuals can be incorporated into
In order for students to be successful in the classroom and beyond, educators must
incorporate literacy in their instruction. UNESCO Education Sector (2004) defines literacy as
“the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed
and written materials associated with varying contexts”. Due to the reliance on technology in
today’s world that definition is ever evolving. Literacy in the classroom can be broken down into
two approaches: content literacy and disciplinary literacy. In content area literacy, students learn
reading and writing interpretation, composition, and revision skills that can be utilized across
different disciplines (International Literacy Association, 2017). Content literacy teaches students
strategies that can be used universally. In order to optimize student success educators need to
teach literacy strategies specific to their discipline. The skills students learn in a disciplinary
literacy approach align with the unique goals and practices of that specific discipline. Honing
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disciplinary literacy skills help students meet specific standards, develop critical thinking skills,
The primary goal of science education is to support students in their quest to figure out
how the world works and make sense of complex phenomena and questions (Arizona
Department of Education, n.d.). “Scientific disciplinary literacy focuses on how reading, writing,
speaking, and listening are used to develop sense-making in science” (Arizona Department of
Education, n.d.). Scientific disciplinary literacy is two-fold in that it refers to the development of
both fundamental and derived senses (Fang, 2013). The derived sense refers to the considerable
task of learning the “big ideas, core concepts, and key relationships in science” (Fang, 2013).
While the fundamental aspect of science literacy is the ability to read, write, and reason with
scientific texts (Fang, 2013). In order for students to successfully develop the fundamental and
derived senses they must engage in hands-on kinesthetic experiences and the secondhand
practice of reading, writing, evaluating, and debating scientific texts (Fang, 2013). Literacy in
science extends way beyond literature. It also involves visual, digital, data, media, computer, and
ethical literacies. While the incorporation of all these different kinds of literacies engages
students, it also adds another layer for students to understand. One of the most unique aspects of
disciplinary literacy in science is how well it lends itself to a variety of modes of learning.
Content can be delivered visually, aurally, in writing, and kinesthetically; appealing to students’
diverse needs and offering multiple modalities by which educators can teach scientific
disciplinary literacy. Overall, scientific disciplinary literacy supports students’ sense of wonder,
allowing them to build complex connections and strengthening their critical thinking skills.
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Challenge #1
One of the key challenges students face in regards to scientific disciplinary literacy is that
there is a significant gap between the language we use everyday and the language found in
scientific texts (Feez & Quinn, 2017). Science literacy involves abstract thought, specialized
terminology and modifiers, it requires students to grasp complex conceptual ideas that are
captured in a single word or phrase (Lee & Spratley, 2010, p. 5). Additionally, science literacy
incorporates mathematical literacy and heavily involves visual literacy using graphs, pictures,
diagrams, and maps (Lee & Spratley, 2010, p. 5). Scientific language and writing is stringent and
requires students to use a very specific set of vocabulary, it follow a strict syntax that the students
likely have not encountered previously. In order to help students deal with these complexities,
improvements can be made to teacher education programs. Integrating the teaching of literacy
with the teaching of science into teacher education programs will better prepare teachers to help
students overcome obstacles related to lexicon. Feez & Quinn (2017) advocate for a teacher
education pedagogy where pre-service teachers learn an inquiry approach to teaching science
that is “augmented with a sequence of discipline-specific literacy activities for scaffolding the
writing of scientific texts to report and explain inquiry findings”. By working with English
teachers, pre-service science teachers can focus on vocabulary development, paragraph structure,
and grammar. Having science and English teachers collaborate and help pre-service teachers
develop their own skills and toolbox for teaching their students the complexities of science
language will help increase teacher effectiveness, and thus, student achievement. Science
education cannot be isolated from literacy education. If science teachers are better equipped to
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teach the linguistic complexities of their subject then students will be more successful in science
literacy.
Challenge #2
Science texts rely heavily on inference making, something many students find
challenging. There are two kinds of inferences students must make when examining scientific
materials. Students have to make inferences within a body of text and they have to make
inferences about how the material relates to their prior scientific knowledge (Roman et al.,
2016). In order to teach students inference, teachers can incorporate graphic organizers into their
curriculum. Graphic organizers help students make visual connections between concepts. While
carefully reading the text, teachers need to identify key ideas and possible inferential obstacles
that their students might stumble upon (Roman et al., 2016). Once teachers have emphasized
critical points, these points can be linked together visually in a graphic organizer to help students
understand how to make inferences and understand the chain of inferences within a body of text.
Teachers can verbally explain the organizer and can work with students to further identify the
critical points and their logical connections (Roman et al., 2016). The use of graphic organizers
provides an additional way for students to make sense of the information and helps develop their
Challenge #3
A major tenet of science literacy is the practice of reading, writing, and critiquing
scientific literature. Text is underused and undervalued in science classrooms due to the
misconception that science is mostly an empirical subject and science textbooks are
unsatisfactory (Fang, 2013). In order to solve this problem, teachers should incorporate trade
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books in their curriculum. There are a variety of trade books available to accommodate a diverse
array of students. They are a more accurate source of scientific information, have the ability to
take the reader on an exciting journey, and portray science as it is in the real world (Fang, 2013).
“Trade books are generally viewed as a powerful resource for developing students’ science
content knowledge, scientific inquiry skills, positive attitudes toward science, and scientific
attitudes, as well as their understanding of the nature of science and the nature of scientific
inquiry" (Fang, 2013). Trade books can be utilized to facilitate discussions, help teachers
organize their units, let students study scientists and scientific careers, and help students learn the
genres of science (Fang, 2013). By replacing antiquated and mundane texts with trade books,
teachers can provide students with a superior platform from which they can develop their science
literacy skills.
Conclusion
Teaching students literacy skills both from a content standpoint and a disciplinary
standpoint helps set them up for success within a specific discipline and beyond. The challenges
students face in regards to scientific disciplinary literacy are the use of onerous terminology, the
need to make inferences, and the underuse of science text. In order to try and solve these
challenges, changes can be made to teacher education programs so educators are better equipped
to help teach their students how to navigate scientific vocabulary and learn how to properly
engage in the syntax. Teachers can incorporate graphic organizers in their lessons to help bridge
the gaps in students’ ability to make inferences. Finally, teachers can utilize trade books as a
quality source of science text. At the end of the day, secondary education teachers have a
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responsibility to give their students the tools to understand the complexities of their discipline,
retain the content, and be able to apply their knowledge in the classroom and beyond.
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References
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Fang, Z. (2013). Disciplinary Literacy in Science: Developing Science Literacy Through Trade
JAAL.250
Feez, S., & Quinn, F. (2017). Teaching the distinctive language of science: An integrated and
scaffolded approach for pre-service teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 65, 192–
204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.03.019
International Literacy Association. (2017). Content area and disciplinary literacy: Strategies and
Lee, C.D., Spratley, A. (2010). Reading in the disciplines: The challenges of adolescent literacy.
Roman, D., Jones, F., Basaraba, D., & Hironaka, S. (2016). Helping Students Bridge Inferences
in Science Texts Using Graphic Organizers. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy,
UNESCO Education Sector. (2004). The Plurality of literacy and its Implications for Policies
Organization.