Promoting Scientific Explorers Among Students with Learning Disabilities: The Design and Testing of a Grade 2 Science Program Focused on Earth's Systems

对核心科学概念和实践的深入理解是在STEM(科学、技术、工程和数学)领域获得工作所必需的。尽管有这些职业和实践方面的负担，但对于基础科学课堂来说，几乎没有有效的教学工具。此外，早期小学教师可支配的材料有限，无法在所有学习者中推广丰富的科学知识。这个项目的目的是通过设计和经验性评估二年级科学计划-科学探索者-来满足这一需求，旨在促进所有学生，包括阅读和数学方面有学习障碍的风险或有学习障碍的学生，为学习科学奠定早期基础。科学探索者将旨在提高学生对核心科学概念的知识和理解。认识到早期扫盲和数学在科学学习和教学中的重要作用，该项目将把核心学科思想与批判性数学和扫盲标准结合起来。为了支持学生参与与地球系统相关的科学任务，该项目将围绕一个指导性探究框架设计科学探索者计划。该项目的另一个目的是开发和经验性地验证一项科学评估，该评估衡量学生对与地球系统有关的核心科学概念和实践的知识和应用。探索研究K-12计划(DRK-12)旨在通过研究和开发创新资源、模型和工具(RMT)，显著提高K-12学龄前学生和教师在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)方面的学习和教学。DRK-12计划中的项目建立在STEM教育的基础研究和先前的研究和开发工作的基础上，这些研究和开发工作为拟议的项目提供了理论和经验证明。该项目将采用混合方法，调查科学探索者计划的可行性和有效性。其他研究活动将包括确定二级科学评估的可靠性和有效性。来自两个不同地理区域的大约40个二年级教室将参与该项目。本项目将利用多层次建模和项目反应理论技术解决五个主要研究问题：(1)在真实的教育环境中，教师能够在多大程度上实施科学探索者计划？(2)在参与课堂上，科学探索者对学生的科学成就有什么影响？(3)二年级开始时的早期识字技能是否预测了对科学探索者计划的不同反应？(4)对科学探索者计划的反应是否作为阅读障碍、数学障碍或阅读和数学学习障碍(共或LD)的函数而不同？以及(5)早期科学成就衡量标准在多大程度上证明了技术充分性(可靠性和有效性)？

A robust understanding of core science concepts and practices is necessary for obtaining jobs in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields. Despite these occupational and practical affordances, few effective instructional tools exist for the elementary science classroom. Moreover, early elementary school teachers have limited materials at their disposal to promote a rich knowledge of science among the full range of learners. The purpose of this project is to address this need by designing and empirically evaluating a second grade science program, Scientific Explorers, aimed at promoting an early foundation for learning science among all students, including students at risk for or with learning disabilities in reading and mathematics. Scientific Explorers will be designed to improve students' knowledge and understanding of core science concepts. Recognizing the important role of early literacy and mathematics in science learning and teaching, this project will integrate core disciplinary ideas with critical mathematics and literacy standards. To support students as they engage in scientific tasks associated with Earth's Systems, this project will engineer the Scientific Explorers program around a guided inquiry framework. Another aim of this project is to develop and empirically validate a science assessment that measures students' knowledge and application of core science concepts and practices related to Earth's Systems. The Discovery Research K-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools (RMTs). Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects.Employing a mixed-method approach, this project will investigate the feasibility and efficacy of the Scientific Explorers program. Additional research activities will include establishing the reliability and validity of a second grade science assessment. Approximately 40 second grade classrooms from two different geographical regions will participate in the project. Using multilevel modeling and item response theory techniques, this project will address five primary research questions: (1) To what extent can teachers feasibly implement the Scientific Explorers program in authentic education settings? (2) What is the impact of Scientific Explorers on the science achievement of students in participating classrooms? (3) Do early literacy skills at the beginning of second grade predict differential response to the Scientific Explorers program? (4) Does responsiveness to the Scientific Explorers program differ as a function of reading disability, mathematics disability, or a learning disability in reading and mathematics (comorbid LD)?, and (5) To what extent does the early science achievement measure demonstrate technical adequacy (reliability and validity)?