Supporting Scientific Practices in Elementary and Middle School Classrooms

关于学生学习的研究已经发展出科学论证、解释和科学建模的独立进程。 让学习者参与科学实践开发了一个学习进程，其特点是学习者如何整合和相互关联的科学论证，解释和科学建模，随着时间的推移，使用三个共同要素的意义，说服同行和发展共识，建立更复杂的实践版本。 学习进程是通过提高学生的表现和理解科学实践的测量，他们注意到一般性的解释，注意沟通和观众的理解清晰度，注意证据支持，并注意机械与描述性的帐户。该项目由西北大学、德克萨斯大学、赖特州立大学、密歇根州立大学和BEAR评估小组的研究人员领导。在伊利诺斯州，两个队列的180名学生分别从4年级到5年级进行了两年的跟踪调查，在密歇根州，两个队列的180名学生分别从5年级到6年级进行了两年的跟踪调查。 小学生将使用修改后的FOSS课程单元，以嵌入对科学实践的支持。 两个队列的500名中学生进行了为期三年的跟踪，从6日至8年级，因为他们的工作与协调IQWST单位超过三年。 结果的措施包括课堂话语分析，学生学习的测试前和测试后评估，并在学生自己的经验与实践在课堂上，以评估他们的成长在各个方面的反思性访谈接地。 BEAR团队负责框架和仪器的验证和校准，以及数据分析方案的设计。 Horizon Research进行形成性和总结性评估。该项目将为4-8年级的科学实践提供经过验证的学习进展，沿着经过测试的课程材料和经过验证的评估项目，这些项目支持和衡量学生在解释，论证和建模等科学实践中的能力。 在开发过程中，了解如何设计和测试这种学习进程。 该框架在一个网站上被阐明，供其他研究人员和开发人员使用。 该项目还通过教育几名研究生来建设能力。

Research on student learning has developed separate progressions for scientific argumentation, explanation and scientific modeling. Engaging Learners in Scientific Practices develops a learning progression that characterizes how learners integrate and interrelate scientific argumentation, explanation and scientific modeling, building ever more sophisticated versions of practice over time using the three common elements of sense-making, persuading peers and developing consensus. The learning progression is constructed through improvements in students' performance and understanding of scientific practice as measured by their attention to generality of explanation, attention to clarity of communication and audience understanding, attention to evidentiary support, and attention to mechanistic versus descriptive accounts. The project is led by researchers at Northwestern University, the University of Texas, Wright State University, Michigan State University, and the BEAR assessment group. Two cohorts of 180 students each are followed for two years from 4th to 5th grade in Illinois and two cohorts of 180 students each are followed for two years from 5th to 6th grade in Michigan The elementary school students will work with FOSS curriculum units modified to embed supports for scientific practices. Two cohorts of 500 middle school students are followed for three years from 6th to 8th grade as they work with coordinated IQWST units over three years. The outcome measures include analyses of classroom discourse, pre- and pos-test assessments of student learning, and reflective interviews grounded in students' own experiences with practices in the classroom to assess their growth across the dimensions. The BEAR team is responsible for validation and calibration of the frameworks and instruments, and design of the scheme for analysis of the data. Horizon Research performs the formative and summative evaluation.The project will produce an empirically-tested learning progression for scientific practices for grades 4-8 along with tested curriculum materials and validated assessment items that support and measure students' ability in the scientific practices of explanation, argumentation and modeling. In the process of development, an understanding is gained about how to design and test this learning progression. The framework is articulated on a website for use by other researchers and developers. The project also builds capacity by educating several graduate students.