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Alignment of Science-Themed Trade Books to the Next Generation Science Standards
Title
Alignment of Science-Themed Trade Books to the Next Generation Science Standards
Creator
Shepard, Kelly Marie
Date
2021
Description
Elementary teachers often integrate science-themed trade books into their science and reading lessons. This study examines the alignment of...
Show moreElementary teachers often integrate science-themed trade books into their science and reading lessons. This study examines the alignment of science-themed trade books written for readers in Kindergarten through fifth-grade to the Next Generation Science Standards Disciplinary Core Ideas (NGSS DCI). The goal of this research is to analyze the scientific concepts presented in the text of the trade books recommended by professional organizations dedicated to science and science education. Research finds that integrated science and reading are valuable for elementary students’ understandings of science. This study addresses two problems: 1) elementary teachers have limited scientific knowledge and 2) there is a dearth of research that examines the expression of NGSS DCI in science-themed trade books for K-5th grades. The sample is selected from booklists compiled by professional organizations devoted to science and science education. A deductive content analysis methodology is used to identify the presence of NGSS DCI in trade books. Descriptive statistics and qualitative data analyses are used to reveal the themes in the collected data. A large majority of the sample is aligned to the NGSS DCI for K-5th grade. Most trade books express NGSS DCI at the grade levels for which they are recommended. The study is limited and does not examine the readability of trade books, scientific vocabulary, or images. This study contributes to the research on the intersection between science and reading for elementary grade levels.
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Case Study: A Comparison of Pedagogical Content Knowledge Between Coaches and Coaches/Mentees
Title
Case Study: A Comparison of Pedagogical Content Knowledge Between Coaches and Coaches/Mentees
Creator
Barone, Ana MargaritaSalinas
Date
2024
Description
This multiple case study dissertation aimed to examine one of the domains of pedagogical content knowledge, knowledge of content and students,...
Show moreThis multiple case study dissertation aimed to examine one of the domains of pedagogical content knowledge, knowledge of content and students, between different types of elementary coaches and between coach and their respective collaborating teachers. It also investigated the impact a coaches’ background experiences have on the dynamic between coaches and teachers and the perceptions' teacher have on the effectiveness of coaching. The theoretical framework used in this qualitative study was Ball, Thames, and Phelps’ (2008) definition of PCK. Data was collected from six coaches–four instructional coaches and two math coaches–and eleven k-5th grade teachers. Data collection involved a survey, LMT assessment, and semi-structured interviews, and a thematic analysis method was conducted. The findings from the cross-case analysis resulted in ten themes, with the majority having multiple categories. One finding to one of the research questions was that there were no differences in knowledge of content and students between mathematics coaches and general instructional coaches, but other areas to further investigate emerged. Another finding was that coaches were either within the same capacity as their respective teachers or had extra knowledge of content and students. Although the majority of the coaches’ knowledge of content and students was at a higher level according to their LMT score, it does not necessarily mean that coaches are working with teachers in improving knowledge of content and students. In addition, more research is recommended in creating a pedagogical content knowledge instrument that is specific for coaches.
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