Thinking Aloud in the Science Classroom: Can a literacy strategy increase student learning in science?

Author

Lindsey Joan Mockel, Portland State UniversityFollow

Sponsor

Portland State University. Center for Science Education

First Advisor

Liza Finkel

Date of Publication

Summer 8-27-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Teaching (M.S.T.) in General Science

Department

Science Teaching

Language

English

Subjects

Science -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Pacific Northwest -- Methodology, Literacy -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Pacific Northwest -- Methodology, Reading comprehension -- Study and teaching (Secondary), Thought and thinking -- Study and teaching (Secondary)

DOI

10.15760/etd.1419

Physical Description

1 online resource (iv, 124 pages)

Abstract

This research study investigated the effect of using the think aloud protocol while reading informational text on students' ability to learn from text in a secondary science classroom. The participants in this study were high school students (n=47) in three classes of a mixed-grade Integrated Biology, Chemistry, and Physics course. The study tracked student achievement during a four-week curriculum unit on the theory of evolution and evidence for biological evolution. All students received instruction on using the think aloud protocol, and all students practiced the think aloud protocol when reading short articles related to scientific evidence for evolution. The researcher measured student's ability to read and understand science text by comparing scores from a reading skills pre-assessment and post-assessment from each student. Student surveys were conducted to gather feedback on the effectiveness of the strategy in teaching students to use a literacy strategy while reading science text. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/10016

Recommended Citation

Mockel, Lindsey Joan, "Thinking Aloud in the Science Classroom: Can a literacy strategy increase student learning in science?" (2013). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 1420.
https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.1419