Methods & Strategies: Multiple Modes in Science Instruction

To become scientifically literate, students need to interpret science concepts using numbers, text, and visuals (Lemke 2004). Scientists use multiple modes to communicate their ideas to each other and the public, including images, text, mathematical notations, symbols, diagrams, charts, and graphs....

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Bibliographic Details
Published inScience and children Vol. 57; no. 1; pp. 77 - 81
Main Authors Wilson, Rachel, Bradbury, Leslie
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published National Science Teachers Association 01.08.2019
Subjects
Charts
Concept Formation
Elementary School Students
Freehand Drawing
Graphs
Interdisciplinary Approach
Mathematics
Multimedia Instruction
Numbers
Science Instruction
Scientific Concepts
Scientific Literacy
Teacher Attitudes
Teacher Educators
Teaching Methods
Thinking Skills
Visual Aids
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Summary:To become scientifically literate, students need to interpret science concepts using numbers, text, and visuals (Lemke 2004). Scientists use multiple modes to communicate their ideas to each other and the public, including images, text, mathematical notations, symbols, diagrams, charts, and graphs. Several of the science and engineering practices in the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013) incorporate multiple modes of representing information: developing and using models; analyzing and interpreting data; using mathematical and computational thinking; and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating data. In addition, using multiple modes in science instruction allows teachers to integrate other subject skills within a science unit, such as English language arts standards for reading, writing, and speaking and mathematics standards for numbers and operations and measurement and data. When other subject skills are integrated, science becomes more relevant for students. Furthermore, having facility with multiple modes of representation in science instruction benefits student learning and increases their depth of understanding (Wilson and Bradbury 2016). Finally, science instruction presented in various modes can provide greater access to science information for all students.
ISSN:0036-8148
1943-4812
DOI:10.1080/19434812.2019.12292388