Enhancing language skills and science conceptual learning through a multidisciplinary teaching approach that infuses active literacy into science and English classes

Abstract

Achieving high levels of disciplinary literacy is both a goal for language arts education and the content area. My study’s aim is to build language and science teachers’ capacity for integrating active language support strategies that promote enhanced disciplinary literacy, particularly as manifested in advanced conceptual learning in science and expository informative writing skills across both disciplines. My investigation examines: (a) the impact of a multidisciplinary approach to integrating literacy skills in content areas for enhanced language and science learning and (b) language and science teachers’ adoption and adaptation of the strategies through collaborative co-planning, implementation, and reflection within PLCs. A mixed method case study approach that combines qualitative and quantitative (descriptive statistics) research methods was used. My case study examines in depth the collaboration of grade six teachers – English and science – working together in the classroom, aligning the science topic and literacy skills to purposefully integrate them into the English and science curriculum. The data gathering method included PLC meeting documentation, and three different learners’ products from the English and science classrooms – a Reflex Exploration Activity (science), the Nervous System Research Project (science), and an expository informative writing piece (English) as culminating products of the developed unit. My findings revealed significant critical decision points made by teachers and coordinators during PLC meetings that contributed to the effectiveness of the multidisciplinary unit. Moreover, the learners’ products showed that students’ conceptual understanding increased through the deployment of active literacy strategies into science explorations and projects. Furthermore, the employment of scaffolds (Framed Paragraph) revealed the learners’ progressing use of specialized register of science. Their expository informative writing manifested both ELA target writing competencies and the precision and explicitness in disciplinary meanings usually associated with scientific registers.