Taking Up the Mantle of Knowing: Supporting Student Engagement in Progressive Scientific Discourse in Geoscience

Abstract

Learning science involves students engaging in disciplinary discourses. In this case study, middle school earth science students were led through an online module designed to support the exploration of plate tectonics through the use of interactive data visualization and simulation tools. This study investigates how teacher questioning, curricular features, or other student’s talk scaffold progressive discourse. Preliminarily findings revealed that students’ participation in progressive discourse is predicated on teacher-supported sensemaking and a learning environment that scaffolds student questioning and exploration.