Investigating the Impact of A Literacy-infused Science Intervention on Economically Challenged Students’ Science Achievement: A Case Study from A Rural District in Texas Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • In this empirical study we examined the effect of a literacy-infused science intervention on fifth grade economically challenged students’ science achievement in the curriculum-based and standardized assessments. A total of 27 treatment students and 20 comparison students from two intermediate schools in a rural district in South Texas in the United States participated in the present study. The intervention consisted of ongoing, structured, bi-weekly virtual professional development (VPD) with virtual mentoring and coaching (VMC) at the teacher level and literacy-infused science lessons with inquiry-based learning delivered at the student level. Results revealed a significant and positive intervention effect in favor of treatment students as reflected in higher normal curve equivalent scores in the standardized science assessment and higher scores in curriculum-based assessment. We conclude that the literacy-infused science intervention, inclusive of evidence-based curriculum, VPD, and VMC, is particularly beneficial for promoting science learning for the students in rural areas with educational and economical challenges due to geographic isolation.

published proceedings

  • Science Insights Education Frontiers

author list (cited authors)

  • Irby, B. J., Tong, F., Lara-Alecio, R., Tang, S., Guerrero, C., Wang, Z., & Zhen, F.

citation count

  • 1

complete list of authors

  • Irby, Beverly J||Tong, Fuhui||Lara-Alecio, Rafael||Tang, Shifang||Guerrero, Cindy||Wang, Zhuoying||Zhen, Fubiao

publication date

  • June 2021