Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 18, Issue 2, Article 2 (Dec., 2017)
Karleah HARRIS, Jordan Jimmy CRABBE and Charlene HARRIS
Teacher discourse strategies used in kindergarten inquiry-based science learning

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Teacher discourse strategies used in kindergarten inquiry-based science learning

 

Karleah HARRIS
Miami University
Department of Family Science and Social Work
Oxford, OH 45056, USA
Corresponding Author’s E-mail: harri128@miamioh.edu; karleah.harris@gmail.com

Jordan Jimmy CRABBE
University of Cincinnati Blue Ash, Blue Ash College
Math, Physics, and Computer Science Department
Cincinnati, OH 45236, USA
E-mail: crabbejn@ucmail.uc.edu

Charlene HARRIS
State University of New York at Oswego
Department of Human Development
Oswego, NY 13126, USA
E-mail: charlene.harris@oswego.edu  

Received 24 May, 2017
Revised 6 Dec., 2017

Contents

Abstract

This study examines teacher discourse strategies used in kindergarten inquiry-based science learning as part of the Scientific Literacy Project (SLP) (Mantzicopoulos, Patrick & Samarapungavan, 2005). Four public kindergarten science classrooms were chosen to implement science teaching strategies using a guided-inquiry approach. Data were collected during lesson observations; teacher discourse strategies were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative procedures. The results showed that the teachers used 13 distinct types of teacher discourse strategies in the classroom. Teacher discourse strategies were grouped into four higher levels of discourse categories. The results indicated that the nature and relative proportion of the different types of teacher discourse varied both across teacher and within teachers across classrooms.

Key words: Teacher discourse, inquiry-based science learning, explanation, instructional strategies, kindergarten

 

 

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