Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / F. Todd Goodson / English language learners (ELLs) are expected to meet the same academic standards as those of their fluent English-speaking peers while simultaneously acquiring a second language. When content area instruction is embedded with literacy-based tasks, ELLs' achievement is both the acquisition of content area knowledge and English language skills can be anticipated. Science is a content area that can provide a deep context for ELLs to develop academic language because students must use their literacy skills to gather information about scientific concepts. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of an instructional intervention integrating literacy-based practices in science on third grade ELLs' science achievement and English language development. The mixed methods study was conducted at an elementary school in the Midwest, United States. There were 12 participants, eight identified as ELL and four fluent English speakers. Four of eight identified as ELL received the intervention while the remaining four ELL and fluent English speakers were instructed by the classroom teacher. The intervention was based on the systematic and repeated practice of language strategies and explicit vocabulary instruction. Authentic communication was used during scientific inquiry, discussions, and the reading of expository science text. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected from pre and posttest data from five FOSS I-Check assessments, researcher's observations and field notes, participants' artifacts such as science journal entries and reflections, classroom teacher interview, and recorded session videos. The data was coded and analyzed identifying major themes which are noted in the findings. The results concluded the four participants who received the intervention outperformed their ELL peers not receiving the intervention but were still slightly behind their English-speaking peers. Overall, the participants receiving the intervention showed gains in their productive language as reflected in their utilization of domain-specific vocabulary in their speaking and writing. The conclusions drawn from this study included ELLs can benefit from receiving an integrated literacy/science intervention in both their acquisition of scientific knowledge and language development.

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Les démarches scientifiques sont présentes à la fois dans les textes institutionnels et dans la documentation scientifique. Dans cette recherche, nous étudions comment des enseignants français articulent les démarches d’investigation scientifique (DIS) avec les autres savoirs en sciences de la vie et de la Terre (SVT). Notre travail repose sur trois construits : les démarches d’investigation scientifique, les savoirs disciplinaires et les pratiques d’enseignement. La méthodologie s’appuie sur une recherche mixte de type séquentiel explicatif et de nature descriptive. Trois types d’instrumentation sont mis en œuvre pour recueillir les données : un questionnaire, des entrevues semi-dirigées et des observations de séances de classe. Les données issues des questions fermées du questionnaire sont analysées suivant une approche statistique à l’aide du logiciel SPSS®. Les données provenant des entrevues et des observations sont analysées selon une approche thématique en utilisant une grille construite a priori. Et enfin, les données issues des questions ouvertes du questionnaire sont analysées suivant une double approche lexicale et thématique. Nous identifions à travers ce travail de recherche une disparition des savoirs conceptuels lors de mises en oeuvre de DIS en classe. Les enseignants ne souhaitent pas nécessairement que leurs élèves acquièrent ou mobilisent des savoirs conceptuels. Les habiletés ou les attitudes souvent en lien avec les DIS sont priorisées. Finalement, certains enseignants pourraient, par manque de connaissances épistémologiques en lien avec la construction des savoirs en SVT, ignorer que l’objectif des DIS est la reconstruction de savoirs conceptuels et, à ce titre, considérer les DIS comme une façon de raisonner, comme des habiletés, voire même des habiletés pluridisciplinaires (anglais, français, etc.). / Scientific inquiry are present both in institutional texts and in scientific literature. In this research, we study how French teachers articulate the processes of scientific inquiry (DIS) with other knowledge in the sciences of life and the Earth (SVT). Our work is based on three constructs: investigation procedures, disciplinary knowledge and teaching practices. The methodology is based on a mixed research of explanatory sequential type and descriptive nature. Three types of instrumentation are used to collect the data: a questionnaire, semi-directed interviews and observations of class sessions. Data from closed and open questionnaire questions are analyzed using a lexical approach using SPSS® and IRaMuTeQ® software.Data from interviews and observations are analyzed using a thematic approach using a grid constructed a priori. We identify through this research work a disappearance of conceptual knowledge during implementation of DIS in the classroom. Teachers do not necessarily want their students to acquire or mobilize conceptual knowledge. The skills or attitudes often associated with DIS are prioritized. Finally, some teachers may, for lack of epistemological knowledge related to the construction of knowledge in SVT, ignore that the objective of the DIS would be the reconstruction of conceptual knowledge and as such consider the DIS as a way of reasoning, such as skills or even multidisciplinary skills (English, French, etc.)

Background: The aim of this study was to design and evaluate a laboratory activity based on scientific inquiry to educate first-year pharmacy students in the U.S. about vaccination theory and the attributes of common pathogens. Methods: The laboratory activity had two principal sections. The first consisted of an interactive game during which students rolled a die to determine outcomes based on a set of pre-determined criteria. In the second section, students generated and tested hypotheses about vaccine theory using a computer simulation that modeled disease transmission within a large population. In each section students were asked to evaluate epidemiological data and make inferences pertinent to vaccination effectiveness. Results: Mean scores on a knowledge-based assessment given immediately before and immediately after the activity increased from 46% to 71%. Discussion: A laboratory activity designed to stimulate scientific inquiry within pharmacy students enabled them to increase their knowledge of common vaccines and infectious diseases.

Epistemic beliefs are individuals’ beliefs about the nature of knowledge, how knowledge is constructed, and how knowledge can be justified. This study employed a mixed-methods approach to examine: (a) middle and high school students’ self-reported epistemic beliefs (quantitative) and epistemic beliefs revealed from practice (qualitative) during a problem-based, scientific inquiry unit, (b) How do middle and high school students’ epistemic beliefs contribute to the construction of students’ problem solving processes, and (c) how and why do students’ epistemic beliefs change by engaging in PBL. Twenty-one middle and high school students participated in a summer science class to investigate local water quality in a 2-week long problem-based learning (PBL) unit. The students worked in small groups to conduct water quality tests at in their local watershed and visited several stakeholders for their investigation. Pretest and posttest versions of the Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire were conducted to assess students’ self-reported epistemic beliefs before and after the unit. I videotaped and interviewed three groups of students during the unit and conducted discourse analysis to examine their epistemic beliefs revealed from scientific inquiry activities and triangulate with their self-reported data. There are three main findings from this study. First, students in this study selfreported relatively sophisticated epistemic beliefs on the pretest. However, the comparison between their self-reported beliefs and beliefs revealed from practice indicated that some students were able to apply sophisticated beliefs during the unit while others failed to do so. The inconsistency between these two types of epistemic beliefs may due to students’ inadequate cognitive ability, low validity of self-report measure, and the influence of contextual factors. Second, qualitative analysis indicated that students’ epistemic beliefs of the nature of knowing influenced their problem solving processes and construction of arguments during their inquiry activities. Students with more sophisticated epistemic beliefs acquired knowledge, presented solid evidence, and used it to support their claims more effectively than their peers. Third, students’ self-reported epistemic beliefs became significantly more sophisticated by engaging in PBL. Findings from this study can potentially help researchers to better understand the relation between students’ epistemic beliefs and their scientific inquiry practice.

This thesis explores what to have distorted scientific knowledge claims due to socially constructed conceptions of gender. Using the paradigm example of the explanation of human fertilization misrepresenting knowledge as it maps on stereotypes about the passive female and the active male onto the scientific participation of the egg and the sperm. Exploring arguments presented by feminist epistemologists, I argue that in order to produce knowledge free of distortions due to problematic social conceptions we must engage in a specific epistemological framework with three main components: 1) critically and systematically examine the subject of knowledge in relation to the object of knowledge, 2) make efforts to diversify inquirers as the perspectives of marginalized identities are important to informing where dominant narratives are failing to be objective and 3) actively acknowledge the role that values play in inquiry and promote feminist values. The framework presented is specifically applicable to knowledge distortions present in scientific inquiry but, importantly, can also inform individual epistemic relationship.

<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> <p align="left">The aim of the study was to investigate the nature of biology practical work and associated discourses in two Namibian secondary schools. The purposive sample consisted of three biology teachers and 36 grade 11 students who enrolled for NSSC Higher- and Ordinary-level biology in 2004 and 2005. The study adopted a descriptive and an in-depth qualitative design involving the use of interviews and observation schedules (Video Observation Quoting Schedules-VOQS). The quality of VOQS instruments were established through a panel of independent experts who critically assessed the quality of the items and later discussed to reach consensus. Their rating of the items helped in the establishment of interrater reliability.</p> </font></font></p>