STEM Research

Hand, Therrien Work to Improve Science Literacy

More Iowa students are improving their science literacy thanks to a four-year $4.8 million U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences (IES) grant received by Science Education Professor Brian Hand, Special Education Associate Professor William Therrien, and Mack Shelley, a statistics professor at Iowa State University.

The grant, “Efficacy of the Science Writing Heuristic Approach,” is the first science goal-level-three grant funded for work with elementary students since IES’ inception seven years ago.

“The goal is to help children better understand how they come to know something,” said Hand, the grant’s primary investigator. “It’s through argument and language strategies that better help them learn science.”

Therrien said this approach to teaching science literacy has shown positive results for students who have traditionally struggled with science.

“Many students with special needs are excluded from meaningful participation in science class because of their difficulties in reading and writing,” Therrien said. “The Science Writing Heuristic approach provides an avenue for these students to be engaged in authentic science activities which results in dramatically improved performance.”

“This research clearly impacts students and schools in Iowa,” Dean Margaret Crocco said.

The grant will field test the approach with 7,000 fourth- through sixth-grade students in 48 Iowa elementary schools, including both rural and urban schools. The Loess Hills and Keystone Area Education Agencies and the Iowa Department of Education will work with the research team to help identify schools, schedule activities, and provide access to pertinent data regarding student performance.

Each participating school will receive an estimated $10,000 for its science budgets as well as training for teachers and professional development, “which is especially important during these tough economic times,” Therrien said.

The research program will embed science arguments within typical inquiry lessons to improve students’ understandings of science, directly addressing the critical national need for science literacy and improved science education.

“Fourth through sixth grade is a time to catch them before they start to lose interest in science,” Therrien said. “As we all know, now more than ever, there really is a need for the country to have additional scientists.”

Hand said that the business community and general public are also especially looking for employees with the skills this approach helps cultivate in students