Developing scientific literacy through reading and writing of scientific texts
Leading team:
- Prof. Anat Yarden
Project team:
- Dr. Moriah Ariely
- Dr. Gila Brill
- Dr. Galia Zer-Kavod
Brief
The Life Sciences Group has previously developed a concept for supplementing the study of biology with scientific research articles that are adapted to the knowledge level of high-school biology students, termed adapted primary literature (APL). The group demonstrated that the use of APL for learning biology promotes scientific literacy of high school students more so than the more commonly used texts. APL has since been incorporated into teaching and research programs in Israel as well as in other countries. Members of the group explored the hypothesis that APL can be used as a model for adequate scientific writing, and examining its use as a means for overcoming some of the difficulties faced by students when writing their inquiry project report. Members of the group are also attempting to adapt primary scientific articles to the knowledge level of junior high school students and exploring the possible outcomes of learning with APL in junior high school.
Further reading:
Related articles
- Yarden, A., Brill, G., and Falk, H. (2001). Primary literature as a basis for a high-school biology curriculum. J. Biol. Educ. 35(4), 190-195.
- Brill, G., and Yarden, A. (2003). Learning biology through research papers: A stimulus for question-asking by high-school students. Cell Biol. Educ. 2(4), 266-274.
- Brill, G., Falk, H., and Yarden, A. (2004). The learning processes of two high-school biology students when reading primary literature. Int. J. Sci. Educ. 26(4), 497-512.
- Baram-Tsabari, A., and Yarden, A. (2005). Text genre as a factor in the formation of scientific literacy. J. Res. Sci. Teach. 42(4), 403-428.
- Falk, H., Brill, G., and Yarden, A. (2008). Teaching a biotechnology curriculum based on adapted primary literature. Int. J. Sci. Educ. 30(14), 1841-1866.
- Falk, H., and Yarden, A. (2009). “Here the scientists explain what I said.” Coordination practices elicited during the enactment of the Results and Discussion sections of adapted primary literature. Res. in Sci. Educ. 39(3), 349-383. (Featured in Science Editor’s Choice)
- Yarden, A. (2009). Guest Editorial – Reading Scientific Texts: Adapting Primary Literature for Promoting Scientific Literacy, Res. in Sci. Educ. 39(3), 307-311.
- Falk, H., and Yarden, A. (2011). Stepping into the unknown: Three models for the teaching and learning of the opening sections of scientific articles. J. Biol. Educ. 45(2), 77-82.
- Yarden, A., Norris, S.P., and Phillips, L.M. (2015). Adapted Primary Literature: The Use of Authentic Scientific Texts in Secondary Schools, Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.
- Zer-Kavod, G. (2017). Designing and testing an Adapted Primary Literature-based technology-enhanced environment for learning and instruction of scientific writing in high-school biology, PhD Thesis, Weizmann Institute of Science, doi: https://doi.org/10.34933/wis.000148
- Ariely, M. (2018). Using scientific texts as a means to promote disciplinary scientific literacy among high-school biology students, PhD Thesis, Weizmann Institute of Science, doi: https://doi.org/10.34933/wis.000308
- Ariely, M., and Yarden, A. (2018). Using authentic texts to promote disciplinary literacy in biology. In: Kampourakis, K., and Reiss, M. (Eds.), Teaching Biology in Schools, Springer, pp. 204-215.
- Ariely, M., Livnat, Z., and Yarden, A. (2019). Analyzing the language of an Adapted Primary Literature article: Towards a disciplinary approach of science teaching using texts, Sci. & Educ., 28(1-2), 63-85.
- Ariely, M., and Yarden, A. (2021). Language as a realization of scientific reasoning in scientific texts, and its importance for promoting high school students’ disciplinary literacy. In: Hanganu-Bresch, C., Maci, S., Zerbe, M., and Cutrufello, G. (Eds.), Handbook of Scientific Communication, Routledge (In press).
Links to materials (in English and in Hebrew)
- Zer-Kavod, G., Bergman, H., Merzer, T., Schweid, Y., Yifrach, L., Kfir, M., Riebstein, N., and Yarden, A. (2012). Radar to Bio-Heker (a computerized learning and teaching environment, grades 11-12).
- Zer-Kavod, G., & Yarden, A. (2013). Engineered bacteria produce biofuel from switchgrass (an adapted primary literature article). In: Gene Tamers – Studying Biotechnology Through Research (In Hebrew, 1st ed.). Rebovot: Department of Science Teaching, Weizmann Institute of Science.
- Zer-Kavod, G., & Yarden, A. (2013). Immunization – the next generation: Developing genetically engineered eatable plants that can confer immunity against cholera and malaria (an adapted primary literature article). In: Gene Tamers – Studying Biotechnology Through Research (In Hebrew, 1st ed.). Rehovot: Department of Science Teaching, Weizmann Institute of Science.