Talking Science

It wasn’t that long ago when educators thought science classrooms were places where teachers did all the talking and students just absorbed the information. Kids were praised for using quiet voices, or better yet, no voices at all. In today’s classrooms, we encourage kids to talk and engage in conversation with their peers. Why this change in practice? Why has science discourse become such a valued component of the learning process?

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A primary goal of science education has always been to have students walk away from the activities they complete with a deeper understanding of science. Research has shown that one of the best ways to help students do this is by having them talk about their ideas. As students talk, they evaluate their own thinking, identify holes in their knowledge, and work to resolve their misconceptions. 

Science talk isn’t just any old talk. It uses a specialized language and can sound quite different depending on the purpose and context of the communication (e.g., exploring an idea or concept, analyzing and interpreting data, or explaining a hypothesis). Regardless of the context, what matters most is that the talk is productive. Productive scientific talk furthers science understanding, and it requires active participation of the speakers and the listeners. Common roles of speakers and listeners are shown on this Productive Science Discourse chart.

Productive science talk doesn't just magically happen. It requires support and guidance. There are many ways to support productive science talk in the classroom:

• Provide a safe space in which this kind of productive talk can happen.
  
• Develop group norms that provide a clear purpose and structured routine for speaking and listening. Model, reinforce, and revisit the norms. 
  
• Provide students with many opportunities to practice engaging in productive talk with peers.
  
• Ask questions that promote critical thinking and encourage students to formulate their own questions. 
  
• Let conversations happen! Recognize when to step aside and let students assume responsibility for the success of the discussion.

Teachers in Making Sense of SCIENCE courses learn by doing, observing, and, you guessed it, talking! They experience the same type of learning environment students thrive in. This helps teachers understand how their students learn and how to facilitate that learning. In doing so, teachers and students experience the true nature of science.

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This SCIENCE Corner was brought to you by Kathy Huncosky — Science Instructional Resource Teacher, Madison Metropolitan School District. 

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