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Abstract

This microethnographic discourse analytic study uses an academic literacies theoretical lens to examine how a highly regarded urban high school biology teacher taught students to write from scientific data and positioned of students with epistemic agency using modeling instruction. Drawing on 6 lessons from one instructional unit over the course of two weeks; data sources include audio and video recordings, 30 transcribed literacy events, students’ written work, teacher interviews, case study student interviews, and photos. Participants included an experienced teacher and a student teacher using modeling instruction and 23 “accelerated” biology students in an urban high school. This study addresses the following research questions: How does a highly regarded teacher engage students in making sense of scientific evidence using modeling and integrating evidence into their writing? How and when did students use these moves in their writing?

Findings reveal that the highly regarded teacher positioned students as having epistemic agency by asking open-ended questions, revoicing student ideas, utilizing small group discussion for new ideas, utilizing wait time, connecting to familiar constructs, supporting transfer of knowledge from mathematics, and encouraging students to write multiple drafts. The data further show that students integrated a variety of epistemic levels of evidence construction when they wrote multiple drafts and used storytelling in their writing about data on a line graph. Implications include instructing teachers on evidence-based writing practices in science classrooms and conducting dialogic scientific argumentation conversations. Finally, I call for further research on the writing epistemologies of science teachers and alignment with modeling instruction.

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