Page 449 - Cultural Studies of Science Education

424 P. Chigeza and H. Whitehouse

those students able to use scientific genre in speaking and writing to actively
demonstrate an understanding of energy and force. They labelled diagrams correctly
in English, used level appropriate scientific terminology and displayed evidence of
phonic awareness and textual interaction (making meaning). Only nine of forty-
four students (20%) fell in this category.
In Category B, students used limited scientific terminology but were able to
demonstrate by direct actions (gestures, setting up equipment) their understandings
of concepts of energy and force. This group could only marshal a limited set of
terms with which to label diagrams in English. They showed evidence of phonic
awareness in that they tried to pronounce scientific terms correctly but only dem-
onstrated limited textual interaction (making-meaning) in terms of employing
scientific words. They had difficulty writing science in English but could demon-
strate conceptual understanding in the context of hands-on activities (designed to
elicit such). These students know what is meant by a term, such as friction, can apply
the concept in an activity-based classroom, but could not represent their under-
standing in written English very well. Fifteen students (35%) were so categorised.
In Category C were students who did not, or could not use scientific terminology
to demonstrate their understandings in hands-on activities; showed limited evidence
of phonic awareness and no evidence of textual interaction (making-meaning), were
unable to label diagrams and found it difficult to describe or write concepts in
English. They relied on their classmates to translate to Creole. This meant we, as
teacher/researchers, could not appropriately assess their levels of formal scientific
understanding as described in state curriculum. Twenty of the forty-four students
(45%) were classified in this category (Table 1).
Almost half of Philemon’s islander students had difficulty understanding the
concepts as set out by the Queensland Studies Authority Science: Years 1–10
Syllabus (1999/2004) and by junior science textbooks. The problem was not a lack
of conceptual ability but a lack of facility in/with the necessary language capital.

Table 1 Categories of TSI Students Employing Formal Science Terminology
Percentage of Study Main Structural Features of
Categories Number of Students Group (%) Competence in English
A 9 20 Used scientific genre in
speaking and writing to
actively demonstrate an
understanding of energy
and force
B 15 35 Used limited scientific
terminology but were able to
demonstrate by direct actions
their understandings of
concepts of energy and force
C 20 45 Could not use scientific
terminology to demonstrate
their understandings in
hands-on eliciting activities