Storytelling in Geoscience Research: An Analysis of K-8 Science Textbooks and their Treatment - PowerPoint Presentation

1. Storytelling in Geoscience Research: An Analysis of K-8 Science Textbooks and their Treatment of Scale in ESSKim A. cheek and caroline GeorgeCollege of education and human servicesUniversity of north florida

2. Defining Scale*Spatial, temporal, or numeric magnitude of an object or event; measurable in standard or nonstandard units: km, AU, days, years, many, small, short, longSpatial, temporal, or numeric relationship between objects or events; includes formal proportional relationships and informal descriptors: 1:625,000, larger, smaller, shorter, longer*(from Cheek, LaDue, and Shipley, 2017)

3. Learners’ understanding of scaleCrosscutting Concept in NGSS (Fick, 2018; Osborne et al., 2018)Widespread difficulty estimating spatial (Delgado et al., 2017; Jones et al., 2008, Tretter et al., 2006) and temporal (Catley & Novick, 2009; Cheek, 2013; Delgado, 2013; Trend, 2000) magnitude at extremes of scaleRelative estimation better than absolute (Libarkin et al., 2007; Trend, 2000; Tretter et al., 2006)Number magnitude estimation improves with age (Siegler & Opfer, 2003) but remains challenging for adults at unfamiliar scales (Landy et al., 2016)

4. Textbooks in science instructionMajor driver of instructional content and delivery (Abd-El-Khalick et al., 2017)Figures (photographs, drawings, diagrams, maps, graphs, tables, timelines) are source of many of the examples of natural phenomena students see in classroom (Kelly, 2007)Relatively low self-efficacy of K-8 science teachers leads to overreliance on textbooks for instructional design and delivery

5. How do images in select K-8 science textbooks depict information about spatial, temporal, and numeric scale as magnitude and as relationship?

6. methodsMost recent editions of a sample of K-8 science textbooks for CA, FL, and Tx, (3 publishers = 70% of U.S. textbook market)content analysis: accuracy of scale information, type of image (photograph, drawing, map, table graph, timeline)Analyzed by grade bands (K-2, 3-5, 6-8)Only Images on instructional pages, coded once, time lapse images showing change over time (e.g., shadow length), coded singly

7. Grade BandAstronomyEarth Materials & ProcessesWeather & ClimateMean Images per PageImages Depicting ScaleMean Images per PageImages Depicting ScaleMean Images per PageImages Depicting ScaleK-21.118%1.610%1.518%3-51.327%1.619%1.618%6-81.429%1.416%1.421%Table 1. Mean Number of images and percentage depicting scale by grade band and topic area.

8. AccuracyGreater accuracy: K-2 images as a whole, temporal magnitude (astronomy and weather & climate), numeric magnitudeLess accuracy: gr. 3-5 and 6-8 as a whole, temporal magnitude (earth materials & processes), spatial relationship (astronomy), temporal relationship (earth materials & processes)

9. Figure 1. Image Type Frequency by Topic Area and Grade Band

10. conclusionsScale depicted infrequently; grade level and topic area differencesAccuracy varies with topic areaphotographs and drawings most commonMinimal or no supporting information when objects not to scale Numeric magnitudes encountered in gr. 3-8 not evidentlimitationsInsufficient time to develop ngss-aligned textbooksMeaning teachers & students make of imagesis conceptual understanding improved?Type of support teachers need to integrate SPQIs it fruitful?

11. QUESTIONS?Kim A. Cheekk.cheek@unf.eduThis research was supported by a University of NorthFlorida Academic Affairs scholarship grant.

12. Coding CategoryExample ImageAccurate Spatial RelationshipTopographic map with scaleConfusing/Ambiguous Spatial RelationshipPartial Sun and Earth; because Sun is partially visible relative sizes are ambiguousMisrepresentation Spatial Relationship4 Earths in orbit around Sun at solstices and equinoxes; All Earths are same diameter as Sun Accurate Spatial MagnitudeSand dunes with grain sizes labeled in mmConfusing/Ambiguous Spatial MagnitudeRelated images of sediments sorted by size but no indication if images are at the same level of magnificationMisrepresentation Spatial MagnitudeSaturn and Io; distance between them is too smallAccurate Temporal RelationshipSeafloor spreading showing older crust farther from mid-ocean ridgeConfusing/Ambiguous Temporal RelationshipDebris flow with caption that says materials can move “quickly”Misrepresentation Temporal RelationshipNone foundAccurate Temporal MagnitudeDevonian Sea with caption that says 380 MaConfusing/Ambiguous Temporal MagnitudeSteel and paper clips; caption says they last a “long time”Misrepresentation Temporal MagnitudeTimeline not to scaleAccurate Numeric RelationshipNone foundConfusing/Ambiguous Numeric RelationshipNone foundMisrepresentation Numeric RelationshipNone foundAccurate Numeric MagnitudeTable listing number of moons of JupiterConfusing/Ambiguous Numeric MagnitudeDevelopment of a rift valley; caption says “numerous” cracks developMisrepresentation Numeric MagnitudeNone foundCoding CategoryExample ImageAccurate Spatial RelationshipTopographic map with scaleConfusing/Ambiguous Spatial RelationshipPartial Sun and Earth; because Sun is partially visible relative sizes are ambiguousMisrepresentation Spatial Relationship4 Earths in orbit around Sun at solstices and equinoxes; All Earths are same diameter as Sun Accurate Spatial MagnitudeSand dunes with grain sizes labeled in mmConfusing/Ambiguous Spatial MagnitudeRelated images of sediments sorted by size but no indication if images are at the same level of magnificationMisrepresentation Spatial MagnitudeSaturn and Io; distance between them is too smallAccurate Temporal RelationshipSeafloor spreading showing older crust farther from mid-ocean ridgeConfusing/Ambiguous Temporal RelationshipDebris flow with caption that says materials can move “quickly”Misrepresentation Temporal RelationshipNone foundAccurate Temporal MagnitudeDevonian Sea with caption that says 380 MaConfusing/Ambiguous Temporal MagnitudeSteel and paper clips; caption says they last a “long time”Misrepresentation Temporal MagnitudeTimeline not to scaleAccurate Numeric RelationshipNone foundConfusing/Ambiguous Numeric RelationshipNone foundMisrepresentation Numeric RelationshipNone foundAccurate Numeric MagnitudeTable listing number of moons of JupiterConfusing/Ambiguous Numeric MagnitudeDevelopment of a rift valley; caption says “numerous” cracks developMisrepresentation Numeric MagnitudeNone foundTable A. Examples of Images Coded Accurate, Confusing/Ambiguous, or Misrepresentation