Activities-oriented science instruction for students with disabilities

Abstract

This article reports the findings of several extended classroom investigations in science education that include students with disabilities. In all cases, certified teachers implemented the science instruction over extended time periods to their students with and without disabilities. Additionally, in all cases science curricula were adapted as necessary to promote the successful participation and learning of students with disabilities. In some applications, teachers generated the adaptations in consultation with university researchers. In other cases, teachers generated ideas more independently. In all implementations, activities-based curriculum materials were used solely or in combination or comparison with textbook-based curriculum materials. Findings across all classroom implementations suggest that students with disabilities successfully learned more when taught with the adapted activities-based science curriculum materials. Additionally, students with disabilities overwhelmingly reported enjoying the activities-oriented instruction more than textbook instruction. Teachers noted that during activities-oriented instruction students appeared more motivated to learn and to participate in class, and demonstrated more on-task behaviors. However, teachers also reported that activities-oriented instruction involved considerably more teacher preparation time, behavior management skills, and organizational skills than traditional textbook instruction. Findings are discussed with respect to instructional implications for students with disabilities.