Comprehensiveness, Frequency, and Consistency of Science in Elementary Schedules

Abstract

Science in the elementary grades is often deprioritized in comparison to ELA and mathematics. We wondered, how comprehensively, frequently, and consistently is science included in elementary schools’ schedules? We reviewed daily schedules for 14 schools in 9 districts across the U.S. to qualitatively examine how science is represented on the daily instructional schedule. These schools were selected as “best case scenarios” recommended by district or state science leaders as places where science is taken seriously. We complemented these schedules with data from 21 interviews with teachers, science specialists, and school leaders to better understand how science actually appears in children’s daily instructional experiences. We found that, in these schools, science is taught comprehensively (though not as comprehensively as ELA or mathematics), has the potential for being taught frequently (even in the lower elementary grades), and is taught somewhat consistently (albeit usually in some kind of rotation with social studies). We present implications for how leaders can craft school schedules to make science comprehensive, frequent, and consistent in the elementary grades, to provide important opportunities to learn and thrive for all children.

Keywords::

• Schedules
• elementary science
• leaders
• instructional time

Acknowledgments

Work on this paper was funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF Core Grant number 1761129). However, any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed here are those of the authors. We also express appreciation to the members of the Elementary Science Systems research group, particularly Angela Lyle, for their help in conceptualizing and conducting this study. This paper was adapted from Davis and Haverly 2023. Comprehensiveness, frequency, and consistency of science in elementary schedules: “Are we doing science yet?” Poster and paper presented at the NARST annual conference, Chicago.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elizabeth A. Davis

Elizabeth A. Davis ([email protected]) is a professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Christa Haverly

Christa Haverly is a research assistant professor at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.