View in EDS

Characterizing Discourse Group Roles in Inquiry-Based University Science Labs

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Characterizing Discourse Group Roles in Inquiry-Based University Science Labs
Language: English
Authors: Tong Wan (ORCID 0000-0001-9590-160X), Juliette Pimbert (ORCID 0009-0005-0430-1024), Reshawna L. Chapple (ORCID 0000-0002-7568-8909), Ying Cao (ORCID 0000-0002-1423-716X), Pierre-Philippe A. Ouimet (ORCID 0000-0003-3497-2097)
Source: Physical Review Physics Education Research. 2025 21(2).
Availability: American Physical Society. One Physics Ellipse 4th Floor, College Park, MD 20740-3844. Tel: 301-209-3200; Fax: 301-209-0865; e-mail: assocpub@aps.org; Web site: https://journals.aps.org/prper/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 18
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Inquiry, Active Learning, College Science, Science Laboratories, Group Activities, College Students, Discourse Modes, Deafness, Hard of Hearing, Gender Differences, Cooperative Learning, Summer Programs, Science Instruction
DOI: 10.1103/g4gf-w1yd
ISSN: 2469-9896
Abstract: Group work is commonly adopted in university science laboratories. However, student small-group discourse in university science labs is rarely investigated. We aim to bridge the gap in the literature by characterizing student discourse group roles in inquiry-based science labs. The instructional context for this study was a summer program hosted at a private research university in the eastern United States. The program was designed as a bridge program for matriculating students who were first generation and/or deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). Accommodations such as interpreters and technological tools were provided for DHH students. We analyzed 19 students' discourse moves in five lab activities from the video recordings, resulting in a total of 48 student-lab units. We developed codes to describe student discourse moves: "asking a question", "proposing an idea", "participating in discussion", "chatting off-task", and "talking with instructor." Through a cluster analysis using the 48 student-lab units on quantified discourse moves, we identified four discourse styles, "high on-task high social, high on-task low social, low on-task high social, and low on-task low social." The results show that individual students tended to demonstrate varying discourse styles in different lab activities; students' discourse styles within the same groups tended to be aligned with their group members. By examining group members' discourse styles in mixed-gender groups, we did not observe a difference in engagement levels between female and male students. DHH students in mixed hearing ability groups, however, were observed to have a lower level of engagement compared to their non-DHH group members. We discuss possible factors that may have contributed to the observations for genders and students with different hearing abilities. We also provide suggestions for promoting equitable small-group discourse in university science labs.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1479705
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1479705
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Characterizing Discourse Group Roles in Inquiry-Based University Science Labs
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tong+Wan%22">Tong Wan</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9590-160X">0000-0001-9590-160X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Juliette+Pimbert%22">Juliette Pimbert</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0430-1024">0009-0005-0430-1024</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Reshawna+L%2E+Chapple%22">Reshawna L. Chapple</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7568-8909">0000-0002-7568-8909</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ying+Cao%22">Ying Cao</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1423-716X">0000-0002-1423-716X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pierre-Philippe+A%2E+Ouimet%22">Pierre-Philippe A. Ouimet</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3497-2097">0000-0003-3497-2097</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Physical+Review+Physics+Education+Research%22"><i>Physical Review Physics Education Research</i></searchLink>. 2025 21(2).
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: American Physical Society. One Physics Ellipse 4th Floor, College Park, MD 20740-3844. Tel: 301-209-3200; Fax: 301-209-0865; e-mail: assocpub@aps.org; Web site: https://journals.aps.org/prper/
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 18
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Inquiry%22">Inquiry</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Active+Learning%22">Active Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Science%22">College Science</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Science+Laboratories%22">Science Laboratories</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Group+Activities%22">Group Activities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Discourse+Modes%22">Discourse Modes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Deafness%22">Deafness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hard+of+Hearing%22">Hard of Hearing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gender+Differences%22">Gender Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cooperative+Learning%22">Cooperative Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Summer+Programs%22">Summer Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Science+Instruction%22">Science Instruction</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1103/g4gf-w1yd
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 2469-9896
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Group work is commonly adopted in university science laboratories. However, student small-group discourse in university science labs is rarely investigated. We aim to bridge the gap in the literature by characterizing student discourse group roles in inquiry-based science labs. The instructional context for this study was a summer program hosted at a private research university in the eastern United States. The program was designed as a bridge program for matriculating students who were first generation and/or deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). Accommodations such as interpreters and technological tools were provided for DHH students. We analyzed 19 students' discourse moves in five lab activities from the video recordings, resulting in a total of 48 student-lab units. We developed codes to describe student discourse moves: "asking a question", "proposing an idea", "participating in discussion", "chatting off-task", and "talking with instructor." Through a cluster analysis using the 48 student-lab units on quantified discourse moves, we identified four discourse styles, "high on-task high social, high on-task low social, low on-task high social, and low on-task low social." The results show that individual students tended to demonstrate varying discourse styles in different lab activities; students' discourse styles within the same groups tended to be aligned with their group members. By examining group members' discourse styles in mixed-gender groups, we did not observe a difference in engagement levels between female and male students. DHH students in mixed hearing ability groups, however, were observed to have a lower level of engagement compared to their non-DHH group members. We discuss possible factors that may have contributed to the observations for genders and students with different hearing abilities. We also provide suggestions for promoting equitable small-group discourse in university science labs.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1479705
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1479705
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1103/g4gf-w1yd
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 18
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Inquiry
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Active Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Science
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Science Laboratories
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Group Activities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Discourse Modes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Deafness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Hard of Hearing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Gender Differences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cooperative Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Summer Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Science Instruction
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Characterizing Discourse Group Roles in Inquiry-Based University Science Labs
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Tong Wan
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Juliette Pimbert
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Reshawna L. Chapple
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Ying Cao
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Pierre-Philippe A. Ouimet
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 2469-9896
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 21
            – Type: issue
              Value: 2
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Physical Review Physics Education Research
              Type: main
ResultId 1