science-education
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- PaperEdArXiv (OSF Preprints)17 Jul 2026
The Biological Meaning of Surface Area-to-Volume Ratio: A Conceptual Framework for Modeling and Teaching bio-SA/V
Tzachi Bar
Introduces bio-SA/V as a biological trait scaling with surface area-to-volume ratio, defining obligatory and pseudo bio-SA/V components. The model reveals cognitive challenges in understanding SA/V functions and identifies common explanatory pitfalls in biology education.
Original abstract
Surface area–to–volume (SA/V) ratio is widely used to explain scaling of biological phenomena. Despite its central role in biology and science education, the biological meaning of SA/V has remained undefined. This paper introduces the concept of bio-SA/V, defined as a biological trait whose magnitude scales with the SA/V of the body producing it, and presents a model of bio-SA/V components and their relationships. The model identifies obligatory bio-SA/V, in which a biological function emerges from two components: one occurring at the body surface and proportional to surface area, and the other occurring within the body volume and proportional to the body's volume. Also defined and characterized is pseudo bio-SA/V, describing traits that scale with the characteristic length of the body, the inverse of SA/V. The value of the new concept is demonstrated through simplification of the explanation of erythrocyte deformability. Analysis of the model reveals that understanding obligatory bio-SA/V functions requires coordinating multiple layers of proportional reasoning and synthesizing surface- and volume-based components into a composed biological function, posing a significant cognitive challenge for learners. The model also reveals common explanatory problems in the literature, including oversimplified explanations that omit the volume component and overly complicated explanations that could be reduced to characteristic length. These insights have implications for biology education. The framework suggests new approaches for teaching and assessing SA/V-based reasoning and clarifies, for the first time, the appropriate use of units in SA/V-based explanations.
- PaperTESOL Journal8 Jul 2026
Multimodal Disciplinary Literacy and Teacher Agency: An Ethnographic Case Study in an Elementary ESOL Classroom
Shuang Fu, Leslie Johnson
An ethnographic case study examined how an elementary ESOL teacher in a rural U.S. school used agency to design inquiry-based, multimodal science lessons that integrated language and content learning for multilingual learners. The teacher centered students' everyday experiences, leveraged multimodal representations, and fostered dialogic routines to position students as capable contributors to scientific discourse. The findings argue for broadening disciplinary literacy in science to include multilingual, multimodal ways of knowing, especially in under-resourced schools.
Original abstract
This study explores how an elementary ESOL teacher in a rural U.S. school enacted agency to support multilingual learners' (MLs) engagement with disciplinary literacy in science. Drawing on frameworks of disciplinary literacy and multimodal pedagogy, the study investigates how science instruction can move beyond remediation and instead foster MLs' full participation as sense‐makers and knowledge producers. Through ethnographic case study methods, including classroom observations, interviews, and student artifacts, we examine how the teacher co‐constructed inquiry‐based, multimodal science lessons that integrated language and content learning. Findings highlight three interrelated instructional strategies: (a) centering students' everyday experiences in science modeling, (b) leveraging multimodal representations to support conceptual and linguistic development, and (c) fostering dialogic routines that positioned MLs as capable contributors to scientific discourse. Set in a rural context, the study underscores the critical role of ESOL teacher agency in reimagining science education for equity. We argue that disciplinary literacy in science must be broadened to include multilingual, multimodal ways of knowing and doing, especially in under‐resourced schools. This work contributes to growing conversations about how rural educators can enact linguistically inclusive, inquiry‐driven science instruction that affirms the identities and assets of MLs.
- PaperERIC — ELT & TESOL1 Jan 2025
Exploring English Language Learners' Performance on Online, Asynchronous Science-Based Examinations
Carol Rentas, Ramapoza O'Dwyer, Rohini Ganjoo, Marcia A. Firmani et al.
The study examined correlations between English proficiency and exam performance in online asynchronous science courses. Quantitative analysis of 91 students showed weak to moderate positive correlations for non-ELL students in bacteriology and clinical chemistry, but no significant correlations for ELLs. Interviews with 13 ELLs revealed learning strategies they employed in the online environment, suggesting potential interventions to support all students.
Original abstract
This study explored the relationships between English language proficiency and performance in online, asynchronous science courses. Each participant completed a Language Background Questionnaire (LBQ) to indicate if English was not their native language, thus categorizing them as an English Language Learner (ELL). The Combined English Language Skills Assessment (CELSA) measured English language proficiency. Of 25 ELLs 13 were interviewed to elicit their perspectives of learning strategies used in an online environment. Quantitative analyses involved t-tests and Pearson's correlation among 91 participants' CELSA scores and final exam results. For non-ELL students, there were weak to moderate, positive correlations for Bacteriology 2: r(57)=0.47, p<0.00, Clinical Chemistry 1: r(33)=0.36, p=0.04, and Clinical Chemistry 2: r(33)=0.44, p=0.01; no other significant correlations were found. This study may inform interventions and strategies that enhance learning and performance in science-based coursework in courses taught in asynchronous, online programs for all students, particularly ELLs.