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National survey of 4th and 5th grade science education teachers: Insights into instruction and inclusion of students with disabilities

Therrien, William J.
; 
Wong, Vivian C.
; 
Chen, Ling
; 
Taylor, Christina M.
; 
Chiu, Jennifer L.
; 
Gonçalves, Bruna
; 
Liu, Qing
; 
Cook, Bryan G.
; 
Doabler, Christian T.
; 
Swanson, Elizabeth
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Authors
Therrien, William J.
Wong, Vivian C.
Chen, Ling
Taylor, Christina M.
Chiu, Jennifer L.
Gonçalves, Bruna
Liu, Qing
Cook, Bryan G.
Doabler, Christian T.
Swanson, Elizabeth
Brame, Priscilla B.
Budin, Shannon
Cho, Eunsoo
Conway, Sheila J.
Davis, Kimberley M.
Dunn, Michael W.
Faggella-Luby, Michael N.
Gersib, Jenna
Jimenez, Zaira
Juergensen, Rachel L.
Kiuhara, Sharlene A.
Lembke, Erica S.
Moody, Amelia K.
Morris, Jared R.
Murnan, Reagan
Sarmiento, Cherish M.
Smith, Cassandra M.
Smith, R. Alex
Solis, Michael
Stinchcomb, Heidi R.
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Issue Date
2025-04-18
Type
Article
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Keywords
elementary science education; national teacher survey; students with disabilities
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Therrien, W.J., Wong, V.C., Chen, L., Taylor, C.M., Chiu, J.L., Gonçalves, B., Liu, Q., Cook, B.G., Doabler, C.T., Swanson, E., Brame, P.B., Budin, S., Cho, E., Conway, S.J., Davis, K.M., Dunn, M.W., Faggella-Luby, M.N., Gersib, J., Jimenez, Z., Juergensen, R.L., Kiuhara, S.A., Lembke, E.S., Moody, A.K., Morris, J.R., Murnan, R., Sarmiento, C.M., Smith, C.M., Smith, R.A., Solis, M. and Stinchcomb, H.R. (2025), National Survey of 4th and 5th Grade Science Education Teachers: Insights Into Instruction and Inclusion of Students With Disabilities. Science Education. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21972
Abstract
Elementary science education, particularly in the 4th and 5th grades, is essential for setting the foundation for lifelong science learning, fostering critical thinking, and preparing students for success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This stage is especially critical for students with disabilities, as achievement gaps between them and their peers emerge during elementary school. Despite this importance, little is known about how science is taught in elementary classrooms during these critical years, particularly for students with disabilities. To address this gap, we surveyed teachers from a nationally representative sample of U.S. schools to examine elementary science education, including instructional practices, allocation of time, and the inclusion and support of students with disabilities. Our findings reveal that limited instructional time is allocated to science, with significant variability across classrooms. The amount of time dedicated to science instruction was significantly influenced by external factors, such as whether science was a tested subject. Students with disabilities often face additional barriers, including being pulled out of science instruction for special education services, resulting in missed opportunities to engage in science. These findings highlight the need to address opportunity gaps in science instruction to ensure all students have meaningful access to quality science education. © 2025 The Author(s). Science Education published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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This is an open access article under the CC BY license.
Publisher
John Wiley and Sons Inc
Journal
Science Education
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https://hdl.handle.net/10057/29862
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DOI
10.1002/sce.21972
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00368326
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