One problem in schools is to get students to think that learning science is difficult. They are often based on abstract concepts that are both difficult to assimilate and experienced to be irrelevant for everyday life.
- For the deaf and other students with Swedish as a second language, it is even trickier to acquire absorb knowledge which draws heavily on being able to reason based on the scientific "language" the student learns, explains Bengt-Olov Molander at the Department of Mathematics and Science Education.
He has conducted research on deaf students using sign language as their first language for more than ten years. To investigate how the understanding of science is developed, Bengt-Olov Molander and the Ph.D. student Camilla Lindahl interviewed both hearing and deaf students in grades 5 and 6 about how they reason about science. Something that makes it difficult is that deaf students have to deal with the specieal language of natural science with defined concepts that are often central to the understanding. Many of these turned out to not mean much for the students. Many scientific concepts originate from metaphores used in Swedish language while the signs used to describe the concepts may convey different meanings. In Swedish sign language the sign of energy can for example also mean activity.
- That made it more difficult for deaf students to understand what the their fellow students meant when they discussed the concept of energy. This makes discussions about scientific problems harder, explains Bengt-Olov Molander.
It is pure chance that he does research on deaf students. A new neighbour had a deaf son who needed help with their homework. As a former science teacher Bengt-Olov Molander was willing to help.
- He reasoned completely right in many ways, but it was obvious that the language and the transition between the Swedish and sign language was a problem. Around the same time, I received an offer to participate and develop a unique program for student teachers in mathematics and science for the deaf. It was the start of a journey to learn more about how the deaf learn.
Important lessons from the research are how critical language awareness is to the understanding of science, for both hearing and deaf students. It is central that students can use their first language during their education.
- This applies to teachers working with the scientific language so that it creates meaning for the students, and not just words to learn by heart. How many of us that learned concepts such as ‘impedance’ can explain what it means?
One effect of the difficulties for many deaf and other multilingual students is that many drop off after upper secondary school. Bengt-Olov Molander is upset that equality in Swedish schools has dropped over the past decade, from being in the top compared to other countries and is now below average.
- It is particularly serious when as many as 20 percent of students in Swedish schools have different cultural or linguistic background. They are systematically disadvantaged during their education and it is important that the government start working on a strategy of giving all students an opportunity to learn and develop.
A better education for deaf students will also benefit other students with Swedish as a second language - and perhaps also students with Swedish as their first language, because the goal is to provide a basic understanding of science.
Bengt-Olov Molander, is an Associate Professor in Science Education, also participate in the teaching of of student teachers at Stockholm University.
Interviewed by Andreas Nilsson
