Backroads to learining : the use of narratives in high school biology

Abstract

This research paper is set within the context of the grade twelve biology class in Grande Cache Community High School, located in the Canadian province of Alberta. Many students lack adequate reading strategies to learn biology content from expository texts. A series of short stories about science, written in narrative form, was developed by the teacher. The question posed was: What is the effect of science narratives on content retention and interest in Biology 30? Average and low achieving students showed significant gains on exam performance, 10.9% and 13.9% increase respectively, and all cohorts of students indicated an increase in interest as determined by surveys, small-group interviews and an analysis of engagement during regular instruction and instruction using science narratives.