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This paper presents findings from a study conducted in an urban elementary school in the United States with an English language learner (ELL) student and two teachers engaged in collaborative teaching in an inclusion science classroom. This study examines the efficacy of utilising cogenerative dialogues between an ELL student and his science teacher and English as second language teacher to improve instructional practices enacted during coteaching. Drawing from field notes, teacher and student interviews, and video captured during cotaught science lessons and during cogenerative dialogues between the student and his coteachers, we examined the ways in which cogenerative dialogue expands teachers’ agency to adapt curriculum and implement instructional strategies that can better meet the needs of their students. At the same time, we examined the ways in which participation in cogenerative dialogues with his teachers expanded this student’s agency as a science learner and a language learner.

For over two decades, there has been increasing concern regarding the science learning of disadvantaged students such as indigenous or disabled students. The academic achievement of students with hearing impairment has been seen as relatively low. This low achievement has been mainly due to students’ poor literal ability and not because of their low intellectual ability. Interactive experiences and the repeated use of previously learned terms have been suggested as being important to improve their literacy. In addition, it is well recognized that for all students to experience success in science education, literacy needs to be considered as a crucial factor when setting educational goals among students with limited language proficiency. This study presents a strategy for teaching science to students with limited language proficiency based on a teaching strategy which deliberately focuses on written expression in the context of hands-on scientific activities. The influence of this teaching strategy upon hearing impaired students’ language proficiency and inquiry skills was also examined. Results revealed the students’ language proficiency was enhanced in terms of fluency of expression, and their inquiry skills were also improved as compared to the students in a control group among whom the teaching strategy was not used. These results demonstrated that this teaching strategy which focuses on students’ written expression and inquiry skills through scientific activity can improve the literacy of students with limited language proficiency as well as increase their learning success in science.

This Special Issue of Eruasia Journal of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education offers ten articles addressing issues that are currently emerging in Korea and that will be a continued focus for teacher educators and researchers in the years to come. The papers in this issue represent the efforts of 31 researchers, from four different countries and more than 18 universities and research institutes. The papers were selected to offer the international reader perspectives on a broad range of educational issues in Korea. These works highlight current trends in research in different STEM related disciplines, issues in teacher education and professional development, and they provide a socio-historical context for making sense of Korean students’ achievement in math and science on international comparative exams and on national assessments. Finally, this issue includes a special focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Education, Arts, and Mathematics) education.

While much is known about the high academic but low affective achievement of Korean students on international comparative studies, little is known about science teacher education in Korea. As the quality of science teachers is an important factor determining the quality of science education, gaining an understanding of science education in Korea necessitates understanding the science teacher education system and the ways of leveraging quality science teacher preparation. Korea has a unique science teacher education system in many aspects due to its unique socio-cultural background. This study critically reviews the current state of the science teacher education system in South Korea in terms of the outcomes and institutional backgrounds, such as associated law and policy, teacher education curriculum, recruiting system and examinations. A careful review is conducted of the previous literature, official documents and statistics from the Korean government, and curricular documents from some teacher education institutions. The paper concludes with a discussion on the uprising issues in science teacher education within the socio-cultural context of Korea and offers implications to the international science education community.