Middle School Science Talk - Coupling Natural Language Processing With Classroom Video Analyses to Explore Discursive Resources in Hybrid Spaces

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Pentious

Applies natural language processing and qualitative classroom video analyses to examine classroom discourse in science. Grounded in hybridity theory, the study identifies how teachers’ and students’ discursive resources work within hybrid spaces that blend everyday and academic language practices. NLP results (LIWC and topic modeling) show traditional academic discourses are common, while hybrid discourses also emerge through social language, everyday topics, and strong teacher-student language coordination. Qualitative findings show teachers support hybrid discourse via open-ended questions linking disciplinary ideas to current events and students’ out-of-school experiences.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Science discourse and equity in middle school classrooms

Hybrid discourse spaces and hybridity theory

Natural language processing and mixed-methods approach

AERA Open January-December 2025, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 1–21 DOI: 10. 1177/23328584251371049 Article reuse guidelines: [sagepub.com/journals-permissions](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[ ](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)© The Author(s) 2025. [https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ero](https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ero) Middle School Science Talk: Coupling Natural Language Processing With Classroom Video Analyses to Explore Discursive Resources in Hybrid Spaces Christine Lee Bae Kamil Hankour Virginia Commonwealth University Kimberly Williamson Cornell University Morgan DeBusk-Lane GALLUP This study applies natural language processing and qualitative classroom video analyses to examine classroom discourse. Guided by hybridity theory, which emphasizes the benefits of blending everyday with academic language practices for expanding students’ opportunities to engage with disciplinary ideas, our study systematically identifies how teachers’ and students’discursive resources operate in science classrooms. The NLP (namely, LIWC and topic modeling) results indicated that traditional academic discourses were prevalent; however, hybrid discourses were also evidenced in the presence of social language and everyday topics, as well as high language coordination between teachers and students. The qualitative findings further illustrated how teachers facilitated hybrid discourse spaces through open-ended questions that prompt disciplinary connections to contemporary events and students’out-of-school experiences. We discuss the implications for future research and partnership with educators in service of supporting hybrid discourse in science classrooms. Keywords: discourse processes, equity, middle schools, science education, sociolinguistics, urban education, discourse analysis, mixed methods, observational research, natural language processing Introduction Science discourse is at the heart of students’ science learning. By asking questions, sharing connections to lived experiences, and generating evidence-based explanations, students make sense of the natural world (Bae et al., 2021b; Colley & Windschitl, 2016; Ford & Wargo, 2012) . Unfortunately, these rich science talk opportunities are often absent in middle school classrooms, particularly for students who have historically been underrepresented in science (Bae, et al., 2021a; Morgan et al., 2016) . Science discourse has been the subject of several education reforms and research initiatives (e.g., National K12 Framework for Science Education, NRC, 2012), and scholars underscore the role of spoken discourse, which is inextricably shaped by the social context in which it is produced and received, in fostering scientific understanding (Cavagnetto & Hand, 2012; Cazden, 2001; Windschitl et al., 2020) . Science discourse can create equitable opportunities for every student to have a voice in the curriculum. Unfortunately, students continue to receive science education in “final form”or as a set of irrefutable facts, with little opportunity for active sense-making (Applebee et al., 2003; Bae et al., 2021a; Chinnet al., 2001; Duschl et al., 2007; Engle & Conant, 2002; Ford & Wargo, 2012; Windschitl et al., 2020). Further, the language of science involves specialized discursive conventions. Instruction, texts, and assessments laden with technical, academic language can create barriers to accessing core science ideas in the curriculum that students would be able to understand otherwise (Bang & Medin, 2010; Emdin et al., 2021; García & Solorza, 2021) . Scholars have thus argued that while Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License ([https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original w

FAQs

What research approach does the study use to analyze science classroom discourse?

The study combines natural language processing (including LIWC and topic modeling) with qualitative analyses of classroom video data to examine patterns in spoken classroom talk.

What do the NLP results suggest about classroom discourse?

Traditional academic discourses are prevalent, but hybrid discourses also appear through social language, everyday topics, and high language coordination between teachers and students.

How do teachers facilitate hybrid discourse spaces in the classroom?

Teachers promote hybrid discourse through open-ended questions that prompt students to connect disciplinary ideas to contemporary events and to students’ out-of-school experiences.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Pentious