I'm thinking that for a reasearch question I need to narrow the topic to one of the "subquestions", or a similar one. I can't say that these questions "burn" in the same way as the umbrella question of making science accessible for all the students, but they still carry some spark.
Questions that I'm considering:
Would publishing science writing (to a blog?) increase student motivation and effectively demonstrate that they can contribute to the body of science knowledge?
If writing is "thinking out loud" can writing be used as to tool to demonstrate and encourage metacognitive processes? I would hope that this would increase concept retention, transfer of knowledge, more effective change of misconceptions that students bring with them, and facilitate the construction of a coherent understanding of linked science concepts. What sorts of writing projects could be used? What sort of graphic organizers?
Good science takes independence of mind, and the mental habit of observation and asking yourself questions about what you notice. For more on this idea see any of the books by Richard Fineman. Can these skills be encouraged and improved by the practice of writing? I predict a link between a strong writing "voice" and a happy independence of mind.
Can writing be used to increase interest in science? Can writing be used to show relevance and importance of the science topic? Can writing projects be used to show the big-picture in science topics? Can writing projects be used as part of an attention-grabbing strategy at the beginning of a unit?
Yeah, I know - what data will I collect. I'm not that far yet,but I'm aiming for positive results in increased interest in science, more correct and in-depth understanding, and retention of understanding.
While I like all these questions, I'm thinking that the last one is maybe the best place to start.