Use of Literacy Texts in Science Teaching: A Scoping Review

Previous research in various educational areas has shown that literary texts have much to contribute through offering perspectives, contexts, and ways of presenting content. The present study has a particular focus on science education. The purpose of science education is under debate, and research as well as large-scale frameworks such as PISA increasingly highlight student agency and action competence as central goals. This review contributes with an overview of why and how literary texts have been used in science teaching. The review includes 17 articles published between 2003 and 2025. An empirically grounded analysis of the articles resulted in three broad categories of purposes: a) to enhance students’ engagement; b) to develop students’ knowledge in and about science; and c) to develop students’ abilities to participate in society and daily life. Both purposes and approaches (e.g., group work, discussions, and silent reading) were analyzed through the lens of visions for science education (Roberts, 2007; Sjöström, 2024). The analysis showed that the purposes and teaching approaches are most often connected to Vision I (a focus on concepts, models, and procedures). A connection to Vision II (science in society and everyday life) is also common, while using literature for more transformative and critical purposes (Vision III) is rare. This review highlights that the full potential of using literary texts in science education, to prepare students to critically engage with societal challenges, has not yet been fully explored.