Quality Urban Ecology Science Teaching for Diverse Learners

探索研究K-12项目（DRK-12）旨在通过研究和开发创新资源、模型和工具（rmt），显著提高pre -12学生和教师对科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）的学习和教学。DRK-12计划中的项目建立在STEM教育的基础研究和先前的研究和开发工作的基础上，为拟议的项目提供了理论和实证依据。这个探索性的研究项目将探讨与城市生态新开发模块相关的教师专业发展与长期英语学习者（LTEL）的成就和参与之间的关系。该项目的参与者将包括大城市学区的4-8年级学生、小学教师、中学科学教师、中学英语语言艺术教师。现有的城市生态学学习模块将得到加强，以适应英语学习者的需求，教师将参与旨在使用新材料的专业发展，以有效地将学术科学话语与语言学习者的素养发展结合起来。该项目将为4-8年级的英语学习者开发两个增强型城市生态模块（47课）；针对英语学习者的科学语言和读写能力评估；ELL STEM职业意识量表；城市生态学的ELLs教师知识量表和城市生态学的ELLs教学观察方案。这些材料将通过学生的成绩水平（低、中、高）和语言背景（主流、低语言水平和“有成为低语言水平的风险”）的分层随机样本进行测试。混合方法研究设计将用于检验假设，即教师参与实施新开发的城市生态跨学科英语学习者框架，将提高LTEL科学语言和读写成绩的数量和质量。

The Discovery Research K-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools (RMTs). Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects. This exploratory research project will examine the relationship between teacher professional development associated with newly developed modules in urban ecology and the achievement and engagement of long-term English learners (LTEL). Participants in the project will include students in grades 4-8 in a large urban school district, elementary school teachers, middle school science teachers, and middle school teachers of English language arts. Existing Urban Ecology learning modules will be enhanced to accommodate the needs of LTELs, and teachers will participate in professional development aimed at using the new materials to effectively integrate academic science discourse and literacy development for LTELs.The project will develop two enhanced urban ecology modules (47 lessons) for English learners in grades 4-8; science language and literacy assessments for English language learners (ELLs); an ELL STEM career awareness inventory; an urban ecology for ELLs teacher knowledge scale, and an urban ecology for ELLs pedagogy observation protocol. The materials will be tested with a stratified random sample of students identified by achievement level (low, medium, and high) and linguistic background (mainstream, LTEL, and "at risk" of becoming LTEL). A mixed-methods research design will be used to test the hypothesis that the quantity and quality of LTEL science language and literacy achievement will increase as a result of teacher participation in implementing the newly developed transdisciplinary framework for Urban Ecology for English Learners.