Developing and Testing Bilingual Curricula that Infuse Authentic Computer Programming Experiences into Middle School Mathematics for Latinx Youth

未来的科学事业越来越需要对计算机编程和数学的深入理解和应用。该项目旨在通过迭代开发和测试主要由多语言拉丁裔学生参加的中学数学课程中的双语计算机编程课程，扩大对这些职业道路和职业的参与。这些西班牙语和英语课程与中学计算机编程和数学标准保持一致，将指导教育工作者和学生完成真实的编程任务，例如人工智能领域的程序员所做的任务。在计算机科学或相关领域的本科生的帮助下，中学数学教师将在六个学期的课程中与研究团队合作实施和修改拟议的课程材料。每班五名中学生也将担任课程的共同主持人。定量和定性研究将确定课程是否以及如何支持学生的数学学习和对数学的态度，以及青年共同主持人是否以及如何报告相对于他们在数学方面的自我概念的变革性或挑战性经验。 由于许多学生开始选择退出STEM（科学，技术，工程和数学）课程和职业道路在中学，这个项目将推进知识的教育方法，准备双语青年继续追求沿着STEM职业道路。双语课程采用低成本和广泛使用的编程平台，将在项目网站上公布，经验性结论和从业人员材料将广泛传播。该项目由学生和教师创新技术体验（ITEST）计划资助，该计划支持建立对实践，计划元素，背景和过程的理解的项目，有助于增加学生对科学，技术，工程，信息和通信技术（ICT）在与中学数学教师进行的行动研究的背景下，该项目将反复开发、测试和完善西班牙语和英语课程，以跨语言原则为基础，融入计算机编程和数学。具有计算机科学专业知识的数学教师和本科生将参加专业发展，他们有机会学习，使用和修改课程。该项目将采用混合方法研究设计，研究计算机编程是否以及如何支持数学内容的教与学;双语课程的使用是否以及如何支持教师与拉丁学生的互动;课程是否以及如何支持拉丁和新兴双语学生的数学学习;以及中学生的态度和学习是否发生了变化等结果。该项目将采用从中学教师，本科辅导员和中学生辅导员访谈成绩单的定性分析;教学文件，如教案;课堂观察和专业发展会议的录像;和学生的工作。它还将采用定量分析的前和后的态度和数学学习的措施。除了在公共网站上分享课程外，该项目还将制作视频教程，支持中学数学教师在线和离线授课，并提供教师改编材料的例子。经验研究和对从业者的影响将在同行评审的期刊和专业会议上广泛传播。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

The scientific careers of the future increasingly require advanced understandings and applications of computer programming and mathematics. This project is designed to broaden participation in these career pathways and careers by iteratively developing and testing bilingual computer programming curricula in middle school mathematics classes attended primarily by multilingual Latinx students. Aligned with standards in computer programming and mathematics for middle schools, these Spanish and English curricula will guide educators and students through authentic programming tasks, such as those practiced by programmers in Artificial Intelligence fields. With the assistance of undergraduates who are majoring in computer science or a related field, middle school mathematics teachers will implement and revise the proposed curricular materials in partnership with the research team over the course of six semesters. Five middle school students in each class will also serve as co-facilitators of the curricula. Quantitative and qualitative research will determine whether and how the curricula support students’ mathematics learning and attitudes toward mathematics, as well as whether and how the youth co-facilitators reported transformative or challenging experiences relative to their self-concepts in mathematics. Because many students begin to opt out of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) classes and career pathways in middle school, this project will advance knowledge regarding educational approaches that prepare bilingual youth for continued pursuits along STEM career pathways. The bilingual curricula, which uses low cost and widely accessible programming platforms, will be posted on a project website, and empirical findings and practitioner materials will be disseminated widely. This project is funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers.In the context of action research conducted with middle school mathematics teachers, this project will iteratively develop, test, and refine Spanish and English curricula, based in principles of translanguaging, which infuse computer programming and mathematics. The mathematics teachers and undergraduates with expertise in computer science will participate in professional development in which they have opportunities to learn, use, and revise the curricula. This project will use a mixed methods research design to study whether and how computer programming supports the teaching and learning of mathematical content; whether and how the use of the bilingual curricula support teachers’ interactions with Latinx students; whether and how the curricula support Latinx and emergent bilingual students’ mathematics learning; and whether changes occurred in middle school students’ attitudes and learning, among other outcomes. The project will employ qualitative analyses of transcripts from interviews with middle school teachers, undergraduate facilitators, and middle school student facilitators; teaching documents such as lesson plans; video-recordings of classroom observations and professional development sessions; and student work. It will also employ quantitative analysis of pre- and post-measures of attitudes and learning in mathematics. In addition to sharing the curricula on a public website, the project will result in video tutorials that will support online and offline class delivery for middle school mathematics teachers with examples of teacher-adapted materials. Empirical research and implications for practitioners will be disseminated widely in peer-reviewed journals and professional conferences.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.