Exploratory Evidence on the Factors that Relate to Elementary School Science Learning Gains Among English Language Learners

关于英语学习者小学科学学习收益相关因素的探索性证据

• 批准号: 2100419
• 负责人: Frank Curran
• 金额: $ 31.32万
• 依托单位: University of Florida
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-05-15 至 2024-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2100419&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Exploratory; Evidence; Factors; Relate; Elementary

The nation’s schools are growing in linguistic and cultural diversity, with students identified as English learners (ELs) comprising more than ten percent of the student population. Unfortunately, existing research suggests that ELs lag behind other students in science achievement, even in the earliest grades of school. This project will provide evidence on how school, classroom, teacher, and student factors shape elementary school science learning trajectories for ELs. The project will broaden ELs’ participation in STEM learning by investigating how individual, classroom, and school level situations (inputs) such as instructional practices, learning environments, and characteristics of school personnel relate to EL elementary school science learning. Specifically, this study explores (1) a series of science inputs (time on science, content covered, availability of lab resources, and teacher training in science instruction), and (2) EL-specific inputs (classroom language use, EL instructional models, teacher certification and training, and the availability of EL support staff), in relation to ELs’ science learning outcomes from a national survey. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of English learners’ (ELs) science learning in the early grades and the English learner instructional inputs and science instructional inputs that best predict early science outcomes (measured by both standardized science assessments and teacher-rated measures of science skills). The study uses the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K:2011) and employs a regression framework with latent class analysis to identify promising inputs that promote early science learning for ELs. Conceptually, rather than viewing the school-based inputs in isolation, the study explores how they combine to enhance students’ science learning trajectories. The study addresses the following research questions: How do science test performance trajectories vary across and within EL student groups in elementary school? How do access to school, teacher, and classroom level science and EL inputs vary across and within EL student groups in elementary school? Which school, teacher, and classroom level science and EL inputs are predictive of greater science test performance gains and teacher-rated science skills in elementary school? Are the relationships among these school, teacher, and classroom level inputs and student test performance and teacher-rated science skills different for subgroups of EL students, particularly by race/ethnicity or by immigration status? Are there particular combinations of school, teacher, and classroom level inputs that are predictive of science learning gains (test scores and teacher-rated skills) for ELs as compared to students more broadly?The Discovery Research preK-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. 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 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.

国家的学校在语言和文化多样性方面不断发展，被确定为英语学习者（EL）的学生占学生人数的10%以上。不幸的是，现有的研究表明，英语学习者在科学成就方面落后于其他学生，即使是在学校的最早年级。这个项目将提供证据，学校，教室，教师和学生的因素如何塑造小学科学学习轨迹的EL。该项目将通过调查个人，课堂和学校层面的情况（投入），如教学实践，学习环境和学校人员的特点与EL小学科学学习的关系，扩大EL在STEM学习中的参与。具体而言，本研究探讨了（1）一系列科学投入（科学时间，内容覆盖，实验室资源的可用性，并在科学教学的教师培训），（2）EL特定的投入（课堂语言的使用，EL教学模式，教师认证和培训，并EL支持人员的可用性），与EL的科学学习成果从全国调查。 本研究提供了一个全面的分析英语学习者（EL）的科学学习在早期年级和英语学习者的教学投入和科学教学投入，最好地预测早期的科学成果（测量标准化的科学评估和教师评价的科学技能的措施）。该研究使用了具有全国代表性的幼儿纵向研究（ECLS-K：2011），并采用了回归框架与潜在类分析，以确定有前途的投入，促进早期科学学习的EL。在概念上，本研究并没有孤立地看待校本投入，而是探讨如何将它们联合收割机结合起来，以提高学生的科学学习轨迹。这项研究解决了以下研究问题：如何在小学EL学生群体之间和内部的科学测试表现轨迹不同？如何获得学校，教师和课堂水平的科学和EL输入不同的EL学生群体在小学？哪些学校、教师和课堂水平的科学和EL输入可以预测小学科学考试成绩的提高和教师评定的科学技能？这些学校，教师和课堂水平的投入和学生的考试成绩和教师评定的科学技能之间的关系不同的EL学生的亚组，特别是种族/民族或移民身份？与学生相比，是否有学校、教师和课堂水平输入的特定组合可以预测EL的科学学习收益（考试成绩和教师评定的技能）？探索研究preK-12计划（DRK-12）旨在通过研究和开发创新资源，模型和工具，显着提高preK-12学生和教师的科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）的学习和教学。DRK-12项目中的项目建立在STEM教育的基础研究以及为拟议项目提供理论和经验依据的先前研究和开发工作的基础上。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并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，被认为值得支持。