Bilingualtek: An integrated science-language approach for Latinx preschoolers

幼儿教育目前面临着与有效的科学教学实践相关的挑战，这些实践满足了文化和语言多样化儿童的学习需求，例如拉丁双语学习者（DLL）。该项目旨在通过在学前课堂中采用综合科学-语言教学方法，克服当前影响拉丁裔学龄前儿童STEM教育的障碍，促进他们的科学成就。该项目将利用日常科学经验，让拉丁裔学龄前儿童参与科学家的实践，包括获取信息和使用语言交流科学发现的实践。这些目标将通过结合通过电子书提供的引人入胜的科学体验，以及对科学和双语学习的多媒体支持来实现。与下一代科学标准（NGSS）一致，该项目提供了一种幼儿科学和语言教育的变革模式，支持国家层面的幼儿园准备工作，并解决了对教育资源的迫切需求，这些资源建立在和增强服务不足社区的优势之上。该项目的长期目标是通过解决当前影响拉丁裔学龄前儿童STEM教育的挑战，促进他们的科学成就。这些挑战包括：教师的早期科学教育指导有限，幼儿早期科学学习中很少纳入NGSS科学原理，越来越多的拉丁语dll进入幼儿园，而双语幼儿教师短缺。该项目通过利用最近对跨多个学科的学前拉丁语dll的研究，将其转化为一种媒体支持的综合科学-语言教学方法，解决了这些挑战。这些教学实践为国家层面的学前科学教育提供了一个与ngss一致的模型，支持幼儿园准备，并直接解决了对教育资源的需求，这些资源建立在不同儿童为其学习经验带来的优势之上。支持单语教师使用多媒体双语科学材料，还将解决幼儿教师与科学教学相关的专业学习问题，同时促进代表性不足的少数民族在早期参与STEM教育。科学语言教学实践将通过将幼儿园教师和拉丁裔家庭聚集在一起，在迭代的共同设计过程中开发教学内容和支持，以促进拉丁裔dll的科学和语言学习。该项目将在28个教室实施，通过严格的准实验实地研究，检验其可用性、可行性和初步效果，包括儿童成果（科学演讲、科学知识和语言技能）。实验组和对照组将分别包括42名儿童和14名教师。该项目将产生1)一种综合的科学和语言教学方法以及与拉丁裔儿童生活经验有关的资源材料；2)项目可行性概念的证明；3)项目对儿童科学和语言学习成果影响的初步发现。探索研究preK-12项目（DRK-12）旨在通过研究和开发创新资源、模型和工具，显著提高preK-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。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

Early childhood education currently faces challenges related to effective science instruction practices that meet the learning needs of culturally and linguistically diverse children, such as Latinx dual language learners (DLL). This project seeks to foster the science achievement of Latinx preschoolers by confronting current barriers that impact their STEM education through an integrated science-language instructional approach for preschool classrooms. The project will use everyday science experiences to engage Latinx preschoolers in learning the practices of scientists, including the practices of obtaining information and using language to communicate scientific findings. These aims will be accomplished by combining engaging science experiences delivered via e-books, and multimedia supports for science and dual-language learning. Consistent with the Next Generation of Science Standards (NGSS), the project offers a transformative model of early childhood science and language education that supports kindergarten readiness at a national level and addresses the vital need for educational resources that build on and enhance the strengths of underserved communities. The long-term goal of this project is to foster the science achievement of Latinx preschoolers by addressing current challenges impacting their STEM education. These challenges include; limited early science education instruction for teachers, minimal incorporation of NGSS science principles in early science learning for preschoolers, and increasing numbers of Latinx DLLs entering preschools experiencing a shortage of bilingual early childhood teachers. The project addresses these challenges by leveraging recent research with preschool Latinx DLLs across several disciplines into a media-supported integrated science-language instructional approach. These instructional practices provide an NGSS-aligned model for preschool-age science education at the national level, support kindergarten readiness, and directly address the need for educational resources that build on the strengths that diverse children bring to their learning experience. Supporting monolingual teachers’ use of multimedia dual-language science materials will also address preschool teacher professional learning related to science instruction while promoting the participation of underrepresented minorities in STEM education at an early age. The science-language instructional practices will be developed by bringing together preschool teachers and Latinx families in an iterative co-design process to develop instructional content and supports to facilitate science and language learning by Latinx DLLs. The project will be implemented in 28 classrooms to examine its usability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy, including child outcomes (science talk, science knowledge, and language skills) through a rigorous quasi-experimental field study. The treatment and control groups will each include 42 children and 14 teachers. The project will produce 1) an integrated science and language instructional approach and resource materials relevant to Latinx children’s living experiences, 2) proof of concept of the project’s feasibility; and 3) initial findings on the impact of the project on children’s science and language learning outcomes.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.