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有关的挑战，这些实践可以满足文化和语言多样性儿童的学习需求，例如拉丁语双语学习者（DLL）。该项目旨在通过为学前班教室提供综合科学语言教学方法来应对当前影响其STEM教育的障碍，从而促进拉丁学龄前儿童的科学成就。该项目将利用日常科学经验，让拉丁裔学龄前儿童学习科学家的做法，包括获取信息和使用语言交流科学发现的做法。 这些目标将通过结合电子书提供的引人入胜的科学经验，以及对科学和双语学习的多媒体支持来实现。该项目与下一代科学标准（NGSS）相一致，提供了一种幼儿科学和语言教育的变革模式，支持国家一级的幼儿园准备，并解决了对教育资源的迫切需求，这些资源建立在服务不足的社区的基础上并增强其优势。 该项目的长期目标是通过解决影响其STEM教育的当前挑战，促进拉丁学龄前儿童的科学成就。 这些挑战包括：教师的早期科学教育教学有限，在学龄前儿童的早期科学学习中最少纳入NGSS科学原则，越来越多的拉丁美洲DLL进入学龄前学校，但双语幼儿教师短缺。该项目解决了这些挑战，利用最近的研究与学前拉丁美洲DLL跨几个学科到媒体支持的综合科学语言教学方法。这些教学实践为国家一级的学龄前科学教育提供了一个与NGSS一致的模式，支持幼儿园的准备工作，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他们的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也将解决与科学教学有关的学前教师专业学习问题，同时促进代表性不足的少数群体在幼年时参与STEM教育。科学语言教学实践将通过将幼儿园教师和Latinx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Latinx DLL的科学和语言学习。 该项目将在28个教室实施，以检查其可用性，可行性和初步疗效，包括通过严格的准实验性实地研究的儿童成果（科学谈话，科学知识和语言技能）。治疗组和对照组各包括42名儿童和14名教师。该项目将产生1）一个综合的科学和语言教学方法和资源材料有关的拉丁儿童的生活经验，2）证明概念的项目的可行性;以及3）关于该项目对儿童科学和语言学习成果影响的初步研究结果。发现研究preK-12计划（DRK-12）旨在显著提高科学的学习和教学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）的preK-12学生和教师，通过研究和创新资源，模型和工具的开发。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。

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.