Collaborative Research: Development of Language-Focused Three-Dimensional Science Instructional Materials to Support English Language Learners in Fifth Grade

该项目已提交给发现研究K-12 （DRK-12）计划，该计划旨在通过研究和开发创新资源、模型和工具，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。该项目是对美国多样化和快速变化的学生人口构成所带来的社会挑战的回应，包括英语学习者（ELLs）的崛起，这是增长最快的学生人口（例如，参见2015年2月1日《教育周刊》的“美国学校入学率达到多数少数民族里程碑”）。英语呈指数级增长：2011年，全国五分之一（21%）的学生在家说英语以外的语言。该项目的主要目的是为所有学生（包括ELLs）开发为期一年的五年级课程的教学材料。计划的课程将促进以语言为中心的三维科学学习（通过混合科学和工程实践、横切概念和学科核心思想），与K-12科学教育框架（国家研究委员会，2012年）、下一代科学标准（实现，2013年）和科学课堂语言使用概念框架（Lee, Quinn & valdsamus， 2013年）保持一致。年级水平的科学内容将针对诸如物质的结构和性质、生物和生态系统中的物质和能量、地球和空间系统等主题，并在每个主题中嵌入工程设计。语言方法将强调旨在理解和构建科学知识的分析科学任务；以及接受性（听和读）和生产性（说和写）的语言功能。这项计划的产品和研究成果，将有助减少高年级学生与非高年级学生之间的科学成绩差距，并使所有学生在接下来的年级都能达到更高的水平。课程开发完成并在1-3年级进行实地测试后，将在4年级进行试点研究，以调查其有效性。采用随机对照试验设计，该试点研究将解决三个研究问题：(1)干预对所有学生（包括高年级学生和前高年级学生）的科学学习和语言发展有何影响？(2)干预对教师教学实践的影响是什么？(3)教师在多大程度上能够忠实地执行教材？为了解决研究问题1，一系列多层次模型（MLMs），其中每个学生测量的后测分数（州/地区科学测试分数，以及研究人员开发的评估中的科学分数和语言分数）将回归到代表条件（治疗或控制）和前测协变量的虚拟变量上。为了检验干预是否对不同英语水平的学生有益，将进行亚组分析，比较治疗组的英语水平和对照组的英语水平；治疗组的前ELLs和对照组的前ELLs；治疗组的非ells与对照组的非ells，使用相同的传销。探索性分析将用于检验英语水平调节干预对外语影响的程度。为了解决研究问题2，我们建立了一个两级模型（教师为一级，学校为二级），在这个模型中，问卷后量表得分将被回归到一个代表条件（治疗或控制）的虚拟变量上。为了解决研究问题3，计划是从课堂观察中分析覆盖范围、依从性和教学质量的评分，以及从实施和反馈表格中对程序差异和参与者反应的评分。

This project was submitted to the Discovery Research K-12 (DRK-12) program that 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. The project is responsive to the societal challenges emerging from the nation's diverse and rapidly changing student demographics, including the rise of English language learners (ELLs), the fastest growing student population (see, for example, "U.S. school enrollment hits majority-minority milestone", Education Week, February 1, 2015). ELLs have grown exponentially: 1 in 5 students (21%) in the nation spoke a language other than English at home in 2011. The project's main purpose is to develop instructional materials for a year-long, fifth grade curriculum for all students, including ELLs. The planned curriculum will promote language-focused and three-dimensional science learning (through blending of science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas), aligned with the Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012), the Next Generation Science Standards (Achieve, 2013), and the Conceptual Framework for Language use in the Science Classroom (Lee, Quinn & Valdés, 2013). The grade-level science content will target topics, such as structure and properties of matter, matter and energy in organisms and ecosystems, and Earth's and space systems, with engineering design embedded in each topic. The language approach will emphasize analytical science tasks aimed at making sense of and constructing scientific knowledge; and receptive (listening and reading) and productive (speaking and writing) language functions. Products and research results from this project will help to reduce the science achievement gaps between ELLs and non-ELLs, and enable all students to attain higher levels of proficiency in subsequent grade levels.After the curriculum has been developed and field-tested during Years 1-3, a pilot study will be conducted in Year 4 to investigate promise of effectiveness. Using a randomized controlled trial design, the pilot study will address three research questions: (1) What is the impact of the intervention on science learning and language development for all students, including ELLs and former ELLs?; (2) What is the impact of the intervention on teachers' instructional practices?; and (3) To what extent are teachers able to implement the instructional materials with fidelity? To address research question 1, a sequence of multi-level models (MLMs) in which the posttest score for each student measure (the state/district science test score, and the science score and the language score on the researcher-developed assessment) will be regressed on a dummy variable representing condition (treatment or control) and pretest covariates. To examine whether the intervention is beneficial for students of varying levels of English proficiency, subgroup analyses will be conducted comparing ELLs in the treatment group against ELLs in the control group; former ELLs in the treatment group against former ELLs in the control group; and non-ELLs in the treatment group against non-ELLs in the control group, using the same MLMs. Exploratory analyses will be employed to examine the extent to which the level of English proficiency moderates the impact of the intervention on ELLs. To address research question 2, a 2-level model (teachers as level-1, and schools as level-2) in which the post-questionnaire scale score will be regressed on a dummy variable representing condition (treatment or control) will be conducted. To address research question 3, plans are to analyze ratings on coverage, adherence, and quality of instruction from classroom observations, along with ratings on program differentiation and participant responsiveness from the implementation and feedback form.