Quality Urban Ecology Science Teaching for Diverse Learners

探索研究K-12计划(DRK-12)旨在通过研究和开发创新资源、模型和工具(RMT)，显著提高K-12学龄前学生和教师在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)方面的学习和教学。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努力的基础上，这些研究和开发工作为拟议的项目提供了理论和经验证明。这项探索性研究项目将考察与新开发的城市生态模块相关的教师专业发展与长期英语学习者(LTEL)成绩和参与度之间的关系。该项目的参与者将包括大型城市学区4-8年级的学生、小学教师、中学理科教师和中学英语语言艺术教师。该项目将为4-8年级的英语学习者开发两个增强的城市生态单元(47节课)；为英语学习者开发科学语言和识字能力评估(ELLS)；ELL STEM职业意识问卷；ELL教师知识量表；以及ELLS教育学观察协议的城市生态。这些材料将通过分层随机抽样的学生进行测试，这些学生按成就水平(低、中、高)和语言背景(主流、LTEL和成为LTEL的风险)进行识别。本研究将采用混合研究设计来检验这一假设，即教师参与实施新开发的面向英语学习者的城市生态学跨学科框架后，LTEL科学、语言和识字成绩的数量和质量将会提高。

The Discovery Research K-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 (RMTs). 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 exploratory research project will examine the relationship between teacher professional development associated with newly developed modules in urban ecology and the achievement and engagement of long-term English learners (LTEL). Participants in the project will include students in grades 4-8 in a large urban school district, elementary school teachers, middle school science teachers, and middle school teachers of English language arts. Existing Urban Ecology learning modules will be enhanced to accommodate the needs of LTELs, and teachers will participate in professional development aimed at using the new materials to effectively integrate academic science discourse and literacy development for LTELs.The project will develop two enhanced urban ecology modules (47 lessons) for English learners in grades 4-8; science language and literacy assessments for English language learners (ELLs); an ELL STEM career awareness inventory; an urban ecology for ELLs teacher knowledge scale, and an urban ecology for ELLs pedagogy observation protocol. The materials will be tested with a stratified random sample of students identified by achievement level (low, medium, and high) and linguistic background (mainstream, LTEL, and "at risk" of becoming LTEL). A mixed-methods research design will be used to test the hypothesis that the quantity and quality of LTEL science language and literacy achievement will increase as a result of teacher participation in implementing the newly developed transdisciplinary framework for Urban Ecology for English Learners.