Developing and Testing Bilingual Curricula that Infuse Authentic Computer Programming Experiences into Middle School Mathematics for Latinx Youth

未来的科学事业越来越需要对计算机编程和数学的高级理解和应用。该项目旨在通过在主要由多语种拉丁裔学生参加的中学数学课上反复开发和测试双语计算机编程课程，扩大这些职业道路和职业的参与。这些西班牙语和英语课程与中学计算机编程和数学标准保持一致，将指导教育工作者和学生完成真正的编程任务，例如人工智能领域的程序员所练习的任务。在计算机科学或相关专业的本科生的帮助下，中学数学教师将与研究小组合作，在六个学期的课程中实施和修改拟议的课程材料。每班五名中学生也将担任课程的共同指导老师。定量和定性研究将决定课程是否以及如何支持学生的数学学习和对数学的态度，以及青年共同促进者是否以及如何报告与他们的数学自我概念相关的变革或挑战经历。由于许多学生在中学开始选择退出STEM（科学、技术、工程和数学）课程和职业道路，该项目将促进有关教育方法的知识，为双语青年继续追求STEM职业道路做好准备。使用低成本和广泛使用的编程平台的双语课程将在一个项目网站上公布，经验调查结果和从业人员材料将广泛传播。该项目由“面向学生和教师的创新技术体验”（ITEST）项目资助，该项目支持有助于提高学生对科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）以及信息和通信技术（ICT）职业的知识和兴趣的实践、项目要素、背景和过程的理解。在与中学数学教师进行的行动研究的背景下，该项目将以跨语言原则为基础，反复开发、测试和完善西班牙语和英语课程，其中融入了计算机编程和数学。具有计算机科学专业知识的数学教师和本科生将参与专业发展，他们有机会学习、使用和修改课程。本项目将采用混合方法研究设计，研究计算机编程是否以及如何支持数学内容的教与学；双语课程的使用是否以及如何支持教师与拉丁裔学生的互动；课程是否以及如何支持拉丁裔和新兴双语学生的数学学习；以及中学生的态度和学习是否发生了变化，以及其他结果。该项目将对中学教师、本科生辅导员和中学生辅导员的访谈记录进行定性分析；教案等教学文件；课堂观察和专业发展课程的录像；还有学生作业。它还将对数学态度和学习的前后测量进行定量分析。除了在公共网站上分享课程外，该项目还将制作视频教程，为中学数学教师提供在线和离线授课的支持，并提供适合教师的教材示例。实证研究及其对从业人员的影响将在同行评议的期刊和专业会议上广泛传播。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。

The scientific careers of the future increasingly require advanced understandings and applications of computer programming and mathematics. This project is designed to broaden participation in these career pathways and careers by iteratively developing and testing bilingual computer programming curricula in middle school mathematics classes attended primarily by multilingual Latinx students. Aligned with standards in computer programming and mathematics for middle schools, these Spanish and English curricula will guide educators and students through authentic programming tasks, such as those practiced by programmers in Artificial Intelligence fields. With the assistance of undergraduates who are majoring in computer science or a related field, middle school mathematics teachers will implement and revise the proposed curricular materials in partnership with the research team over the course of six semesters. Five middle school students in each class will also serve as co-facilitators of the curricula. Quantitative and qualitative research will determine whether and how the curricula support students’ mathematics learning and attitudes toward mathematics, as well as whether and how the youth co-facilitators reported transformative or challenging experiences relative to their self-concepts in mathematics. Because many students begin to opt out of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) classes and career pathways in middle school, this project will advance knowledge regarding educational approaches that prepare bilingual youth for continued pursuits along STEM career pathways. The bilingual curricula, which uses low cost and widely accessible programming platforms, will be posted on a project website, and empirical findings and practitioner materials will be disseminated widely. This project is funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers.In the context of action research conducted with middle school mathematics teachers, this project will iteratively develop, test, and refine Spanish and English curricula, based in principles of translanguaging, which infuse computer programming and mathematics. The mathematics teachers and undergraduates with expertise in computer science will participate in professional development in which they have opportunities to learn, use, and revise the curricula. This project will use a mixed methods research design to study whether and how computer programming supports the teaching and learning of mathematical content; whether and how the use of the bilingual curricula support teachers’ interactions with Latinx students; whether and how the curricula support Latinx and emergent bilingual students’ mathematics learning; and whether changes occurred in middle school students’ attitudes and learning, among other outcomes. The project will employ qualitative analyses of transcripts from interviews with middle school teachers, undergraduate facilitators, and middle school student facilitators; teaching documents such as lesson plans; video-recordings of classroom observations and professional development sessions; and student work. It will also employ quantitative analysis of pre- and post-measures of attitudes and learning in mathematics. In addition to sharing the curricula on a public website, the project will result in video tutorials that will support online and offline class delivery for middle school mathematics teachers with examples of teacher-adapted materials. Empirical research and implications for practitioners will be disseminated widely in peer-reviewed journals and professional conferences.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.