This exploratory study develops, pilot-tests, and refines a model for improving middle school English Language Learners' (ELLs) science learning. The model incorporates two pedagogical constructs (language-rich science inquiry and academic language development); and three learning settings (teacher professional development, science classrooms, and parent-student-teacher workshops). The specific objectives of the study are: (1) to clarify the two pedagogical constructs and their relationships across the three learning contexts, (2) to develop and refine instruments that will be useful for a future study on the model's full implementation, and (3) to conduct pilot tests of the model and instruments.
The study's development phase consists of the production, adaptation, and pilot testing of instructional strategies for teachers and learning materials for students. Instructional strategies for teachers are centered on three key inquiry practices: (a) coordinating theory and evidence, (b) controlling variables, and (c) cause and effect reasoning across 6th grade earth science, 7th grade life science, and 8th grade physical science. Learning materials for students consist of lessons in a workbook with units highlighting the study of academic language. Also, this phase of the study includes the development of resources to support parents' participation and measurement instruments to gather data during the research phase of the study.
The research phase of the study consists of pilot testing of the model. Three research questions guide the study: (1) How do experiences of teachers, students, and parents contribute to the development and refinement of the model's two pedagogical constructs?; (2) How do experiences of teachers, students, and parents contribute to the understanding of the relationships among the three contexts for science learning?; and (3) What evidence suggests the relationships among the two pedagogical constructs and the three learning contexts? Assuming a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design, a power analysis defined a sample size of 1,000 middle school students (800 for the treatment group, and 200 for the control group) in 40 classrooms of three middle schools in the state of Georgia. A total of 12 teachers (8 science teachers and 2 English for Students of Other Languages teachers) were selected using a targeted strategy; and 40 randomly selected parents constitute the remaining population sample. The intervention consists of the use of teacher instructional strategies focused on exploring and elaborating cause-effect relationships, differentiating between evidence and theory, and identifying and controlling variables; students' use of instructional materials on academic language; and exploration of parents' science funds of knowledge. Data gathering strategies employ five instruments: (a) a teacher-focus-group interview protocol, (b) a teacher observation protocol, (c) a parent-student interview protocol, (d) a student academic language writing test, and (e) a student-constructed-response science inquiry test. Data interpretation strategies include qualitative analysis using narrative and semantic structure analysis and statistical analyses. An advisory board and an evaluator conduct the evaluation component of the study, inclusive of formative and summative aspects.
The outcome of this study is a research-informed and field-tested science instructional model focused on the improved learning of ELLs and a set of valid and reliable measuring instruments.
Project was a three-year exploratory study to design, test, refine, and study a new model of science teaching and learning to better meet the needs of English learners in middle school science classrooms. Our model of language-rich inquiry science highlighted the relationship between a set of inquiry practices central to scientific investigation and the language practices needed to engage in and communicate about scientific investigation. The major goals of the LISELL exploratory research and development project were to: 1) Develop a pedagogical model of language rich science inquiry to simultaneously support science inquiry practices and academic language practices for all students, with particular attention to the needs of English learners; 2) Develop a teacher professional learning framework to support middle school science teachers in taking up the LISELL pedagogical model; 3) Develop a set of instruments for assessing the implementation and value of the pedagogical model and professional learning framework; and 4) Use the instruments to pilot test the LISELL pedagogical model with science teachers who participated in our professional learning activities. The major findings of the LISELL project were: 1) Verification that many science teachers in middle schools that are newly impacted by the arrival of English learners have a strong desire for training to better meet the needs of these students, but rarely receive such training in their schools; 2) Participating LISELL teachers clustered into two similar-sized groups: those who engaged in a large number and wide variety of our project’s professional learning experiences (high engagement) and those who engaged in a small number and limited variety of our professional learning experiences (low engagement), with few teachers in between; 3) Science teachers who demonstrated high engagement in the LISELL professional learning activities were much more likely to also demonstrate high enactment of the practices from the LISELL pedagogical model in their classrooms; 4) Students’ responses on the written assessment of scientific investigations showed no gender effect at any grade in either the LISELL group or the comparison group, but there was a significant grade level effect in both the LISELL group and the comparison group, with 8th grade students outperforming 7th grade students, who outperformed 6th grade students; 5) Students’ responses on the written assessment of scientific investigations showed a limited LISELL effect: at 8th grade, students of LISELL teachers outperformed students of comparison teachers and Hispanic students of LISELL teachers outperformed Hispanic students of comparison teachers; however, this effect was not seen in 6th or 7th grade; 6) Bilingual students who made use of bilingual resources on the written assessment of scientific investigations showed more growth in their ability to communicate their scientific thinking than bilingual students who chose not to make use of bilingual resources; 7) Students’ responses on the written assessment of scientific investigations indicated significant positive correlations among student scores for using inquiry practices, using academic language, and explaining core science content, implying that standards-based science content can be taught and assessed through language-rich science investigations; and 8) Parents and students who participated in the Steps to College through Science bilingual family workshops component of the project demonstrated substantially increased interest in how science affects their lives, could name more science-related careers, and could discuss more people and resources to support their academic success after participating than before participating in the workshops. Participating teachers claimed to have an increased understanding of and stronger relationships with the families of their English learner students. The intellectual merit of the project was that it addressed critical questions relevant to current national reform initiatives in science education, such as how teachers can simultaneously support the growing numbers of English learners in meeting the cognitive and linguistic challenges of these reforms. The LISELL research led to increased understanding of the aspects of professional learning that can support teachers in providing improved opportunities to support English learners in gaining the science problem solving and communication skills needed to be college and career ready. The broader impacts of the project were that the work targeted traditionally underserved populations who represent a rapidly increasing portion of our national student demographic and important constituents of our future STEM workforce: English learners in high-need school districts, their families, and their teachers. The pedagogical model, professional learning framework, and research instruments that we developed, tested, and refined to answer our research questions can be utilized or modified for use in other schools and districts where the question of educating English learners in science is a critical and emergent educational priority.
