Pedagogical Differences during a Science and Language Intervention for English Language Learners

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-19-2017

Publication Title

Journal of Educational Research

Volume

111

Issue

4

First page number:

487

Last page number:

496

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare and describe 8 fifth-grade classrooms by their teachers pedagogy during a quasiexperimental, longitudinal, and field-based project focused on increasing English language learners' (ELLs') achievement in science and language. The larger study found statistically significant and positive intervention effects in favor of the treatment group on measures of science and language achievement. This study adds an in-depth analysis of the teacher pedagogical practices contributing to students' science and language achievement as captured by an observational instrument used during the project. Results from the analysis show how treatment teachers, when compared to control teachers, focused on activities promoting verbal and written interaction among the students and dense cognitive language use during science inquiry instruction. The findings support the importance of effectively using language in the science classroom to improve ELLs' science and language achievement. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Keywords

Classroom observation instrument; Classroom pedagogy; English language learners; Language integration; Science education

Disciplines

Educational Psychology

Language

English

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