ERIC Number: EJ1332359
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2469-9632
EISSN: N/A
Sometimes Finding Nothing Is Something: Shrinking the Gap between Emerging Bilingual Learners and English Fluent Students (Case in Point)
International Journal of Educational Methodology, v8 n1 p11-27 2022
For United States of America (USA) and other developed countries, science achievement gaps begin to emerge in elementary and primary school. Such gaps between USA student groups typically are connected to socio-economic status (SES) and issues such as students still learning the English language. Through an experimental design, this National Science Foundation funded study explores how integrating the arts into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum and leading with a more STEAMfirst approach (e.g., curriculum which integrates science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) might provide more equitable science learning opportunities for elementary or primary grade level students. More specifically, the project's research efforts seek to also examine how integrating the arts into science instruction might help emerging bilingual (EB) students who are simultaneously learning the English language and science. Although results provide somewhat conflicting findings of statistical significance with small to moderate effect sizes, outcomes provide initial evidence that leading with STEAM science instruction before STEM efforts can be beneficial to early readers, and for EB students this benefit is magnified. As the title of this study suggest, sometimes finding nothing is something.
Descriptors: Bilingualism, Language Fluency, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Science Achievement, Achievement Gap, Socioeconomic Status, English Language Learners, Art Education, Equal Education, Interdisciplinary Approach, Elementary School Students, Teaching Methods, Instructional Effectiveness, Comparative Analysis
Eurasian Society of Educational Research. 7321 Parkway Drive South, Hanover, MD 21076. e-mail: publisher@ijem.com; Web site: https://www.ijem.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A