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Rebecca Callahan
University of Georgia
Math teachers' pedagogical practices: Effects on linguistic minority students' STEM preparation and participation
FINAL REPORT:
Study 1: "Modification of Instruction for English Learners?: Exploring Pedagogical Practices and Achievement in High School Mathematics Classes" At present, language minority young adults, especially those identified as English learners (ELs) during high school, demonstrate markedly lower levels of academic performance and attainment. The pedagogical literature argues that EL students benefit from interactive pedagogical practices (e.g., students actively engaged in problem solving and discussions) which simultaneously develop their linguistic and academic proficiency. Many interactive pedagogical practices are constructivist in origin, with students actively involved in problem solving, explaining their work and participating in discussions about the learning at hand—developing their linguistic and academic proficiency simultaneously. This study uses data from the NCES Educational Longitudinal Study 2002 (ELS) to explore the relationship between pedagogy and math achievement among ELs and their classmates. Findings suggest that the association between interactive practices and achievement may not be as straightforward as previously believed.
Study 2: "Language Minority Youth, Academic English and College Going" Given the relatively low college-going rates of language minority youth, this study explores the tension between the need for proficiency in academic English and overall academic competence. Using nationally representative data, we operationalize the Academic English construct and explore its association with two-year college going among language minority students. We draw on prior theoretical and pedagogical work (Bailey & Butler, 2003; Bunch et al., 2003) to develop this construct from reports of students’ ability to write with detail, organize ideas, and express creative and critical thoughts. Results suggest that among language minority youth, ELs’ two-year college going is highly associated with academic English proficiency, but for other language minority youth, this association is rendered insignificant once we consider academic preparation.
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