Worldwide, pupils with migrant backgrounds do not participate in school STEM subjects as successfully as their peers. Migrant pupils’ subject-specific language proficiency lags behind, which hinders participation and learning. Primary teachers experience difficulty in teaching STEM as well as promoting required language development. This study investigates how a professional development program (PDP) focusing on inclusive STEM teaching can promote teacher learning of language-promoting strategies (promoting interaction, scaffolding language and using multilingual resources). Participants were five case study teachers in multilingual schools in the Netherlands (N = 2), Sweden (N = 1) and Norway (N = 2), who taught in primary classrooms with migrant pupils. The PDP focused on three STEM units (sound, maintenance, plant growth) and language-promoting strategies. To trace teachers’ learning, three interviews were conducted with each of the five teachers (one after each unit). The teachers also filled in digital logs (one after each unit). The interviews showed positive changes in teachers’ awareness, beliefs and attitudes towards language-supporting strategies. However, changes in practice and intentions for practice were reported to a lesser extent. This study shows that a PDP can be an effective starting point for teacher learning regarding inclusive STEM teaching. It also illuminates possible enablers (e.g., fostering language awareness) or hinderers (e.g., teachers’ limited STEM knowledge) to be considered in future PDP design.
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Book review of Critical perspectives on plurilingualism in deaf education. Kristin Snoddon and Joanne C. Weber (Eds.), Bristol: Multilingual Matters. 2021. 272 pp.
This book provides insight into an ambitious project to re-invent the educational method practiced at NHL Stenden. The predecessors used different approaches to the delivery of education. One of them used Competency-Based Education, whilst the other practiced Problem-Based Learning. The choice to combine the advantages of both methods, as well as to develop an entirely new concept that provided a better response to the fast and ever-increasing pace of changes in the workplace, was made by both institutions together. This approach was called Design-Based Education (DBE). Given the significant changes required of stakeholders to facilitate learning according to the new DBE approach, it is important to take stock of what these changes mean in terms of teaching and learning and to ascertain from early steps how everybody can stay, or step, on board.
Meertalige leerlingen krijgen les in een taal die zij (vaak) nog aan het verwerven zijn, het Nederlands. Daardoor is meedoen in vakken zoals rekenen en Wetenschap&Techniek lastiger. In dit project onderzoekt de HU samen met verschillende partners hoe het benutten van thuistalen bijdraagt aan betere leerprestaties en inclusiever onderwijs.Doel Multi-STEM beoogt de participatie van meertalige leerlingen bij rekenen en W&T te bevorderen, niet alleen op school, maar ook thuis en in musea. Leerkrachten, ouders en museummedewerkers leren hoe ze ruimte kunnen maken voor thuistalen, waardoor alle leerlingen een stem krijgen. Resultaten Wat? Een toolbox met meertalige strategieën en lesactiviteiten. Kennis over het benutten van thuistalen in het STEM-onderwijs. Wie? Professionals: zij handelen inclusiever door de inzet van thuistalen. Meertalige leerlingen: zij voelen zich meer gehoord en presteren beter. Looptijd 01 juni 2021 - 01 juni 2027 Aanpak Onderzoekers en maatschappelijke partners ontwikkelen samen meertalige strategieën. Samen evalueren ze of en hoe deze strategieën werken. Kennis en opbrengsten worden niet alleen na, maar ook al tijdens het onderzoek verspreid. Downloads en links
