Teaching STEM as a second language
Utilizing SLA to develop equitable learning for all students
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13017115 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Shartriya Collier (California State University, Northridge, corresponding author), Betty Burston (0000-0002-7954-3539, University of Nevada, Las Vegas), Aarika Rhodes (California State University, Northridge) |
| Year | 2016 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 257-273 |
| Publication date | 2016-08-08 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal for Multicultural Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2053-535X • E-ISSN: 2053-5368 |
| Publisher | Emerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1108/jme-01-2016-0013 |
| OpenAlex | W2510480221 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 23 |
Purpose A review of current initiatives to increase science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) achievement among American youth and young adults reveals the presence of “IQism”. That is, whether such interventions are directed toward low-income minorities and/or the disproportionate number of higher-income youth who have selected liberal arts majors over an STEM major, the country has reserved STEM as a field for “the best and the brightest”. Utilizing the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, this article argues that STEM content is accessible to all students including those whose first language is informal rather than formal English. Based upon these premises, this conceptual paper aims to introduce the framework of Teaching STEM as a Second Language as a strategy for elevating STEM achievement among students who would otherwise be excluded from the STEM movement. Design/methodology/approach This paper utilizes a review of both classic and current literature on second language acquisition to identify strategies that can be adopted by STEM instructors to increase STEM achievement among youth and young adults who are viewed as “average” and/or “below-average” academic performers. Findings Using quotes that confirm the thesis that STEM subject matter has been historically viewed as the domain of those whose cognitive skills place them among the “best and the brightest”, the second language acquisition (SLA) strategy of “scaffolding” is introduced as a pedagogy for producing “comprehensible output” when STEM content is taught to students whose first language is informal English. Constructivism, a concept currently used to guide the teaching of STEM contents is introduced as a framework that merges best practices in STEM and SLA. Using Cummins’ (1991) Common Underlying Proficiency Model, other strategies are also proposed for exporting SLA pedagogies and approaches to elevate equity in the quest to improve STEM achievement levels among youth and adults in the USA. Originality/value SLA theories and concepts have not been applied as a potential tool for teaching STEM. This is a unique and powerful lens that can be used to more effectively support the needs of underrepresented populations
Constructivism (international relations · Higher education · Liberal arts education · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Political science · Education and Critical Thinking Development · Learning Styles and Cognitive Differences · Psychology · Second Language Learning and Teaching
SES differences in language processing skill and vocabulary are evident at 18 months
Framing Constructivism in Practice as the Negotiation of Dilemmas
Robotics to promote elementary education pre-service teachers' STEM engagement, learning, and teaching
The Output Hypothesis
Problems in Output and the Cognitive Processes They Generate
Scaffolding Instruction for English Language Learners
The Importance of SES, Home and School Language and Literacy Practices, and Oral Vocabulary in Bilingual Children’s English Reading Development
Overview of Problem-based Learning
STEM Education
| Citations per year | 0.33 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2020 - 2025 (6) |
| Highly cited | No |