ERIC Number: EJ1283973
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1931-3152
EISSN: N/A
Making Meaning, Doing Math: High School English Learners, Student-Led Discussion, and Math Tracking
Callahan, Rebecca M.; Humphries, Melissa; Buontempo, Jenny
International Multilingual Research Journal, v15 n1 p82-103 2021
Mathematics is not just memorized facts, but rather it is understanding how to approach and solve problems, and problem-solving requires linguistic proficiency. Too often, English learners' (ELs) relatively low math performance is dismissed due to their supposed "limited" English proficiency. Taking this perspective, a constructivist approach suggests that content-area discussions should improve EL students' math performance. To test this hypothesis, we use nationally representative data from the "Educational Longitudinal Study: 2002" to examine the relationship between students' reported participation in math discussions and their 10th-grade math performance (GPA), considering both course placement and linguistic status. While we find reported participation in student-led discussion to be positively associated with math performance for all students, we also find that EL students report higher participation in student-led discussions "only" in low-level math placement. This pattern suggests that for EL students, participation in student-led discussion may actually be necessary to counteract the limiting nature of low-track placement. We argue that although EL students appear to benefit from student-led discussions in these contexts, until school systems begin to address the overrepresentation of EL students in low-level coursework, instructional experiences alone will do little to improve their overall achievement.
Descriptors: High School Students, English Language Learners, Mathematics Instruction, Constructivism (Learning), Student Placement, Track System (Education), Group Discussion, Mathematics Achievement, Teaching Methods, Problem Solving, Language Proficiency, Longitudinal Studies, Course Content, Student Participation, Correlation, Student Attitudes, Disproportionate Representation, Grade Point Average, Advanced Courses, Comparative Analysis, Native Speakers, Achievement Tests, Foreign Countries, Secondary School Students, International Assessment
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF); Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (NCES); Program for International Student Assessment
Grant or Contract Numbers: DRK121503428; P2CHD042849