Developing instructional materials for English learners in the content areas: An illustration of traditional and contemporary materials in science education

Abstract

Research on TESOL materials development has focused primarily on instructional materials for contexts in which students are learning English separate from academic content (e.g., science, mathematics). This research could benefit from expansion given the increasing number of contexts in which students are learning content and English language simultaneously. In U.S. K–12 education specifically, a fast‐growing population of English learners (ELs) is expected to achieve academically rigorous content standards that reflect new ways of thinking about content, language, and their integration. Thus, developing instructional materials based on the standards has necessitated shifts from traditional to contemporary approaches. The purpose of this article is to illustrate how instructional materials for ELs in the content areas have evolved over time. After describing conceptual shifts in the fields of content area education and language education that underpin the evolution of instructional materials, the researchers present traditional and contemporary elementary science units. Then, they analyze the units in relation to key features of traditional and contemporary materials for ELs in the content areas. Finally, they discuss how materials development in content learning contexts could expand the scope of TESOL materials development by providing a fresh perspective on ongoing debates and tensions in this vibrant research area.

Beyond sentence frames: Scaffolding emergent multilingual students' participation in science discourse

“…In science, such practices include asking questions and defining problems, developing and using models, constructing explanations, arguing from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information (NGSS Lead States, 2013). Science practices offer opportunities for students to interact, use language, and expand their linguistic repertoires as they collaboratively investigate and make meaning of phenomena (Alvarez et al, 2022a; Bunch & Martin, 2020; Lee et al, 2013; Valdés et al, 2014; Grapin et al, 2023). As they participate in these practices, students leverage oral and written language in interacting ways—for example, reading and talking through procedures as they engage in an investigation or drawing on evidence from texts as they develop an argument, model, or explanation about a given topic.…”

“…Existing research points to several instructional practices beyond sentence stems and frames that teachers can use to scaffold emergent multilingual students' participation in content‐area discussions: Creating contexts that invite and leverage students' full linguistic repertoires (Bang et al, 2017; Grapin et al, 2023; Lee et al, 2013); engaging students in inquiry that builds on their experiences (Grapin et al, 2023; Haneda & Wells, 2008, 2010; Segal et al, 2017); crafting open‐ended prompts and designing tasks that require students to grapple collaboratively (Alvarez et al, 2021; Lotan, 2008; Park et al, 2021; Segal et al, 2017); designing multimodal experiences that enable students to make sense of concepts through hands‐on investigation, talk, video, images, reading, and writing (Alvarez et al, 2021; Grapin et al, 2023; Haneda & Wells, 2008, 2010); intentionally sequencing learning tasks over time (Walqui, 2006; Walqui & Bunch, 2019); and establishing inclusive learning environments with relational trust, safety, and clear norms, in which emergent multilingual students are positioned as valued contributors to the community's intellectual work and students feel safe offering emergent ideas and taking risks with language (Alvarez et al, 2021, 2022a, 2022b; Ardasheva et al, 2016; Haneda & Wells, 2008; Lee et al, 2021; Mercer & Dawes, 2008; Park et al, 2021). …”

“…Science provides compelling opportunities for students to use and develop oral language as they engage in scientific practices-that is, as they collaboratively engage in scientific inquiry and are supported to do the work of scientists in developmentally appropriate ways (Alvarez et al, 2022a;Grapin et al, 2023;Wright & Gotwals, 2017). Disciplinary practices-the ways knowledge is constructed in a disciplinary community-are collaborative social and cultural practices (Bunch & Martin, 2020;Osborne, 2010Osborne, , 2014.…”

Practicality of Counseling Guidance Module Religious Based to Improve Academic Integrity

“…If students have low academic integrity, it will affect their future work (Hendy et al, 2021) modules are teaching materials that are predicted to improve students' academic integrity. Therefore, teachers, in this case, guidance and counseling teachers, must be able to make breakthroughs modules with a traditional approach have become modules with a modern approach (Grapin et al, 2023). Likewise, research results state that religious-based modules mean modules developed by including Islamic character values (Kuswono & Khaeroni, 2017).…”