Students from non‐dominant linguistic backgrounds making sense of cosmology visualizations

Abstract

This article presents the results of exploratory research with community college students from non-dominant linguistic backgrounds (NDLB) in an introductory astronomy class as they collaborated to reconstruct dynamic cosmology visualizations through drawing. Data included student discourse during the drawing activity, post-activity interviews, and the drawings themselves. This work comes from the theoretical perspective that revealing student competence should be an essential part of science education research, and is guided by sociocultural theory. Results indicate that dynamic cosmology visualizations can support the development of cosmological literacy by facilitating heterogeneous sense-making strategies. The activity of drawing the visualizations in groups created fluid, hybrid spaces where students could grapple directly with cosmology content while trying on the language of science. In light of these findings, the author argues that carefully incorporating collaborative activity around the interpretation of visualizations into learning environments can improve access to cosmology content for learners, particularly those who come from non-dominant linguistic backgrounds. # 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach Keywords: science education; language and literacy; language of science and classrooms; equity; science literacy Learners from non-dominant linguistic backgrounds (NDLB) 1 are quickly becoming one of the largest non-mainstream demographics in the educational landscape. (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2011), yet these linguistically diverse learners remain underrepresented in STEM post-secondary education (Stoddart, Pinal, Latzke, & Canaday, 2002). This pattern of inequity can be attributed to a history of compounding educational, economic and social deficits (Ladson-Billings, 2006), including inequitable access to educational opportunities throughout K-15, (Eun, 2016;Mosqueda, 2011) where NDLB students persistently and disproportionally lack access to rigorous content in science (Buxton, 1998;Callahan, 2005;Genesee, Lindholm-Leary, Saunders, & Christian, 2005;Lee, 1999). In response to such inequities, researchers have called for the development of educational tools that are more accessible to a broader range of ways of knowing and doing science (Barton, 1998;Bouillion & Gomez, 2001).Cosmology is the study of the Universe, in particular its structure, organization and dynamics. According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), "finding our place in the cosmic scheme of things and how we got here is a task for the ages À past, present, and future. . . If being educated means having an informed sense of time and place, then it is essential for a person to be familiar with the scientific aspects of the [U]niverse and know something of its origin and structure" (AAAS Project 2061, 1993. Although there is a solid body of research on NDLB students in the science classroom (e.g., Echevarria, Vogt & Short, 2004;Lee & Fradd, 1998;Stoddart, Solis, ...

The effects of visualizations on linguistically diverse students’ understanding of energy and matter in life science

“…This difference was unexpected as both dynamic and static visualizations provided identical explanations and there were no explicit prompts asking students to discuss language features. This finding suggests that the use of dynamic visualizations can create learning environments where ELs can use both oral and written forms of “the language of the science classroom” (Lee et al, , p. 221) for various purposes while exploring scientific phenomena (Bracey, ; Brown, ; Rosebery et al, ).…”

“…In another study, Hudicourt‐Barnes () showed that Haitian students with limited English proficiency in grades five through eight were actively engaged in scientific argumentation when using visualization software that presented graphical representations of sound waves. A recent study by Bracey () showed how using cosmology visualizations helped ELs at a community college use scientific language as they worked together to model information from the visualizations.…”

Language ideologies in science education

“…Okebukola, Owolabi, and Okebukola () studied outcomes from science classes taught in students’ home languages (mother tongue) and argued for an increased focus on home language science teaching. In 2017, Buck Bracey () presented evidence for the utility of drawing visualizations as a strategy for allowing students from nondominant language backgrounds to grapple with science, elaborating on the interconnected nature of language use and content acquisition in science. This recent research points to an interplay between diverse linguistic practices, science content acquisition, and identity formation.…”

The Outcomes of Fifth-Grade Emergent Bi/Multilinguals’ Introduction to a Visual Metalanguage When Constructing Scientific Explanations in Hong Kong

“…Second, constructing representations collaboratively mediates meaning as it enables more knowledgeable others to confront previously held assumptions doi:10.1163/23641177-bja10028 | ASIA-PACIFIC SCIENCE EDUCATION (2021) 1-34 of their peers. For example, Bracey (2017) found that during the constructing of visual representations, English learners drew support from their communicative repertoires as well as each other as they argued. This action facilitated their sense-making of galaxy collisions, which is a complex abstract concept.…”