"I Didn't Learn It in Chinese": Chinese Adolescents' Experiences in American STEM Classrooms

• In Event: Roundtable Session 53
  In Roundtable Session: Rethinking STEM Education Across Cultural Contexts

Abstract

This multiple case study rooted in language socialization theory investigates Chinese ELL students’ writing experiences in their STEM classrooms. Students’ interviews, responses to writing prompts, writing samples, and classroom observations were analyzed. Findings include: (1) students held a positive attitude towards their prior STEM writing experiences in China, even if some practices were different from those in American classrooms; (2) inadequate language proficiencies in math and science were the major challenges that students faced when accomplishing their writing tasks; and (3) students’ perceptions of discourse features and writing requirements changed over time. Implications for science writing pedagogies for Chinese and other ELL groups are discussed.

Authors

• Fang Yu, University at Albany - SUNY

• Kristen C. Wilcox, University at Albany - SUNY