Equitable Classroom Interactions and Latino Academic Language Development in Upper Elementary Grades

• In Event: Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: Social and Cultural Processes in Motivation Research

Abstract

The development of many Latino children has been described as paradoxical: strong social-behavioral functioning yet weak academic performance. We argue that teaching should draw on the social strengths of Latinos to foster more equitable opportunities, and test our conjectures in video analyses of 36 4th through 6th grade classrooms. Namely, we use reliable observation measures to score generic and sociocultural dimension of classroom interactions, and conduct an exploratory analysis to demonstrate how these dimensions interact to predict gains in Latino academic language proficiency. We show how cultural aspects of teaching instantiate generic aspects to foster growth in core academic language skills of non-ELL Latinos, and conclude with recommendations to foster “equitable classroom interactions” for Latinos in a variety of settings.

Author

• Bryant Jensen, Brigham Young University