The Qualities and Conditions of Productive Interactions Between English Learners During Science Instruction

• In Event: Transformative Pathways for English Learners: Connecting Research, Policy, and Classroom Practice

Abstract

Students are instructed to talk to each other throughout their school day, and classroom discussion is seen as important to content and language development. This paper looks closely at student-student interactions during science instruction in 5th grade linguistically diverse classrooms. Teachers used inquiry-based science curriculum explicitly designed to support English learners and to integrate NGSS content and practices with language development. Realizing the promise of NGSS for ELs, however, requires significant shifts in teacher practice so that they can facilitate productive interactions amongst students that support both science learning and language development. This paper seeks to articulate the qualities of productive student-student interactions, as well as what teachers do to enable such interactions and what can get in the way.

Authors

• Sarah Capitelli, University of San Francisco

• Laura Alvarez, Saint Mary's College of California

• Guadalupe Valdes, Stanford University