Better in Both? Bilingual Intervention in an Australian School Context
Saved in:
| Title: | Better in Both? Bilingual Intervention in an Australian School Context |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Hemsley, Gayle, Holm, Alison, Dodd, Barbara |
| Source: | Australian Journal of Education. Aug 2014 58(2):139-152. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 14 |
| Publication Date: | 2014 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Education |
| Descriptors: | Intervention, Mathematics Instruction, Malayo Polynesian Languages, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Language of Instruction, Mathematics Skills, Teaching Methods, Comparative Analysis, Mathematics Tests, Mathematical Concepts, Bilingual Education, Vocabulary Development, Concept Formation, Outcomes of Education, Foreign Countries, Elementary School Students |
| Geographic Terms: | Australia |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | Boehm Test of Basic Concepts |
| DOI: | 10.1177/0004944114530064 |
| ISSN: | 0004-9441 |
| Abstract: | This study evaluated a bilingual intervention in the key learning area of mathematics. Nine typically developing Samoan-English students received math lessons in both Samoan and English. A control group of Samoan-English students received all lessons in English. The material covered and the amount of instruction was the same for each group. The only difference was in the language of instruction. Two assessments measured progress in early mathematical skills and concept development. Initial data from each test in isolation indicated no additional benefit for students who received bilingual intervention. Further analysis revealed two interesting patterns of learning between tests. First, all students more easily acquired rote mathematical skills and knowledge than conceptual knowledge and its associated vocabulary. Second, there were differences in patterns of learning between groups. The control group acquired mathematical skills but made limited progress acquiring conceptual knowledge. In contrast, the intervention group demonstrated more balanced learning: acquisition of core math skills was matched by gains in conceptual development. We propose that bilingual intervention facilitated English word learning, producing improved learning of core skills linked to underlying conceptual knowledge. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2020 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1277683 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This study evaluated a bilingual intervention in the key learning area of mathematics. Nine typically developing Samoan-English students received math lessons in both Samoan and English. A control group of Samoan-English students received all lessons in English. The material covered and the amount of instruction was the same for each group. The only difference was in the language of instruction. Two assessments measured progress in early mathematical skills and concept development. Initial data from each test in isolation indicated no additional benefit for students who received bilingual intervention. Further analysis revealed two interesting patterns of learning between tests. First, all students more easily acquired rote mathematical skills and knowledge than conceptual knowledge and its associated vocabulary. Second, there were differences in patterns of learning between groups. The control group acquired mathematical skills but made limited progress acquiring conceptual knowledge. In contrast, the intervention group demonstrated more balanced learning: acquisition of core math skills was matched by gains in conceptual development. We propose that bilingual intervention facilitated English word learning, producing improved learning of core skills linked to underlying conceptual knowledge. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0004-9441 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/0004944114530064 |
