BILINGUAL EDUCATION: HOW TEACHER AND STUDENT MOVES HELP SUPPORT EMERGING BILINGUALS IN MATH LESSONS

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to research how teacher and student moves can best support emerging bilingual students in math lessons. The research questions investigated how teachers’ perspectives, teachers’ moves, students’ moves, and incorporating of students’ funds of knowledge can best support emerging bilinguals’ participation within math lessons. This thesis begins with a literature review on articles to see what research has already been done on the topic. Following the literature review is my study where I observed two emerging bilingual students in a fourth-grade classroom in Tucson, Arizona. This study was done through an interview with the teacher, in person observations, data collection from field notes and videos from two math lessons within the fourth-grade class. The data looked at how the teacher supported the emerging bilingual students within two math lessons, with a goal to increase their participation and collaboration. The data collection came from the videos and field notes, where codes of different teacher and student moves were written on an excel sheet. These codes were then looked at for analysis and how to better understand the effects teachers and students can have on emerging bilinguals’ participation within math lessons. Major findings within the study aligned with findings from the literature review. An important point was the teacher’s understanding of the students’ background and how they can use this knowledge to support emerging bilinguals. Findings included teacher encouragement in discussion and collaboration among groups by asking thought-provoking questions. Students support their own learning by using manipulatives and discussing their ideas with groupmates. The knowledge of this research can help teachers support their emerging bilingual students and expand their understanding of creating a supportive classroom.