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Affordances of engineering with English learners
Author(s) -
Cunningham Christine M.,
Kelly Gregory J.,
Meyer Natacha
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
science education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.209
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1098-237X
pISSN - 0036-8326
DOI - 10.1002/sce.21606
Subject(s) - affordance , contextualization , discipline , mathematics education , multitude , terminology , materiality (auditing) , computer science , set (abstract data type) , pedagogy , psychology , sociology , linguistics , human–computer interaction , epistemology , philosophy , social science , interpretation (philosophy) , programming language , aesthetics
In this position paper, we draw from previous research and theoretical developments in the field to propose a set of affordances of engineering with English learners (ELs). Students learning both the language of instruction (e.g., English) and academic subject matter (e.g., engineering, mathematics, science) face the challenge of making sense of linguistically complex terminology of disciplinary knowledge. We posit that engineering provides a unique set of benefits for such learners due to a number of factors associated with the discipline of engineering, including the materiality of the knowledge, the potential for multimodal communication, and the contextualization of knowledge in specific task‐oriented activities. We also recognize that engineering benefits from participation by diverse learners including ELs as solutions are strengthened by a multitude of ideas and perspectives. Although this paper focuses on ELs, we recognize that such affordances are also valuable for all students, including native English speakers, and that they may be particularly important for students who may benefit from additional linguistic supports for developing academic literacies. We identify the affordances, anchoring them in elementary classroom experiences and teacher testimonials, and propose a research agenda for future study.