Dr. Zenaida Aguirre-Muñoz, Principal Investigator
Maximizing Learning Opportunities for Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Learners
languagelearningandteachinglab.org What We Study
The Language, Learning, and Teaching Lab engages in comprehensive, interdisciplinary research investigating how students with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds can be better served in American public schools. Theoretical frameworks from psychology, linguistics, cognitive science, and assessment development are applied to questions about how students learn abstract concepts in school-based subjects and how learning environments can be designed to maximize productive engagement and conceptual understanding. These frameworks are also used to study how best to support family use of their cultural, familial, and community resources and agency to develop school based knowledge, maintain their heritage language, and strengthen inclusive community education networks.
STEM Teaching & Learning Projects
These set of studies examine environmental antecedents to K-16 student outcomes. Specifically, these studies aim to identify key factors that impact STEM learning and disciplinary practices. Factors include instructional practices, assessment design and use, teacher variables (such as content knowledge and dynamic instructional decision making) as well as student variables (such as prior knowledge, language background, and socio-cognitive factors).
Studies on Emergent Bilinguals
These studies attempt to broaden current understanding of how young emergent bilinguals develop academic literacies, particularly in the STEM areas, and the relationship among developing understanding, affective factors, identity development, gender, and culture.
Teacher Development Projects
These studies are designed to test instructional models for supporting K-12 teachers’ understanding and use of academic literacies to support literacy and biliteracy. These studies include developing teachers’ critical langauge awareness in multiilingual learning contexts.
Family Biliteracy Projects
These projects aim to increase family engagement in heritage language literacy activities utilizing a bilingual digital library.
Current Funded Projects
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Growing ‘en comunidad’: Language and Biliteracy Development
Provides professional development to teachers, school leaders, and families in the California Central Valley. Studies examine: the impact of critical language awareness on teacher practice and the role of family engagement in technology enhanced literacy practices in student biliteracy.
Funded by the US Department of Education
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Why, What and How” Calculus
Examines transformational practices in first year calculus courses including culturally responsive instruction, equity-based grading, and teaching across cultural strengths and studies its impact on student learning and psycho-social outcomes (motivation, sense of belonging, self-efficacy and self-regulation).
https://calculus.ucmerced.edu/
Funded by the California Learning Lab
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Growing STEMs Consortium: Training the Next Generation of Engineers for the DOE/NNSA Workforce
Studies impact of elementary student’s engineering design experiences and a complementary simulation game on engineering engagement, problem solving/reasoning, and content learning in the science classroom.
Funded by the US Department of Energy
Contact
Feel free to contact us with any questions.
Email
languagelearningteachinglab@gmail.com
Phone
(209) 228-0159
languagelearningandteachinglab.org