Objectives
In order to investigate this problem or opportunity; the following action research questions will be addressed:
1. Explore how ESL students can be supported in developing productive thinking language and thinking skills in English in a new arrivals program.
2. What are current teaching and learning practices in place to support ESL new arrivals’ development of thinking skills?
3. What level of English proficiency do ESL new arrivals possess?
4. How can ESL new arrivals demonstrate thinking processes and skills in English?
5. Is there evidence for the value of teaching thinking language and skills?
6. What scaffolding can teachers provide to support the development of ESL students’ “thinking language”?
7. What changes need to be made in ESL teaching and learning in order to prepare ESL new arrivals for seamless transition to mainstream schools?
8. Are other language schools teaching the language of thinking, and thinking skills? If so, to what extent?
Specifically, we want to know if, for students, there will be:
· understanding of meanings of thinking language
· understanding of thinking skills (i.e., above expected individual levels);
· understanding of what it means to be a “thinker”, (higher than measured at baseline);
· improved individual learning skills (i.e., above expected individual levels);
· greater motivation for learning, than measured at baseline;
· greater connectedness to teachers and peers, than measured at baseline;
· greater learning confidence than measured at baseline
· greater engagement with their learning, than measured at baseline;
an improvement in the effectiveness of the overall New Arrivals Program
1. Explore how ESL students can be supported in developing productive thinking language and thinking skills in English in a new arrivals program.
2. What are current teaching and learning practices in place to support ESL new arrivals’ development of thinking skills?
3. What level of English proficiency do ESL new arrivals possess?
4. How can ESL new arrivals demonstrate thinking processes and skills in English?
5. Is there evidence for the value of teaching thinking language and skills?
6. What scaffolding can teachers provide to support the development of ESL students’ “thinking language”?
7. What changes need to be made in ESL teaching and learning in order to prepare ESL new arrivals for seamless transition to mainstream schools?
8. Are other language schools teaching the language of thinking, and thinking skills? If so, to what extent?
Specifically, we want to know if, for students, there will be:
· understanding of meanings of thinking language
· understanding of thinking skills (i.e., above expected individual levels);
· understanding of what it means to be a “thinker”, (higher than measured at baseline);
· improved individual learning skills (i.e., above expected individual levels);
· greater motivation for learning, than measured at baseline;
· greater connectedness to teachers and peers, than measured at baseline;
· greater learning confidence than measured at baseline
· greater engagement with their learning, than measured at baseline;
an improvement in the effectiveness of the overall New Arrivals Program