World+Language+Instruction+and+Math+Achievement

   EDC529 Team Research Design Project Andrew Poggie, Catena Bellone, Mario Carreno, and Todd Tetreault


 * World Language Education and Mathematics Achievement **


 * Introduction: **

Mathematics has long been considered a “difficult” subject by students. Many pupils are not excited by, nor interested in, mathematics. The mathematics teacher’s task of motivating and inspiring those ambivalent to the subject matter is often daunting. Nevertheless, given the importance of mathematics related professions to the United States Economy and technological innovation in general, it is imperative that we avoid a mathematically deficient generation. One possible way to improve mathematics students’ achievement is the evaluation of new teaching techniques. The use of “manipulatives,” for example, has been heralded, by some, as a highly effective method of mathematics instruction.  Another avenue for increasing the mathematical achievement of students is to look for factors outside the mathematics classroom that may have a positive impact on achievement. A good body of research exists showing that increasing the English proficiency of “English-as-a-Second Language” (ESL) students, increases their proficiency in mathematics. It has long been assumed that the gains in mathematics proficiency were due to an increased understanding of the taught (spoken) language of the mathematics curriculum. Our group pondered a more general question, “Does the study of music, art or world language have a positive correlation with increased mathematic achievement?” A review of current literature indicates that these questions have been severely under-studied. Given the importance of pursuing every path that may lead to increased mathematical achievement, perhaps it is now time to research this question.  Owing to our group size, budget, and time constraints, we chose to narrow our focus considerably; therefore, in this study we will focus on the possible connection between world language education and mathematics achievement. Specifically, “Is there a statistically significant difference in mathematics achievement between high school juniors who have had three years of World Language Education and those that have not?”


 * Research Question: **

Is there a statistically significant difference in mathematics achievement, as measured by scores of the mathematics section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) between high school juniors who have received three years of World Language Education and those that have not?


 * Experimental Design: **

RXO RCO

X= treatment – receives three years of world language instruction C= control group - does not receive treatment O= Mathematics section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) R = Random Assignment


 * Null Hypothesis: **

There will be no statistically significant difference in SAT mathematics Section scores between the two groups


 * Directional Hypothesis: **

High school juniors that have received three years of world language instruction will demonstrate significantly more mathematics achievement than juniors that did not receive world language education.


 * Non-Directional Hypothesis: **

There will be a statistically significant difference in mathematics achievement between high school juniors that have received three years of world language instruction and those that have not.


 * Independent Variable: **

Three years of world language instruction.


 * Dependent Variable: **

Mathematics Achievement, as measured by the Mathematics Section of the Scholastic Aptitude test (SAT).


 * Literature Review: **

While there have been multiple studies on learning a world language and increasing mathematic achievement, none of the articles currently available directly relate to our study. Generally, students chronicled in publications are learning English as their second language. Naturally, if a student has a better understanding of the language they are instructed in, they should produce higher test scores. Research studies have shown that an increase in a second language produces higher math scores.

In New York City, the Department of Education conducted a language development study (Project Master) on 344 Spanish-speaking students with limited English proficiency (LEP). Project Master (Mathematics, Art, Science, Technology, and Education Resources) integrated instruction of English Language learning through the use of science projects. The department’s belief was that a hands-on approach would encourage critical thinking (Office of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment, New York City Public Schools, 1990). The study found that scores in English as a Second Language (ESL), science and mathematics all increased significantly.

A three-year study in California targeted low achieving migrant students in 6th, 7th and 8th grades; the Accelerated Math and Science (AMS) Project specifically targeted students who had an English reading level 2 to 4 years behind their peers. AMS activities included a 19-day curriculum and 80 to 95 hours of direct instruction. Pre- and post-test data in four skill areas indicated student growth in: attitudes towards math and science, metric system skills, observational skills, and scientific method skills (Ochoa, 1994). <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> A Melbourne, Australia a study looked at children in a French immersion program and measured their performance in mathematics in English (their first language) and French. After the first year of the study, there was no significant difference between students taking a test in French or in English. However, after the second year, student’s taking tests in their first language were significantly higher. The study revealed how children process mathematical problems in their second language and provides insights into the development of the students’ language in an immersion program (Courcy, Burston, Warren, & Young, 1997). The most important issue here was that students learning mathematics in two languages were scoring much higher in math than Australian norms. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> Two articles relating to the “Minnesota Assessment Project,” a four-year federally funded effort to promote and evaluate the participation of students with limited English proficiency in Minnesota’s Graduation Standards, found that LEP students lagged behind their peers by 20 to 25% (on average) in both math and reading assessments because they were still in the process of learning English and were, therefore, despite the minor accommodations granted them, unable to perform as well as their native English-speaking peers. This would suggest the importance of reading ability in both the reading and math portions of the state assessments (Liu & Thurlow, Limited English Proficiency Students' Participation and Performance on Statewide Assessments: Minnesota Basic Standards Reading and Math, 1996-1998, 1999)  (Liu, Anderson, & Thurlow, Report on the Participation and Performance of Limited English Proficient Students on Minnesota's Basic Standards Tests, 1999). <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> In a non-peer reviewed 1987 Modern Language Journal article by Thomas C. Cooper titled “Foreign Language Study and SAT-Verbal Scores,” Cooper makes the claim that foreign language study is positively related to greater success on verbal SAT scores. He came to this conclusion by comparing the verbal SAT scores and the California Achievement Test scores of 1333 California high school students who had taken at least one year of foreign language study to 445 California high school students who had not. Apparently, socio-economic background was not a factor in students’ performance (Cooper, 1987). <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> Given the idea put forth that an increase in the amount of foreign language study can positively affect verbal assessment scores such as the verbal SAT, and that both math and reading scores will suffer equally if verbal ability is somehow lacking as it is among LEP students, then it is plausible that foreign language study might also positively affect higher scores on tests of mathematics proficiency (just as it does on verbal or reading assessments). This is the topic on which our study focuses. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">


 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Sample: **

1,500 Providence, Rhode Island area high school juniors will comprise the sample for this research. The students will be equally split into groups 2 groups: the treatment group which has received three years of world language instruction and the control group, which has not taken part in language instruction. The sample will be drawn from State Rhode Island and Providence Plantation Department of Education school rosters. Students will be segregated into either a treatment and or control pool based upon their curriculum; final assignment to the sample will be random based on lists and random number generation. To obtain the students’ SAT scores, signed permission will be sought from each student and their legal guardian(s).


 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Data Collection: **

This quantitative study will collect the SAT mathematics section scores of 1,500 Rhode Island high school juniors. Scores will be collected from State of R.I. student records. The sample means for each group will be analyzed to discover if there is a statistically significant difference in mathematics proficiency between the group who received world language instruction and the control group.


 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Data Analysis: **

The mean SAT mathematics section scores of both the treatment and control groups will be transcribed into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet; the data will be summed, the mean for each group determined, and that mean used for statistical analysis. The means will be compared using a t-test to determine whether there is a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the two groups. At this level of probability, it is assumed that there is a 5% chance that we may incorrectly reject the null hypothesis due to the commission of a type I error.


 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Validity and Reliability: **

To test the validity of our research question, we must examine possible sources of threats to the validity and reliability?

__Possible Threats to internal validity:__ <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> 1) Sampling Error – We may have identified some students that were listed as having had three years of language instruction that might actually be fluent in a second language due to familial relationships. Our research design does not take this possibility into account. ** This seems more like history than sampling error. **

2) History – Because the SAT is one of the most important tests that a high school student takes, there is a real chance that any of the students in our sample may have received outside pressure and instruction (from parents, study guides, etc.) in an attempt to prepare the students for the mathematics section of the SAT.

3) Instrument – The instrument is universally known, but not universally accepted as a measure of mathematics proficiency. Since we were looking at having a limited budget and staff, we felt that there was not a better instrument choice that we could have made that: we could have been able to afford ($) to administer, that we had the staff and cooperation to administer, and that might provide the same ease of data collection.

4) Mortality – There is a chance that a student that gave us permission to collect his/her scores would drop out of the study, skewing the results.

5) Maturation – Students mature at their own rates; there is the chance that some of the control group could have acquired mathematics prowess without the help provided by the world language instruction.

__Possible Threat to external validity:__

1) Selection Treatment Interaction – Many students that choose to take part in world language instruction do so out of a wish to structure their curriculum in a manner to facilitate their acceptance into college. Therefore the students that make up the treatment group may be considered “better students” and may have more effort and prior work invested in their preparation for the SAT’s. We could choose another instrument, but almost any instrument given to students at this juncture would likely exhibit the same bias between the two groups; the reason we chose to stick with the SAT was because it is an instrument that constantly receives updates from its administering body and is almost universally recognized (though perhaps not universally accepted as a measure of proficiency).


 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Strength of Design: **

__Strengths:__

Most of our internal threats are mitigated through the use of a control group; “maturation,” “mortality,” and “history” should each be experienced in similar amounts in both the treatment and control groups.

The size of our sample should allow us to mitigate “sampling error” due to the world language enrollment of persons that may already be considered fluent in a second language (English + the second language). The size of the sample will hopefully ensure that the number in the treatment group is a small percentage, plus there may well also be persons that could be considered fluent in a second language in the group that did not enroll in a world language curriculum. It is hoped that this probability will help offset the effects of these individuals on the research.

The use of the particular instrument for this research can be seen as both a “strength” and a “weakness.” The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is universally recognized; students are made aware of its existence in junior high school where they are prepared for the pre-SAT (PSAT). Again, since we were looking at having a limited budget and staff, we felt that there was not a better instrument choice that we could have made that: we could have been able to afford ($) to administer, that we had the staff and cooperation to administer, and that might provide the same ease of data collection.

__Weaknesses__

Due to our group size and budget (or lack thereof), we were limited to data collection within the State of Rhode Island; we cannot say that our results are representative of the entire national population of high school juniors. Future research, on a larger scale, may allow us to make a more representative statement because we would be sampling students from different states (with different policies and procedures for the delivery of world language instruction).

We were asked to consider how our research may have been conducted in a qualitative manner. We could have held structured interviews with both of our original groups. We could have asked them to describe how their curriculum may have prepared them to succeed on the SAT and if their choice in curriculum helped with their mathematics studies. Truthfully, we think it would have been much more labor intensive to conduct interviews with such a large group, plus we would have opened ourselves up to issues of reliability. First, due to our group size and budget, we would have had to slash our sample to a few dozen students, making it even harder to claim that our results are representative of any larger population. Our quantitative study and sample size may have allowed us to be able to represent our findings as representative of the state population; now we would be hard pressed to that. Although a qualitative study would be possible, the research question that we proposed would be best served through the use of a quantitative study.


 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Distribution of Duties: **

Our group found that it was easier to meet and work on the project together, then assign duties and meet to compare notes again. We did all of the following together: our literature research, materials review, brainstorming ideas, the development of our introduction and literature review sections, and then we assigned typing duties to all. We then passed documents back and forth, cobbling them together in Microsoft Word (because changes could be tracked and highlighted). We produced a few milestone documents to post on the Wiki-spaces to keep our professor apprised of our progress. =<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi">Bibliography = =<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin"> = <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"> Adiv, E., & Dore, F. (1983). //An Evaluation of the Intensive French Program: Grades 4 and 5.// Protestant School Boeard of Greater Montreal (Quebec), Instructional Services Department. Montreal, Canada: Government of Quebec, Canada. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Cooper, T. C. (1987). Foreign Language Study and SAT - Verbal Scores. //Modern Language Journal// //, 71// (n4), 381-387. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Courcy, M. d., Burston, M., Warren, J., & Young, P. (1997). Doing Math in French in Australia. //21st Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association of Immersion Teachers// (p. 23). Victoria, British Columbia, Canada: Canadian Association of Immersion Teachers. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Liu, K., & Thurlow, M. (1999). //Limited English Proficiency Students' Participation and Performance on Statewide Assessments: Minnesota Basic Standards Reading and Math, 1996-1998.// National Center on Educational Outcomes at the University of Minnesota. St. Paul, Minnesota: University of Minnesota. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Liu, K., Anderson, M., & Thurlow, M. (1999). //Report on the Participation and Performance of Limited English Proficient Students on Minnesota's Basic Standards Tests.// State of Minnesota, Department of Children, Families, and learning. St. Paul: National Center on Educational Outcomes at the University of Minnesota. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Ochoa, A. M. (1994). //Accelerated Math and Science Program Improvement; Project Evaluation Report YR2.// San Diego State University, Social Equity Technical Assistance Center. Sacramento, California: California State Department of Education. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Office of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment, New York City Public Schools. (1990). //Language Development Through Holistic Learning: Mathematics, Art, Science, Technology, and Education Resources (Project Master) 1989-1990.// New York City Public Schools, Office of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment. New York City: Office of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Peak, G., & Kelly, M. (1992). Memory Modes and Mathematics Among Technical and Further Education Trade Students. //Vocational Aspects of Education// //, 44// (n1), 121-133. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Texas Education Agency. (2000). //The Texas Successful Schools Study: Quality Education for Limited English Proficiency Students.// State of Texas, Texas Education Agency. Austin, Texas: Texas Education Agency.

http://adamy.wikispaces.com/EDC_529_2008
 * Great job - very well designed. This is a straight-forward proposal that shoud be easy to implement. 25/25 **