Linking Communities to Enhance Learning Opportunities in Science for both Teachers and Students in Minority Language Schools
Primary researchers
Dr. Léonard Rivard and Dr. Rodelyn Stoeber (Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface)
Description of proposed research
This project addresses the need for professional development of science teachers in a Francophone minority setting and will involve three different phases. The first phase will identify the pedagogical needs of participants in terms of science instruction and student learning. The second phase involves the creation of a teacher forum in which the educational partners negotiate ideas and prioritize needs. The third phase involves the creation of a professional development strategy that will address the needs identified in the first two phases.
Teaching Science in French Canadian Schools: Using a Cultural-Instructional Congruence Model
Outside of Quebec, most francophones live in a minority-language context in which English dominates the linguistic and cultural landscape. In North America and the world, the English language has become the lingua franca. Enhancing the teaching of science for francophones will require providing a rich array of discursive opportunities in the minority language while moving students from contextualised to de-contextualised language. Cormier (2004) developed a model for teaching science to linguistic minority students in which reading, talking and writing were core activities. The research team is currently working on a revised model that better addresses the needs of francophone learners in the science classroom.
L’enseignement des sciences en milieu francophone minoritaire: défis et solutions
Au Canada, à l’extérieur du Québec, les francophones vivent en situation linguistique minoritaire. En Amérique du Nord et même au niveau mondial, la langue anglaise est devenue la lingua franca parmi les scientifiques. Dans les écoles francophones, l’accès au langage scientifique s’avère ardu et pourrait être élargi par une pédagogie privilégiant une riche panoplie d’expériences discursives qui progressent graduellement vers un langage scientifique. En collaboration avec la professeure Marianne Cormier de l’Université de Moncton, nous développons actuellement un modèle pédagogique pour l’enseignement des sciences dans les écoles francophones situées en milieu minoritaire qui intègre la lecture, la discussion et l’écriture comme activités scientifiques de base.
To view project information on the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface website, please follow the link:
http://www.ustboniface.mb.ca/cusb/rechercheuniversitaire/projets/projetsencours.htm
