Collaborative Learning in Bilingual Classrooms: Best Teaching Methods for Economic Concepts

• Marcela Lemos, History Education, University of Delaware

• Carlos Asarta, Economic Education and Entrepreneurship, University of Delaware

Previous research regarding bilingualism in the classroom has rarely focused on best teaching practices and has placed an emphasis on reading and writing. There is however a gap in research focused on best practices for social sciences for bilingual students at the middle school level. With over 20% of children in the United States speaking more than one language, further research on how bilingual education is best applied in the classroom is needed. In this study, I researched which of three teaching methods were most effective in teaching economic concepts to middle school students. Through the use of multiple choice assessments before and after each teaching method, I found that the collaborative approach provided the greatest improvement in assessment scores, with a 97% average increase in scores. This is compared to a 13% average decrease in scores that come along with lecture style and a 54% average increase in scores that came with an individualized approach. From an educational perspective, this study provides further knowledge into how bilingual students learn best outside of reading and writing and into the social sciences, while also showing the importance of collaborative learning in the classroom.