The migrant pupils´ development of mathematical capability during the course of primary education in Germany

Author(s):

Cornelia Braun Aiso Heinze Kristina Reiss Leonie Herwartz-Emden

Conference:

ECER 2009

Network:

24. Mathematics Education Research

Format:

Paper

Session Information

24 SES 07, Diversity in Mathematics Classrooms

Paper Session

Time:

2009-09-29

15:30-17:00

Room:

NIG, HS III

Chair:

Åse Hansson

Contribution

About 19% of the inhabitants in Germany (15.6 million) and about 31% of primary school children have a migrant background. Although roughly 75% of the children with a migrant background were born in Germany their linguistic competence in the language used in school is noticeably lower than their classmates’ without a migrant background. Significant differences between migrant and non migrant children in Germany have been revealed by international research projects such as PISA and IGLU, while the disparities in other European countries are often less pronounced. For example, the mathematical competence and reading skills of migrant and non migrant children in England and Italy differ far less (Bos et al. 2003; 2008). Students from migrant families typically attend secondary schools that prepare for vocational training and are underrepresented at schools aiming towards an academic career (Herwartz-Emden 2003). Furthermore, empirical educational research has detected discrepancies to the disadvantage of migrant children at primary school level for the subjects reading, writing and mathematics (e.g. Bos et al. 2007; Herwartz-Emden et al. 2008; Herwartz-Emden, Reiss & Mehringer 2008; Schründer-Lenzen & Merkens 2006). However, the development of these disparities throughout primary school has barely been researched so far. Language is seen as the foundation of academic learning which explains the migrant children’s low level of attainment. Generally speaking, academic success depends on linguistic competence. More precisely, the level of competence in the language in which lessons are held is crucial (cf. CALP, Cummins 1979) and poses a significant challenge for migrant students. Linguistic competence in the language of instruction is not, as might be presumed, only relevant for reading and writing but also for mathematics. Interacting with other people through language seems to be vital when internalising operations and developing mental representations (Heinze, Herwartz-Emden & Reiss 2007). Based on this theoretical context the study in this contribution addresses the following research question: What are the effects of linguistic competence and migrant background on the development of mathematics achievement during primary school years?

Method

Our study is part of the longitudinal study “Socialization and acculturation in areas of life of migrant children – school and family” which focuses on the development of migrant and non-migrant students’ competences during primary school (1st – 4th school year). The sample of the longitudinal study consists of 292 students from 22 classes in a large German city, 55.62% of the sample has a migrant background. The results presented here are based on the first three measurements. To assess students’ mathematical competence standardised mathematics tests (DEMAT 1-3; Krajewski, Küspert& Schneider 2002) were administered at the end of each school year. Data for linguistic competence and basic cognitive abilities were collected at the end of the first school year by specific tests (SFD; Hobusch, Lutz & Wiest 2002 and CFT 1; Weiß & Osterland 1977).

Expected Outcomes

Our study shows that children with and without migration background differ significantly with respect to their mathematical competence at the end of grade 1, 2 and 3. These differences disappear when their linguistic competence for the language of instruction is controlled. Moreover, mathematical competence develops parallel in both subsamples despite of great discrepancies in linguistic competence in the language of instruction. Hence, the performance gap between both groups becomes neither larger nor smaller. A detailed analysis of the language-dependent differences in the mathematics competence reveals migrant students’ difficulties for specific types of items which ask for mental representations. We consider this result as a starting point for further research and as a basis for intervention studies to foster migrant students’ acquisition of conceptual knowledge.

References

Bos, W.; Lankes, E.; Prenzel, M.; Schwippert, K.; Walther, G.; Valtin, R. (2003): Erste Ergebnisse aus IGLU. Schülerleistungen am Ende der vierten Jahrgangsstufe im internationalen Vergleich. Münster, New York, München, Berlin Bos, W., Hornberg, S., Arnold, K., Faust, G., Fried, L., Lankes, E.-M., Schwippert, K. & Valtin, R. (Hrsg.) (2007): IGLU 2006. Lesekompetenzen von Grundschulkindern im internationalen Vergleich. Münster, New York, München, Berlin Bos, , W.; Bonsen, M.; Baumert, J.; Prenzel, M.; Selter, C.; Walther, G. (2008): TIMSS 2007. Mathematische und naturwissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse von Grundschulkindern in Deutschland im internationalen Vergleich. Münster Cummins, J. (1979): Linguistic interdependence and the educational development of bilingual children. In: Review of Educational Research, 49, 222-25l Heinze, A., Herwartz-Emden, L. & Reiss, K. (2007): Mathematikkenntnisse und sprachliche Kompetenz bei Kindern mit Migrationshintergrund zu Beginn der Grundschulzeit. In: Zeitschrift für Pädagogik, 53, 562-581 Herwartz-Emden, L. (2003): Einwandererkinder im deutschen Bildungswesen. In: Kai S. Cortina, Jürgen Baumert, Achim Leschinsky, Karl Ulrich Mayer, Luitgard Trommler (Hrsg.): Das Bildungswesen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Strukturen und Entwicklungen im Überblick, 661-709. Reinbek bei Hamburg Herwartz-Emden, L.; Braun, C.; Heinze, A.; Rudolph-Albert, F.; Reiss, K. (2008): Geschlechtsspezifische Leistungsentwicklung von Kindern mit und ohne Migrationshintergrund im frühen Grundschulalter. In: Zeitschrift für Grundschulforschung, Heft 2, September 2008, 13-28 Herwartz-Emden, L.; Reiss, K.; Mehringer, V. (2008): Das Projekt SOKKE – Ausgewählte Ergebnisse zur Kompetenzentwicklung von Grundschulkindern mit Migrationshintergrund. In: Erziehung und Unterricht, September/Oktober 2008, 789-798 Hobusch, A.; Nevin, L.; Wiest, U. (2002): Sprachstandüberprüfung und Förderdiagnostik für Ausländer- und Aussiedlerkinder - 1. bis 4. Schuljahr. Horneburg Krajewski, K., Küspert, P. & Schneider, W. (2002): Deutscher Mathematiktest für erste/zweite/dritte Klassen (DEMAT 1+, 2+, 3+). Göttingen Schründer-Lenzen, A. & Merkens, H. (2006): Differenzen schriftsprachlicher Kompetenzentwicklung bei Kindern mit und ohne Migrationshintergrund. In: Schründer-Lenzen, A. (Hrsg.): Risikofaktoren kindlicher Entwicklung. Migration, Leistungsangst und Schulübergang. Wiesbaden, 15-44 Weiß. R., Osterland, J. (1977): Grundintelligenztest CFT 1 Skala 1. Handanweisung für die Durchführung, Auswertung und Interpretation. Braunschweig

Author Information

Cornelia Braun

University of Augsburg, Germany

Department of Education

Augsburg

Aiso Heinze

Department of Mathematics Education, IPN Kiel, Germany

Kristina Reiss

Department of Mathematics, University of Munich, Germany

Leonie Herwartz-Emden

University of Augsburg, Germany

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