Page 168 - Second language development of newly arrived migrant kindergarteners - Frederike Groothoff

168 Chapter 8 8.1 Introduction So far, the results of the language development of newly arrived migrant kindergarteners (Chapters 4 and 5) and the pedagogical practices in the school learning environment (Chapter 6 and 7) have been interpreted separately. The finding that differences in Age and Exposure to Dutch at School cause variation in the rate of second language development has been shown in Chapter 4 and 5 by introducing these variables into the different models of language development. In Chapter 4 and 5 the inclusion of a variable concerning the organizational structure of the school (being a separate language school or a mainstream school) did not result in significant different scores between the groups. In other words this broad distinction between educational facilities needed more refinement. Therefore the results of Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 will now be included in the developmental models of Chapter 4 and 5. In Chapters 6 and 7 the pedagogical practices in the school learning environment of the newly arrived migrant pupils in their first year in the Netherlands were investigated. The school learning environment was analyzed using observations of the pedagogical practices from two perspectives: one focusing on teacher behavior and one focusing on the experiences of the focal pupils. To analyze teacher behavior the teacher was observed using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS; Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre et al., 2008). From the observations of the teachers with the CLASS, two variables seemed to differ significantly between the two school types: (1) the specific dimensions of Positive Climate and (2) Regard for Student Perspectives and the general domain of Emotional Support. The Mainstream school teachers seemed to score higher on these three aspects compared to DL2-school teachers. The experiences of the focal pupils were investigated using a Snapshot method which revealed six variables which differed significantly between the two school types: At Mainstream schools pupils were more engaged in (1) Language Situations with Peers and (2) in Peer Interactions, while pupils at DL2-schools were more engaged in (3) Mathematical Activities, (4) Language Activities, (5) Balanced Language Situations, and (6) Teacher-Focal Pupil Interactions. In this present chapter the results from Chapter 6 and 7 are related to the outcomes in Chapter 4 and 5 in order to see whether differences in variables in the school learning environment also cause variation in second language development. We therefore will answer in Chapter 8 the last research question: