Learning Together: multilingual opportunities for children from migrant backgrounds

Children with a migration background experience obstacles in Dutch education. Lessons in math and S&T are in Dutch, while their language skills, especially in school and professional language, are still developing. This can lead to difficulties participating and utilising their home language, which increases the risk of disadvantage and makes them feel unseen.
An effective way to engage multilingual children is to give them the opportunity to use all their languages. In our Multi-STEM project, we are working with schools, science museums and parents to develop a multilingual approach so that children can use their languages in school, museums and their environment. This improves their learning and makes them feel at home in all these places.
Multi-STEM works with a wide network of social partners, always with the child at the center. Teachers and parents are involved on a daily basis, while educational advisory services and municipalities support them with in-service training and policies. This collaboration promotes the dissemination of knowledge and materials. Researchers and partners apply design-oriented implementation research for sustainable change, involving stakeholders from the beginning. New knowledge is disseminated during research and embedded in practice.
Project:
Multi-STEM.
(Main)researchers:
Erin Gail MacDonald (UU), Lianne Stolte (UU), Lucía Chisari (UU), Hanneke ’t Hart-Baart (UU), Mirona Moraru (UU), Elma Blom (UU), Eva van de Weijer-Bergsma (UU), Arthur Bakker (UvA), Jantien Smit (HU), Gerald van Dijk (HU), Ronald Keijzer (iPabo).
Department:
Development & Education of Youth in Diverse Societies (DEEDS).
Collaboration partners:
Hogeschool Utrecht, iPabo Amsterdam, Universiteit van Amsterdam, CPS onderwijsontwikkeling en advies, Expertis, Expertisecentrum Nederlands, Stichting Leerplanontwikkeling SLO, Platform Talent voor Technologie, NEMO Science Museum, Museon, Teylers Museum, Spaarnesant, Voila, Wereldkidz, Zonova, Malmö University, Lund University, Taal doet meer, It’s my child, Al-Amal, Joury, IOT, Heritage Language Education Network, SARDES, Vereniging voor Science Centers, Lowan, NVORWO, SPRONG consortium, Wetenschapsknooppunt Universiteit Utrecht, gemeente Den Haag, Defence for Children.
Funded by:
NWO/NWA-ORC.