The role of cultural institutions in promoting language learning opportunities in minority populations
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: School of Health Sciences
Abstract
Poor language development is closely associated with social, emotional and mental health problems in children and adolescents (Whitehouse et al., 2011). It is widely recognised that many preschool children from disadvantaged and minority backgrounds have poor language skills (Fernald et al., 2013). Language can be improved through the provision of supportive language learning activities and environments (Law et al., 2017). A wealth of research demonstrates that cultural institutions such as museums have beneficial impacts at multiple levels and timescale, but much of this work focuses on adults. At the same time, there has been a huge increase in provision of events within cultural institutions aimed at preschool children and their families in an attempt to engage and enrich their experiences.
Partnership & research questions
Collaboration with the Manchester Museum 'Learning Team', and 'Bright Futures Educational Trust' which incorporates 2 primary schools situated in deprived areas of Manchester
(i) What are the perceptions of cultural institutions amongst caregivers, children and teachers in disadvantaged communities? Does this change over time due to engagement with cultural institutions?
(ii) Can vocabulary development in the early years be enhanced by museum contexts? Are there any benefits for broader language skills?
(iii) How is the quality of the school language learning environment impacted by the community background of the children and the context for learning?
Study 1: A pre-intervention questionnaire study will measure the perceived accessibility and benefits of cultural institutions in parents, teachers, and children in the 2 communities.
Study 2: Word learning. Approximately 90 Nursery/Reception children in each school will be introduced to a series of new words relating to their normal curriculum and to museum-relevant topics, some in their classroom and some in the Museum as part of a class visit. Teachers will be video-recorded carrying out classroom and museum-based tasks. Children will be tested to assess vocabulary and syntax comprehension pre-intervention (baseline measure), and after the learning tasks take place (to assess change over time), and for their memory and understanding of the new words. A control group will conduct standard classroom activities to determine whether word learning activities and museum visits result in increases in children's language.
Study 3: Language-supportive interactions. Quantitative analysis of transcriptions of the teacher-child interactions from the word-learning study, and the control group.
Study 4: Longer-term impacts. Exploratory analyses of (i) qualitative and quantitative changes in perceptions of cultural institutions and their value for learning in parents, teachers, and children, and (ii) the children's long-term retention of new vocabulary items as a function of learning context. The student will also work closely with the Manchester Museum and Academy Trust to use the findings of the research to develop best practice guidelines for cultural institutions and schools.
Impact
- Many cultural institutions run schools-engagement activities which primarily attract families and schools from middle-class areas. This collaboration will provide the evidence needed regarding the relevance and learning benefits associated with attending cultural institutions for pupils from minority areas to encourage parents and schools to take advantage of the opportunities available.
- The research findings will be used to inform the design of materials for the new South Asia gallery - and museums and galleries more broadly - to best engage minority communities and promote rich, language-supporting interactions.
- Findings will be presented at academic and practitioner conferences. 3 articles will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals, and non-academic summaries and guidelines produced. Public engagement events will be jointly organised between the partners.
Partnership & research questions
Collaboration with the Manchester Museum 'Learning Team', and 'Bright Futures Educational Trust' which incorporates 2 primary schools situated in deprived areas of Manchester
(i) What are the perceptions of cultural institutions amongst caregivers, children and teachers in disadvantaged communities? Does this change over time due to engagement with cultural institutions?
(ii) Can vocabulary development in the early years be enhanced by museum contexts? Are there any benefits for broader language skills?
(iii) How is the quality of the school language learning environment impacted by the community background of the children and the context for learning?
Study 1: A pre-intervention questionnaire study will measure the perceived accessibility and benefits of cultural institutions in parents, teachers, and children in the 2 communities.
Study 2: Word learning. Approximately 90 Nursery/Reception children in each school will be introduced to a series of new words relating to their normal curriculum and to museum-relevant topics, some in their classroom and some in the Museum as part of a class visit. Teachers will be video-recorded carrying out classroom and museum-based tasks. Children will be tested to assess vocabulary and syntax comprehension pre-intervention (baseline measure), and after the learning tasks take place (to assess change over time), and for their memory and understanding of the new words. A control group will conduct standard classroom activities to determine whether word learning activities and museum visits result in increases in children's language.
Study 3: Language-supportive interactions. Quantitative analysis of transcriptions of the teacher-child interactions from the word-learning study, and the control group.
Study 4: Longer-term impacts. Exploratory analyses of (i) qualitative and quantitative changes in perceptions of cultural institutions and their value for learning in parents, teachers, and children, and (ii) the children's long-term retention of new vocabulary items as a function of learning context. The student will also work closely with the Manchester Museum and Academy Trust to use the findings of the research to develop best practice guidelines for cultural institutions and schools.
Impact
- Many cultural institutions run schools-engagement activities which primarily attract families and schools from middle-class areas. This collaboration will provide the evidence needed regarding the relevance and learning benefits associated with attending cultural institutions for pupils from minority areas to encourage parents and schools to take advantage of the opportunities available.
- The research findings will be used to inform the design of materials for the new South Asia gallery - and museums and galleries more broadly - to best engage minority communities and promote rich, language-supporting interactions.
- Findings will be presented at academic and practitioner conferences. 3 articles will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals, and non-academic summaries and guidelines produced. Public engagement events will be jointly organised between the partners.
