Limited English Proficiency and Spatial Visualization in Middle School Students’ Construction of The Concepts of Reflection and Rotation

Abstract

Abstract This study attempted to show that there can exist an environment in which English proficient (EP) and limited English proficient (LEP) students can work together using computers to construct the concepts of reflection and rotation. Under investigation were the effects of a dynamic instructional environment and visualization level independently and interactively on students’ construction of the concepts of reflection and rotation. Also examined was the effect of a dynamic instructional environment on students’ two- and three-dimensional visualization ability. Of particular interest was the relationship between performance of EP students and their LEP peers on concept construction and visualization ability based on the instructional environment the students experienced. After controlling for initial differences, it was concluded that students experiencing the dynamic instructional environment significantly outperformed students experiencing a traditional instructional environment on content measures of the concepts of reflection and rotation as well as on measures of two-dimensional visualization ability. LEP students did not perform statistically significantly differently than their EP peers on any of the dependent variables when experiencing the same instructional environments. If this research is supported by replicated studies, a reassessment of educational policy may be required.