Physics teaching in the context of linguistic diversity

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Ingrid Gogolin; Professor Dr. Dietmar Höttecke
• Subject Area: General and Domain-Specific Teaching and Learning
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 445350182

Within the framework of a quasi-experiment, the aim of this project is to test the assumption whether and how two teaching approaches, both addressing language explicitly, result in differential effects in subject-specific learning gains. The effects of language explicit instruction will be compared in two variants: students are either restricted to use German only during instruction or they are encouraged and supported to additionally use their heritage languages. The study is carried out exemplarily in physics education about the topic of energy (grade 8/9). The context of the project is that a considerable proportion of schools in Germany are attended by a linguistically heterogeneous, multilingual body of students. Since the 1970s, the number of countries of origin of migrants in Germany and thus the number of languages brought to the country has grown continuously. Students’ multilingualism refers to a broad spectrum of language experiences – from monolingualism in a language other than German to rather developed literacy in German or even multiple languages. Previous research and development on the consequences of multilingualism and linguistic diversity in schools and teaching, which was predominantly focused on bilingual instructional constellations, tended to show advantages of bilingual concepts for subject-specific learning. Our project aims at complementing previous research by investigating the inclusion of students’ bilingual or multilingual language skills in linguistically divers learning groups. The project thus aims at the frequent constellation usually met in German urban areas, that considerably more than two languages are represented in a class and that numerous learners share their heritage languages. The initial assumption is that instruction will be more effective if it explicitly addresses the promotion of students’ language competences compared to instruction which is limited to addressing language only implicitly or unsystematically. This assumption is based on earlier research about students’ language prerequisites and subject-specific learning gains, and on "language explicit" teaching in linguistically divers settings. The design of the two interventions in our study is based on these two fields of research as well as on earlier research in physics education. We would like to clarify the question of whether and under which conditions an added value for students’ learning can be achieved if students are encouraged and supported to use their entire linguistic repertoires - including the heritage languages in case of bi- or multilingual students. Our project aims to provide basic knowledge for the design of subject-specific teaching and learning in linguistically heterogeneous learning groups.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants