Unraveling high-school students’ learning experiences in English, Science, and Math: a mixed methods study

Abstract

For over a decade, the United Arab Emirates has used English as the medium of instruction in government schools. Previous research has concluded that the lack of English proficiency can make learning Science and Math difficult for students; however, research on students’ experiences and the challenges they face in this area is limited. Therefore, this study explores students’ views and the challenges that they face regarding learning English and Science and Math in English. The study employed a mixed methods approach using a survey with 236 students from 2 large school districts in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and qualitative data collected through interviews with 9 high-school students. The study found that students valued learning English, were aware of English teaching limitations in the current system, believed that the adopted exam-based system impeded English, Science, and Math learning, and preferred multimodal resources for learning. Many students encountered various challenges while studying including difficulties pertaining to the type of teaching they received and their proficiency in English language. This study calls for educational policymakers to consider students’ experiences learning English, Science, and Math when designing curricula and assessments.

Keywords:

• English language
• Science and Math teaching, bilingual students, high-school students, United Arab Emirates

REVIEWING EDITOR:

• Serafina Pastore, Education, Psychology, Communication, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Italy

SUBJECTS:

• Bilingualism / ESL
• Curriculum Studies
• Secondary Education

Data availability statement

There is no data set associated with this paper.

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This work was not supported by any funding agency.

Notes on contributors

Muna Binothman

Muna Binothman is a dedicated educator and school-based administrator who has interest in educational research. She is passionate about studying education thoroughly and sharing valuable insights to improve the field.

Maha Alhabbash

Maha Alhabbash has extensive academic research in areas such as trans-identity and translanguaging, discourse analysis, authentic learning, issues faced by EFL/ESL learners, language assessment, emergent literacy, visual literacy, multimodality, and bilingual or multilingual education.

Najah Al Mohammedi

Najah Al Mohammedi’s research interests include multimodality, visual literacy, emergent literacy, language teaching and learning, bilingualism, and language assessment.

Ali Ibrahim

Ali Ibrahim is a Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the United Arab Emirates University. His research interests include educational leadership, school environment, education reform, teachers and students.