Factors in Multilingual Learners' Science Success

Multilingual Learners and Elementary Science Achievement: Exploring Trends and Heterogeneity Across Subgroups

As our nation’s classrooms become increasingly diverse, it’s crucial to ensure that every student, regardless of their linguistic background, has equal access to a quality education. Multilingual learners (MLs) are a significant and growing demographic in public schools, yet their performance in science has been largely overlooked in educational research and policy discussions. While much attention has rightly been placed on their proficiency in English language arts and math, science education for MLs has received less attention.

Drawing on nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study of 2010-11, our study sheds light on this issue by examining the science test score trajectories of MLs from kindergarten through fifth grade. The findings not only reveal wide variation in elementary science test performance among different ML subgroups but also highlight the remarkable progress these students make in science compared to their non-ML peers over the elementary school years.

Our Findings

Our findings reveal a nuanced story in education: students speaking languages other than English at home start with lower science scores but quickly gain ground, with some surpassing their English-only counterparts by third grade. This trend is especially pronounced for students speaking languages other than Spanish, challenging the notion that language barriers solely hinder academic progress. While adjusting for factors like family and school contexts explains some differences in performance, many of the impressive strides made by multilingual students in their elementary years aren’t explained by observed factors.

1. Initial analyses revealed that students who are MLs, including those using a non-English language at home, those for whom this language was primary in kindergarten, and those receiving EL services, consistently underperformed in science compared to their peers in uncontrolled models, yet they made large gains throughout elementary school.

2. The gap in science test performance between ML students and their monolingual peers significantly narrowed (by 28-48%) after accounting for individual, family, and school covariates in the models, highlighting the substantial impact of these factors on educational outcomes.

3. The performance disparity between Spanish-speaking students and those with a different non-English home language was nearly entirely explained by observable variables, suggesting that the observed differences in science achievement were largely attributable to measurable factors beyond just language use at home.

As public schools become increasingly diverse, the educational community is sharpening its focus on ensuring the success of multilingual students, a group that presents both unique challenges and opportunities. This attention reveals that within this broad category, there exists significant variation in performance and needs, suggesting a one-size-fits-all approach falls short. For instance, our research highlights not just the disparities between multilingual learners and their English-only peers, but also the nuanced differences among multilingual students themselves, based on their home language environment and receipt of English Language services. These insights underscore the critical need for tailored educational strategies that not only recognize the inherent challenges multilingual students face in mastering both content and language but also leverage their unique strengths.

What’s Next?

By recognizing and addressing the unique needs of MLs in science education, we can foster a more inclusive and equitable learning environment for all students. Investing in research, policy, and practice aimed at supporting MLs’ science learning trajectories is not just a matter of educational fairness—it’s an investment in the future of our nation’s workforce and scientific advancement.