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.