h1

%0 Thesis
%A Hülden, Frank
%T Chemie bilingual eine quasiexperimentelle Vergleichsstudie zur sachfachlichen, (fremd-)sprachlichen und motivationalen Wirksamkeit eines bilingualen Moduls im Fach Chemie
%I Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen
%V Dissertation
%C Aachen
%M RWTH-2023-10489
%P 1 Online-Ressource : Illustrationen
%D 2023
%Z Veröffentlicht auf dem Publikationsserver der RWTH Aachen University
%Z Dissertation, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, 2023
%X The present work focuses on the academic, (foreign) language, and motivational effectiveness of a bilingual module in the field of Chemistry. The study is designed as a quasi-experimental comparative study using a pre-, post-, and follow-up test design. It compares the performance of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) and non-CLIL students before, after, and six weeks following the module. A total of six eighth-grade classes from a North Rhine-Westphalian Gymnasium participated in the main study (N=149). Three classes were taught bilingually (experimental group), and three classes were taught in German (control group). The sample sizes were roughly equal, with N=74 in the experimental group and N=75 in the control group. Two eighth-grade classes from the same school participated in the pilot study (N=52). In total, 201 students were involved in the study. The students had no prior experience in bilingual education and were not selected based on their suitability for bilingual education. Seven hypotheses were formulated for the three objectives of the study, and they were subsequently tested using inferential statistical methods. Data was collected using ten tests and questionnaires. Initially, the question of whether bilingual Chemistry education is too difficult, leading to subject-specific deficits, was examined (Hypothesis 1). Based on the results of the Chemistry tests, no statistically significant performance differences were found between CLIL and non-CLIL students. Bilingually taught students achieved comparable results to regular students, both immediately following the module and six weeks later. Although the subject-specific performance of CLIL students, on average, matched that of regular students, significant differences were observed for individual students. The study revealed statistically significant influences of general chemistry proficiency on performance in the module. While low-performing students showed greater deficits in bilingual education compared to regular education, this was not the case for high-performing students. On the contrary, the study showed that students who excelled in chemistry achieved even better results in bilingual education than in regular education. Additionally, the students' English self-concept had a statistically significant influence on performance in the module. In the course of the study, not only was subject-specific knowledge acquisition (Cognitive Domain I) evaluated but also performance related to higher cognitive operations (Cognitive Domains II and III). It was also investigated whether students participating in bilingual education performed better in cognitively demanding tasks compared to regular students and whether advantages in memorization occurred because content was processed more deeply (Hypothesis 2). However, statistically significant differences in the results of tasks in Cognitive Domains II and III of the Chemistry test were not found. The values for forgetting, measured as the difference between the results of the post-test and follow-up test, were nearly identical in both groups. Therefore, neither the superiority of CLIL students in cognitively demanding tasks nor better memorization performance could be demonstrated.The role of foreign language competence in subject-specific learning was also examined. It was assumed that subject-specific learning does not work below a certain foreign language competence threshold and that better results are expected in regular education. Moreover, it was assumed that there is an upper limit of foreign language competence, above which bilingual education leads to better results (Hypothesis 3). However, no statistically significant influences on subject-specific performance were found for English competencies in this study. Additionally, the question of whether, in the context of dual subject-specific literacy, the German subject-specific vocabulary is as well mastered by CLIL students as by regular students, or whether deficits are expected in CLIL students because the instruction is primarily conducted in a foreign language, was explored (Hypothesis 4). The data analysis yielded no statistically significant differences in either receptive or productive subject-specific vocabulary. Rather, the average gain for CLIL students was only slightly smaller than that of regular students. In the past, bilingual Chemistry education has been criticized for not contributing enough to the development of general language competencies in the foreign language, as instruction primarily involves abstract scientific communication. Therefore, this study also investigated the extent to which general language content is part of the acquired foreign language vocabulary (Hypothesis 5). The results showed that an average of 45 new English vocabulary words were learned, two-thirds of which were specialized vocabulary (30 words), and one-third was general vocabulary (15 words). The ratio of specialized vocabulary to general vocabulary was 2:1. Although specialized vocabulary dominated, the increase in English vocabulary was considerable and, overall, greater than in language classes. With the introduction of bilingual education, the hope was to motivate students who are less interested in natural sciences and more interested in languages to engage in the natural sciences. Finally, the motivation of CLIL and regular students was compared. This also addressed whether language learners interested in natural sciences are demotivated by the use of a foreign language (Hypotheses 6 and 7). The analysis of the subscales for intrinsic motivation, as per Deci and Ryan (2000), showed that the mean values for interest in the module and perceived usefulness were statistically significantly higher among CLIL students compared to those taught in German. CLIL students rated the CLIL instruction as more interesting and useful. Statistically significant differences were also found in terms of pressure and perceived competence between the CLIL and non-CLIL groups. CLIL students felt greater pressure and considered themselves less competent compared to non-CLIL students. However, the results were the same in all interest groups, and no statistically significant differences were found. Nevertheless, when examining not the general language interest but the specific interest in English, it was found that this was significantly correlated not only with interest in CLIL instruction but also with perceived pressure. Students with a strong interest in English showed greater interest in CLIL instruction and less pressure. On the other hand, it was observed that the Chemistry self-concept negatively correlated with pressure, and students with a strong Chemistry self-concept felt significantly more pressure in CLIL instruction when they believed they were less talented in foreign languages. This may be an indication of contrasting effects according to Marsh's Internal/External Frame of Reference model (1986). Accordingly, students who consider themselves good in natural sciences assume that they are less skilled in foreign languages. In instruction primarily conducted in a foreign language, they consequently feel more pressure.
%F PUB:(DE-HGF)11
%9 Dissertation / PhD Thesis
%R 10.18154/RWTH-2023-10489
%U https://publications.rwth-aachen.de/record/972949