Science teachers and the language of school education (JES-Przyroda). Language awareness and teaching strategies

Abstract

The article refers to a study conducted in 2021 among primary school science teachers who are working with children with migration backgrounds. The study explored teachers’ language awareness regarding the language of schooling / the language of education and its difficulty. Another topic was strategies used in the classroom to engage students from different backgrounds. The researchers conducted a series of unstructured interviews with eight science teachers who teach children with a migratory background. Interviews were later analyzed using meaning condensation. The results show that teachers are aware of the difference between the language of the science classroom and the language of everyday use. They notice especially specialized vocabulary. They also notice that during lessons students learn not only content, but also language. Teachers prioritize establishing a relationship with migrant students, understanding that content is more important to them than vocabulary. During class they are using a number of activities to engage language learning, such as science experiments, projects, translation, and games.