Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS) framework for trilingual education: pedagogical constraints and opportunities

Author(s):

Laura Karabassova(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2015

Network:

Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

ERG SES G 09, Language and Education

Paper Session

Time:

2015-09-08

09:00-10:30

Room:

328. [Main]

Chair:

Zsuzsanna Veroszta

Contribution

Using more than two languages as mediums of instruction is becoming common practice all over the world. Bilingual immersion programmes in the United States, Canada, trilingual programmes in Luxemburg, Malta, Brunei Darussalam, Italian Val d`Aosto and Trento, and European schools implement varying models of education and pedagogical approaches. Pedagogy is a key factor in trilingual education. Researchers suggest that implications of general pedagogy are relevant for trilingual (bilingual) education. However, features and characteristics of trilingual pedagogy need to be researched in order to conceptualise a framework of effective trilingual education based on research evidence.

This proposal is part of doctoral thesis, which aims to explore pedagogical framework of trilingual education at the Autonomous Educational Organisation “Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools” (AEO NIS) in Kazakhstan.

The AEO NIS is a network of schools, launched as an experimental platform for implementing trilingual instruction in Kazakh, Russian and English. At the NIS, three languages (Kazakh, Russian and English) are taught as language subjects as well as used to teach different content subjects such as Geography, World History and Mathematics.

The AEO NIS is as an experimental platform, and within its role of spearheading educational reforms in Kazakhstan, it is tasked to scale up its experience to comprehensive state schools. From 2015, the AEO NIS will be translating all its experience, gained through trilingual instruction. As the AEO NIS is intended to serve as a model for other schools, full and partial transfer options along with adapted subject programmes and course plans will be passed over to schools. Moreover, translation has implications for sharing special pedagogy of trilingual education that is evolving at the NIS. In order to make it more efficient and easier for schools to adopt or adapt the trilingual education model, it is necessary to reveal constraints and opportunities in trilingual education pedagogy applied at the NIS. It would enable the NIS gather up strengths for comprehensive schools as well as revise the trilingual model and pedagogy based on pedagogical constraints.

The purpose of the study is to explore the NIS pedagogical framework for trilingual education in order to reveal weaknesses and strengths of the current pedagogical approaches and practices. The study will attempt to answer the following questions:

Which pedagogical practices are constraining the implementation of trilingual education at the NIS?
Which pedagogical practices are supporting the implementation of trilingual education

Based on review of literature on bilingual and trilingual education, three categories emerged as elements of trilingual education pedagogy. The principle of cross-linguistic transfer, Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) approach and supportive learning environment are umbrella terms that cover a broad range of pedagogical issues considered central to trilingual education pedagogy.

Method

The research will be approached as a case study or “a form of qualitative research” (Briggs et al., 2012, p. 155). The given approach supports the researcher in seeing ‘the situation through the eyes of participants’ (Smith, 1991:375). In this case, pedagogy of trilingual education at the AEO NIS will be explored to find out ‘how things happen and why’ (Wellington, 2000:100), and ‘what is it like to be in a particular situation’ (Geertz, 1973, cited in Cohen et al., 2000:182). A survey will be designed for all (17 schools) Intellectual schools, to get a general profile. Furthermore, a specific profile of four schools will be identified as cases for further interviews and observations. A purposeful sampling method will be used to ensure representativeness of both new and old, strong and weak schools. Moreover, the researcher will make sure to include representatives of various regions, such as predominantly Russian-speaking North and predominantly Kazakh-speaking South to address regional linguistic peculiarities. Fours teachers will be chosen from each school through pre-coding Survey results. Three interviews will be conducted with each teacher with a time interval. Observations will be conducted before and after interviews in order to discuss observed phenomena with the teacher. At each school, the researcher intends to spend approximately five days during each visit; there will be three visits to each school, with a total of forty-eight interviews and ninety-six observations. In addition, school administrators in the four participating schools, who observe teachers in a systematic manner, will also be interviewed. The data collection process is to start in September 2015; thus, findings of a pilot project, which will be conducted in March 2015, will be reported in the paper.

Expected Outcomes

It is expected that the research will produce substantial empirical data on the NIS framework for trilingual education. The study will reveal constraints and opportunities of trilingual education pedagogy, practiced at the NIS. It will also suggest roots of challenges faced in the trilingual implementation process at the NIS, and propose some solutions. Findings from this research on pedagogy practices will be made available to the NIS for its consideration. This may contribute to a better understanding of ways to improve the implementation of trilingual education, and to prepare for the NIS transfer of experience to comprehensive schools across the country. As a result of this research it is hoped that the NIS model of trilingual education will be revised and teachers` professional development and other possible needs will also be brought to light. The researcher anticipates some problems, such as bias and tensions of power relations because she held a position in the administration of the AO NIS as a trilingual education specialist. In order to minimize these problems the researcher will position herself as a PhD student, and for all correspondence, the Nazarbayev University email address will be used. Anonymity and confidentiality of all participants will be guaranteed, as the pre-codes assigned to individual teachers will be protected.

References

Briggs, A., Coleman, M., and Morrison, M. (2012) (eds.) Research Methods in Educational Leadership and Management (3rd edn). London: Sage. pp. 75-89. Cohen, L., Manion, L., and Morrison, K. (2000) Research Methods in Education. (5th edn). Abingdon:RoutledgeFalmer. Flynn, S. (2009) UG and L3 Acquisition: New Insights and More Questions, in Leung, Yan- kit, Ingrid (ed.) Third Language Acquisition and Universal Grammar. Bristol: Multilingual Matters, 71-88. Genesee, F. And Lambert, W. (1983) ‘Trilingual education for majority-language children’, Child Development 54:105-114. Howard, E., Sugarman, J., Christian, D., Lindholm-Leary, K., and Rogers, D. (2007). Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics. Available online at: www.cal.org/twi/guiding_principles.pdf Implementing Bilingual Education: Pedagogy and Management. Available at http://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/ [Accessed on January 25, 2014] Jonstone, R. (2002) Immersion in a Second or additional Language at School: a Review of the International Research. Summary. Lindholm-Leary, K. J. (2001). Dual Language Education. Avon, UK: Multilingual Matters. Lyster, R. (2007) Learning and Teaching languages through content: A counterbalanced approach. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools, official website www.nis.edu.kz Mehisto, P. (2008). CLIL Counterweights: Recognising and Decreasing Disjuncture in CLIL. In International CLIL Research Journal, 1, 93-119. Mehisto, P. (2012) ‘High impact influences: considerations for trilingual education ’, Paper publication for Astana conference. Naqvi, R., Schmidt, E., and Krickhan, M. (2014). Evolving 50-50% bilingual pedagogy in Alberta: what does the research say? Front. Psychol, 17 June 2014.Smith, H.W. (1991) Strategies of Social Research (3rdedn).Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Trilingual Education Implementation Guidelines for Schools, 2013. [NIS document] Trilingual Education Policy for Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools, 2013. [NIS document] Villarreal, A. and Solís, A. (1998) Effective implementation of bilingual programs: reflections from the field. IDRA. Newsletter. San Antonio, TX: Intercultural Development Research association. Wellington, J. (2000) Educational Research: Contemporary Issues and Practical Approaches. London: Continuum.

Author Information

Laura Karabassova (presenting / submitting)

Nazarbayev University

Graduate School of Education

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