Training teachers on using more subject-specific language boosts science progress for pupils who have English as an additional language (EAL), research has found.
Year 10 EAL pupils made around a month’s additional progress in GCSE sciences if taught by teachers who received continuing professional development on how to better use grammar, core vocabulary and spoken language to support them, a trial evaluated by the Education Endowment Fund (EEF) found.
The study focused on GCSE science, but around a month’s additional progress was also found for GCSE English language as a result of the training. However, no additional progress was detected for GCSE history.
Across three workshops, participating teachers were trained on developing their understanding of characteristics of academic language in their subject and how EAL pupils need these, and how to embed this in their lessons.
Of teachers who received the training, nearly three quarters (73 per cent) reported they were either strongly or somewhat confident in the programme’s ability to help EAL pupil’s learning.
Evaluators said the results “tentatively” suggest CPD could help improve EAL pupils’ outcomes while costing less than specialist support.
Diana Sutton, director of the Bell Foundation, a charity aiming to improve EAL pupil outcomes, said: “Multilingual classrooms are the norm, yet teachers report feeling unprepared to teach in them.”
The trial found that teachers’ perceptions of EAL pupils’ engagement in lessons were more positive after the training, she said.
Teachers also reported more confidence in using subject-specific language, “showing the positive impact that training can have on the confidence of subject teachers to adapt their language to effectively support EAL pupils,” she added.
Limitations to academic language study
However, there were some limitations to the study.
There were 223 teachers across 71 schools and 5,430 pupils (1,505 EAL pupils) who participated in the trial and were randomly allocated to either receive CPD or teach as they normally would.
However, the EEF pointed out in its evaluation that only 60 per cent of teachers attended all the training sessions, and there was poor completion of work between sessions.
Those participating struggled with a lack of time, a lack of school support to attend the training, and curriculum changes. There were also difficulties in recruiting schools for the trial.
The EEF said the trials made it clear teacher capacity and school support were barriers to the effective support of EAL pupils in mainstream classrooms.
As a result, the results of the study are not as secure as had been anticipated.
Training took place in the 2017-18 academic year, and outcomes were measured through GCSE results in the 2018-19 academic year when participating pupils took their exams.
For the 2022-23 academic year, government data shows EAL pupils now make up around one-fifth of the pupil population across primary and secondary schools in England.
Academics have previously said teachers need a framework for how to best support EAL pupils.
Katherine Solomon, head of training and resources at The Bell Foundation, previously told Tes there is a recognition of the need for multilingual pedagogies.
EEF chief executive Professor Becky Francis said it is “crucial that we identify approaches that support children and young pupils for whom English is an additional language”.
The training was delivered by Challenge Partners, Hounslow Language Service, Lampton School and some regional delivery centres.
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