Teachers and Students' Views on the Effects of the Medium of Instruction on Comprehending the Subject Matter: A Comparative Study between UTAS-Rustaq and SQU- Science Education
Author : Munira Al Siyabi, Dr. Sharifa Al Adawi , Dalal Al Shukaili
Abstract :Higher Education Institutional language policy of medium of instruction (MI) may consider different factors such as national goals and visions, learners’ identity, the concept of globalization, finding better careers, first language proficiency, and the native culture and content comprehension. The impact of the language policy on students’ learning is being revisited in the literature over the years raising important concerns about whether to select the national language of the country or a global one to access the advancement of knowledge. English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in higher education institutions is a growing global phenomenon. English is used as the main language for delivering content and communicating inside the classroom. EMI is the most popular mode of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) which aims to stress both content and an additional language to enhance plurilingual in European countries (Huang, 2015). Therefore, this comparative study aims to compare the MI of the science education effect on students' comprehension of subject matter in two different institutions: Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) utilizing English as a medium of Instruction (EMI) and University of Applied Sciences-Rustaq (UTAS ALRustaq) utilizing Arabic as the medium of instructions (AMI). Questionnaire surveys will be conducted to explore the teachers and students' perceptions of, and attitudes of the MI utilized at the institution. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis via SPSS and Nvvio will assist in managing the data transcription and analysis process. The expected results will assist in developing knowledge about the criticality of MI and its impact in educating well-informed and skilled graduates.
Keywords :Language policy, medium of instruction, EMI, higher education, content comprehension.
Conference Name :International Conference on Higher Education Teaching and Learning (ICHETL-24)
Conference Place Istanbul, Turkey
Conference Date 20th Dec 2024
