Interweaving Linguistic Relativity and Linguistic Interdependence on Mathematical Thinking: A Mixed Methods Multiple-Case Study of Chinese-Filipino Learners

Date of Award

12-1-2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics Education

First Advisor

Romina Ann S. Yap, PhD

Abstract

The present study is spurred by research on multilingualism in the mathematics classroom and the lack of it in the context of Chinese-Filipino learners who learn school mathematics in both English and Chinese. It investigated and modelled multilingual Chinese-Filipino learners’ crosslinguistic utilization of mathematical knowledge --- how they make use of the knowledge they acquired from mathematics classes taught in different languages. The study interweaved the linguistic principles of interdependence (i.e., one’s languages at the academic level support each other’s development under certain conditions) and relativity (i.e., the language one speaks influences his thoughts). Utilizing a mixed methods multiple-case study research design, the study was divided into several phases, wherein multiple sources of data were tapped: school grades, survey questionnaires, interview, and task observation. Fifty-four (54) students, who were enrolled in Grade 10 for both English and Chinese curricula during SY2019-2020, participated in the study and were clustered into four (4) cases according to their English and Chinese Language Arts scores. Both quantitative and qualitative data were integrated within each case and compared across cases. Results show that the Chinese-Filipino students’ crosslinguistic utilization of mathematical knowledge manifested not only through their preferred conceptualizations and terminologies, but also through their experiences of transferring knowledge. Moreover, it is influenced by both linguistic and non-linguistic factors, wherein those who possessed higher language proficiencies were found to achieve higher mathematics scores and report better likelihood of reconciling and transferring mathematical content. The study concludes with a revised model of the crosslinguistic utilization of mathematical knowledge based on the results and recommends future research that utilize it while networking with other relevant theories in mathematics education.

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