Browsing by Autor "Pablo Antonio Archila"

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Bilingual Teaching Practices in University Science Courses: How Do Biology and Microbiology Students Perceive Them?
(Taylor & Francis, 2019) Pablo Antonio Archila; Anne‐Marie Truscott de Mejía
Internationalization of university curricula is the main reason why the number of bilingual teaching practices (BTPs) in university courses is on the rise around the world. This article reports the perceptions of this type of practice from 70 science students (43 females and 27 males, 17–24 years old) from a Colombian university. A questionnaire was designed, adapted and applied specifically for this investigation. Three major findings were arrived at: (a) a significant percentage of participants perceived that “readings in English” is the most common BTP assigned by their Biology and/or Microbiology course professors. However, a high number of participants perceived that “lectures conducted in English,” “written tasks,” and “oral presentations” in English were not very common in their Biology and/or Microbiology courses. (b) An “Online translator” (e.g., Google Translate™) is the most common bilingual science study technique (BSST) used by participants, and (c) the majority of participants perceived that the English language plays a key role in the professional development of biologists and microbiologists. Educational implications are discussed.
Enriching university students’ use of logical connectors (LCs) in bilingual written scientific argumentation (BWSA)
(Routledge, 2020) Pablo Antonio Archila; Jorge Molina; Anne‐Marie Truscott de Mejía
Bilingual scientific literacy (BSL) is one of the educational domains gaining prominence in twenty-first century societies. University bilingual science courses are legitimate and desirable scenarios for the promotion of bilingual written scientific argumentation (BWSA) as part of BSL. Recent studies indicate that the use of ‘logical connectors’ (LCs) or ‘linking words’ is a critical aspect of BWSA. The problem is that very little evidence is available on how to enrich university students’ use of LCs in BWSA. The goal of this study was to determine how a formative assessment-based pedagogical strategy (FAPS) could help students enrich the use of LCs. We examined the BWSA produced by 70 students (34 females and 36 males, 15–27 years old) in Colombia during a university Spanish-English bilingual science course. The findings show that the strategy provided participants with opportunities to enrich the use of LCs in their written argumentation in Spanish and in English. Finally, the potential implications for university bilingual education are discussed.
Fostering bilingual written scientific argumentation (BWSA) through collaborative learning (CL): evidence from a university bilingual science course
(Taylor & Francis, 2020) Pablo Antonio Archila; Jorge Molina; Anne‐Marie Truscott de Mejía
University bilingual science courses are on the rise because of the internationalisation of higher education. These courses are legitimate and desirable scenarios for the promotion of bilingual written scientific argumentation (BWSA) as part of bilingual scientific literacy. The problem is that very little evidence is available on how to foster university student BWSA in courses where the English (foreign language) level of the undergraduates is variable. The goal of this study was to provide evidence that collaborative learning (CL) can be used to promote BWSA in contexts where students with different levels of English proficiency study together. We examined the Spanish-English bilingual written argumentation produced by 56 undergraduates (30 females and 26 males, 16–30 years old) in Colombia during a university Spanish-English bilingual science course where the English (foreign language) level of the students was variable. The data used in this analysis was derived from students’ written responses and audio recordings. The findings show that CL can contribute to BWSA as well as to specific CL skills (e.g. interdependence, individual accountability, interaction) which are important for social life. Educational implications for higher education are discussed.
Instructor practices and espoused beliefs about bilingual courses: the case of a Colombian university
(Routledge, 2021) Pablo Antonio Archila; Giovanna Danies; Anne‐Marie Truscott de Mejía; Silvia Restrepo
Recent studies show that English as the medium of instruction seems impractical and ineffective in countries where English is the second or foreign language. The situation becomes even more complicated because of students’ resistance to an English-only format. In response to this, universities around the world also offer first language-English bilingual courses. Although bilingual courses are a legitimate opportunity to achieve internationalization, very little is known about bilingual teaching practices (BTPs) and the instructors’ espoused beliefs about this type of practice. In this cross-sectional study, the twenty-eight-item questionnaire created by Archila and Truscott de Mejía (2020a) was adapted to explore the practices and espoused beliefs of three hundred eleven instructors from twelve schools at a Colombian university. Findings indicate that instructors used to include some BTPs in their courses. Nonetheless, there was evidence that they needed more preparation and support for the creation, implementation, and assessment of this type of practice. Most importantly, our results support the claim that bi/multilingual higher education policies should respond to the nature of each discipline. Relevant policy implications are discussed in light of the call of some authors to move towards university first language-English bilingual courses.
STEM and Non-STEM Misconceptions About Evolution: Findings from 5 Years of Data
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2023) Pablo Antonio Archila; Silvia Restrepo; Anne‐Marie Truscott de Mejía; Jorge Molina
Even though it is widely held that the theory of evolution is one of the pillars of the biological sciences, as we begin the third decade of the twenty-first century, it is alarming how little we know about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors and non-STEM majors' misconceptions about evolution in countries such as Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Greece, to name a few. The situation is even more complicated if we acknowledge that contemporary educational approaches (e.g., student-centered learning) mean that students' misconceptions are one of the multiple aspects that influence the construction of meaningful learning. Here, we present a picture of Colombian STEM/non-STEM majors' misconceptions about evolution. Participants were 547 students from different STEM/non-STEM majors (278 females and 269 males, 16-24 years old). During 5 years (10 academic semesters), data were collected from students' responses to an 11-item questionnaire administered in a Colombian university. We hypothesized that the academic semester within these 5 years in which each student completed the instrument as well as respondents' age, gender, and/or major may influence their misconceptions about evolution. Results reveal that participants had a moderate understanding of evolution. Also, we found a limited understanding of microevolution among participants. Furthermore, cross-sectional analyses of differences in undergraduates' responses across demographic variables showed that despite apparent differences, these were not reliable since the differences were not statistically significant. Implications for evolution education are discussed.
Student Perceptions of Bilingual Teaching Practices: Evidence from a Colombian University
(Taylor & Francis, 2024) Pablo Antonio Archila; Giovanna Danies; Federico Calderón; Isabella Coronado; Anne‐Marie Truscott de Mejía; Silvia Restrepo
Recent studies in higher education suggest that teaching academic content using English as the Medium of Instruction (EMI) seems impractical and ineffective in countries where English is the second or foreign language. Additionally, students' resistance to an English-only format remains problematic. University first language-English bilingual courses are a legitimate possibility to promote the internationalization of higher education in countries where English is the second or foreign language. However, little is known about students' perceptions of Bilingual Teaching Practices (BTPs) in university courses and the Bilingual Study Techniques (BSTs) they use to deal with this type of practice. In this cross-sectional study, the 30-item questionnaire was adapted to explore the students' (N = 1,615) perceptions and BSTs in a Colombian university. The results reveal that 50.8% of the respondents preferred the use of both Spanish and English in their university courses. "Discipline-specific vocabulary" was the most recurrent difficulty that students had in their bilingual courses. Moreover, we found that participants overused "online translator" as BST. Furthermore, the results show that participants had positive perceptions towards the use of English in educational and professional settings. Implications for bilingual education policy and practice are discussed.
Students attending monolingual, bilingual, or trilingual schools at secondary level: does it influence their academic performance in a university bilingual Biology module?
(Routledge, 2021) Pablo Antonio Archila; Giovanna Danies; Anne‐Marie Truscott de Mejía; Silvia Restrepo; Jorge Molina
In many higher education institutions in countries where English is the second or foreign language; English for Academic Purposes (EAP), English-medium instruction (EMI), Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), and first language-English bilingual modules are attracting interest because of their potential to contribute to the internationalization of higher education. However, it is still not very clear whether students' monolingual, bilingual, or trilingual abilities really influence their academic performance in these modules. This study aims to determine if there is a relationship between participants' academic performance and their type of school attended at secondary level (monolingual, bilingual, trilingual) or age. The total sample of this correlational research was 177 undergraduates (105 females and 72 males, 15–30 years old) who took a university Spanish-English bilingual Biology module at a prestigious Colombian university. Here, we report the results obtained on 2.5 years of data generated by students' quizzes and exams. Independent t-tests showed that the grades obtained in quizzes and exams by the undergraduates who attended monolingual schools at secondary level were slightly lower than those of the university students who attended bilingual or trilingual schools, but there were no statistical differences between them.
Supporting bilingual scientific argumentation through recorded oral feedback
(Routledge, 2026) Pablo Antonio Archila; Anne-Marie Truscott de Mejía; Jorge Molina
Using formal and informal formative assessment to support bilingual argument mapping in university bilingual science courses
(Routledge, 2022) Pablo Antonio Archila; Gissel Gravier; Laura Levy; Brigithe Tatiana Ortiz; Alejandra Rodríguez; Luciana Wilches; Anne‐Marie Truscott de Mejía; Silvia Restrepo
The rise in university bilingual science courses is explained by a certain phenomenon, the internationalization of higher education. Bilingual Argument Mapping (BAM) – the ability to construct argument maps using two languages – is a key aspect of bilingual scientific literacy. An argument map is a visual representation of argument structure. The problem is that little is known about how to foster BAM in this type of course. The goal of this study was to explore the possibility of using formal and informal formative assessment (FIFA) – a type of assessment for learning in which feedback is both preplanned and instantaneous –, to support undergraduates’ BAM. The data consist of the bilingual argument maps constructed by forty-four students (27 females and 17 males, 18–23 years old) in Colombia during a university Spanish-English bilingual science course. Results indicate that FIFA helped the participants’ creation of valid and coherent argument maps in Spanish, in English and in a hybrid version using code-switching as response to argumentative questions related to the scientific topics covered in the course. The potential contributions of FIFA and its implications are discussed in light of research and theory of bilingual science education.
Using formal formative assessment (FFA) to promote undergraduates’ bilingual written scientific argumentation (BWSA)
(Routledge, 2022) Pablo Antonio Archila; Jorge Molina; Giovanna Danies; Anne‐Marie Truscott de Mejía; Silvia Restrepo
As we begin the third decade of the twenty-first century, in countries where English is the second or foreign language, the goal of internationalization is causing a rise in university first language-English bilingual science courses. Even though bilingual written scientific argumentation (BWSA)—a twenty-first-century skill—is an essential aspect of bilingual scientific literacy (BSL), little is known about how to promote this skill in this type of courses. The purpose of this study was to provide research evidence that formal formative assessment (FFA) could be a possibility for promoting BWSA among university students. A FFA-based pedagogical strategy involving preplanned feedback and peer critique was implemented with fifty-seven students (32 females and 25 males, 16–24 years old) in Colombia during a university Spanish-English bilingual science course. The data were derived from undergraduate students’ written productions in Spanish and in English. The results demonstrated that the pedagogical strategy can be useful for providing students with explicit opportunities to enrich their BWSA. This study contributes to the construction of research-based bilingual practices aimed at legitimating BSL and BWSA in university bilingual science courses. Implications for higher education institutions are discussed.