03. Curriculum Innovation

1. Evaluating Teaching and Learning of Grade 12
Physics Using the CLIL Matrix
Victor Avasi and Mirlan Jussambayev, Nazarbayev Intellectual School in Taraz
ECER 2021

2. Context
• Region: Kazakhstan
• School: Private school funded by government
• Number of students: 701
• Language of instruction: Kazakh, Russian and English
• Problem: no visible CLIL assessment, monitoring and
evaluation

3. Outline
• Background of the study
• Methodology
• Research findings
• Recommendations

4. Problem statement
The practice of CLIL and the assessment of CLIL practice have not
been fully integrated within the field of education so much so that
while many teachers refer to CLIL, there is no visible CLIL
assessment, monitoring and evaluation.

5. Questions
 What comprehensive, theory-based assessment tools exist for
measuring CLIL results?
 What is the current state of CLIL practice in Grade 12 at
Nazarbayev Intellectual School of physics and mathematics in
Taraz?
 What improvements can be made in CLIL practice in Grade 12?

6. What is CLIL?
The CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning)
methodology is not an ordinary language teaching method, since
the language is a tool through which the content of the studied
subject is transmitted. By teaching subject content through an
additional language, NIS (Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools) aims
to build a school environment that supports the learning of both
subject content and language.

7. Methodology
This study followed a design of EXPLORATORY RESEARCH
and the following method were used for data collection:
 Literature Review

8. Research findings

9. Research findings
Upon cursory inspection, it is evident that the worst rated rank
was „Community‟. Furthermore, the worst rated file was
„Integration‟. There are four indicators with a low score, ten
with a moderate score and two with a high score. The indicators
with the highest ratings were „Content-Cognition‟ followed by
„Content-Culture‟. The overall lowest rated indicator is
„Content-Community‟ closely followed by „Language-
community‟, „Integration-Culture‟ and „Integration-
Community‟.

10. Discussion
Content - Culture: The connection between physics subject
content and the culture of the wider community, school and
classroom is related to the application of appropriate inputs for
the English language.

11. Language – Culture: In physics, the English language links to the
culture of the locale through invoking a broad range or registers
in English.

12. Integration – Culture: This facet is about clearly specified wider
cultural objectives of doing English-based CLIL. In physics, language
objectives are specified explicitly in the lesson plans in line with
the subject course plan (NIS, 2016:p.6-7).

13. Learning – Culture: This pair of variables concerns the CLIL
program availing opportunities for students to experience
intercultural learning in the target language.

14. Content – Communication: The subject matter of physics and
communicating in class is about learning interactively through
pair- and group work.

15. Language – Communication: The interaction of English and the
discourse between students is what this indicator is about.

16. Integration – Communication: This connection is about the use of
diverse means of communication. The physics classes at NIS PhM,
Taraz utilize speaking and writing opportunities for students to
share the physics content with each other in class groups and
plenary sessions as well as online.

17. Learning – Communication: The link here is about applying a
broad range of communication skills in order to support the
learning of subject matter and the English language.

18. Content – Cognition: This indicator is about using methods that
nurture the mental requirements of learning complicated subject
matter in English.

19. Language – Cognition: The indicator deals with the support provided
by faculty to students in order to build their repertoire of concepts
in English.

20. Integration – Cognition: This indicator captures the unending
responsibility of the CLIL teachers for the cognitive demands laid on
learners. At NIS PhM, Taraz, physics at Grade 12 is done through
team teaching with inter-teacher cooperation in lesson planning,
delivery and review.

21. Learning – Cognition: The indicator hinges on striking a balance in
the demands of the dual focus on learning physics while concurrently
learning English.

22. Content – Community: This indicator is about how embedded a CLIL
program is within a positive and supportive community.

23. Language – Community: In this indicator, the focus is on the
support availed by NIS PhM, Taraz and other external
stakeholders towards language development of the learner.

24. Integration – Community: This indicator concerns the matter of long
term development as well as sustainability for the community in
which the CLIL school is situated. It is about bringing the values of the
wider community to bear on the teaching and learning process.

25. Learning – Community: The final indicator is about providing a
positive learning environment in class, school and the broader
community. It encompasses the idea of a CLIL project supported
by and reaching the wider community.

26. Сonclusion
Overall, there is still room for improvement especially in the
Community rank and the Integration file. It is evident some
aspects of CLIL can best succeed if the school leadership fully
throws their weight behind CLIL initiatives to allow them to thrive
and grow. This can be done through creation of environments and
rules that affirmatively encourage the development of language
three (L3); increasing the involvement of stakeholders in the
teaching and learning of physics in the school; increasing the
frequency of exchange programs and student visits abroad and
exposing more classes to proficient English language users.

27. Further work in vocabulary development is needed to reduce the
reliance of students and some teachers on translation
technologies such as Google Translate during lessons.
Assessments need to progress to examining students on high
order thinking skills as a way of setting a high academic language
bar for them to jump. Opportunities to engage scientifically with
the locale ought to be sought, sponsored and documented. The
desired competence in the English language is best driven by
internal motivation but this area is personal to the teachers and
learners and exploration of CLIL in this dimension is just taking
off. As long as the key indicators of the CLIL matrix are kept in
view, steady progress will continue to be made in physics at this
CLIL school.