IMPROVING MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT FOR EMERGENT BILINGUAL STUDENTS THROUGH LANGUAGE SUPPORTS: A MIXED-METHODS ACTION RESEARCH STUDY

Abstract

Emergent bilingual students are frequently required to demonstrate mathematical competence through assessments written entirely in English, a practice that can measure language proficiency rather than mathematical understanding. This mixed-methods action research study examined whether structured language supports, specifically physical bilingual dictionaries and digital translation applications, could improve mathematics achievement and academic engagement among eighth-grade English Language Learners in a Pre-Algebra classroom in Miami, Florida (N = 19). Grounded in a validity framework and sociocultural theory of learning, the six-week intervention combined pre- and post-test mathematics assessments with classroom observations, reflective journaling, video review, and semi-structured interviews. Descriptive statistics showed that the class mean rose from 32% on the pre-test to 74% on the post-test, a gain of 42 percentage points, with every one of the 19 students improving. Qualitative data indicated reduced rapid guessing, longer task persistence, and greater willingness to attempt word problems once language tools were available. The findings suggest that low mathematics scores among emergent bilingual students often reflect construct-irrelevant variance introduced by linguistic barriers rather than a deficit in mathematical reasoning, and that modest, low-cost language accommodations can narrow the gap between what students know and what standard assessments are able to detect.