Browsing by Author "Hämäläinen, Ari"

Most of the world’s population is either bilingual or multilingual. Schools also face multilingualism, and Finland has not escaped the challenges of multilingualism either. Various programs have been developed around the world for the teaching of multilingual students. Mathematics is one of the most important subjects in school, and success in it facilitates access to postgraduate studies, and contributes to employment placement. Language skills also affect the study of mathematics. The aim of this dissertation was to investigate the effects of different bilingual programs on the achievement and development of mathematics among students of different ages. Data were collected from scientific studies. The study included CLIL programs and various immersion programs. The studies were divided into three parts: cohort studies, interventions, and studies on cognition, language exchange costs, and the use of different methods in bilingual curricula. In this dissertation, the material has been compiled by means of a systematic literature review. The research material has been collected from various databases (Eric, EBSCO, PsycINFo, Springer). 31 previous international and 2 Finnish studies were selected as research material, which dealt with the use of different bilingual programs and their effects on mathematics competence. The research material was analysed based on data. The use of CLIL and immersion programs in almost all studies had a positive effect on students ’academic achievement in mathematics. The most positive results were obtained through interventions. The results contributed to confirming the contribution of the Cummins Threshold Hypothesis to the use of bilingual curricula, i.e., learning a second language requires reaching a certain minimum level of language before a learner can benefit from language use while also studying mathematics. Teaching through a foreign language seemed to support and promote students ’mathematical thinking and learning processes. Once thought processes have evolved, the use of a foreign language as a tool for learning appears to be an advantage in cognitive development.