Jane Karanassiou

Plurilingualism in STEM: A Complexity Informed Study of the Perceptions and Experiences of Plurilingual Students in Undergraduate STEM Programs

This talk presents an overview of my doctoral research aimed at contributing to the under-explored domain of plurilingualism in STEM. Using semi-structured interviews, Think Alouds and retrospective reports, the linguistic perceptions and experiences of 14 undergraduates enrolled in science, engineering and math programs at an English-speaking Canadian university were investigated. A layered theoretical background drawing upon complexity theory and poststructuralism, in alignment with interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) shapes the design of this research and offers a lens for interpreting findings. While results indicate asset-based perspectives on plurilingualism such as deepening conceptual understanding, enhancing processing speed, and augmenting problem solving, there is also concerning evidence of minimal incentive to engage with academic content through English. Implications of these findings are investigated from the perspective of interconnected spheres of influence at the macro or policy level, the meso level of academic disciplines and at the micro level of undergraduate student experience.