Involving Students in Educational Design: How Student Voices Contribute to Shaping Transdisciplinary CLIL History Materials

Abstract

Although many studies have investigated students’ perspectives towards Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), few studies have actively involved learners when creating research-based materials. The scarcity of such studies also stems from the limited number of research projects that operationalize scientific insights for classroom implementation in the first place. This paper is connected to such a study, set within a design-based research (DBR) framework. Apart from investigating theoretical underpinnings of content and language integration, this ongoing PhD study also involves the development of research-based transdisciplinary content-and-language-integrative teaching materials over several cycles. Amongst other forms of data collection, focus group interviews with students before and after each intervention formed a central element of the design process. This work-in-progress article is concerned with the students’ role in shaping content-and-language-integrative materials, shedding light on their concerns and needs at various stages in the design process. Initial results suggest that the learners’ voices were crucial in the development of these materials. Moreover, in line with the overall thrust of DBR, it appears that a one-time intervention does not suffice even when considering the students’ beliefs and needs. Instead, several cycles of development are needed to create an approach that works for the learners.