The Effect of Storyline Units on the Self-Efficacy and Science Identity of High School Multilingual Learners

Science can be a complex subject for multilingual learners (MLLs) because it requires investigating science concepts through modeling and analysis in addition to reading and writing skills. This complexity often leaves teachers unsure of how to support the MLLs, leading to MLLs missing out on grade-appropriate content and science experiences. Storyline instruction uses 3D instruction to teach science content necessary to explain a real-world anchoring phenomenon. Storyline instruction grounds learning in real-world contexts through anchoring phenomena and provides coherence for students throughout the lessons. This mixed methods study aimed to discover the impact of storyline units on the self-efficacy (SE) and science identity (SI) of MLLs in high school biology classes. Participants engaged in four storyline units. Prior to the units, they took a pre-survey to measure their initial SE and SI. They completed a self-reflection at the end of each unit. Each participant was observed twice during the units. At the end of all four units, they took the post-survey and completed an interview. The survey scores were analyzed for descriptive statistics. The self-reflections and interviews were analyzed using provisional coding for sources of SE and SI. The qualitative and quantitative data were integrated to look for convergence and divergence in the data. The findings of this study indicated that all four sources of SE (mastery experience, vicarious experience, social impact, affective state) increased after participating in storyline units. Three sources (competence/performance, Funds of Knowledge, interest) of SI increased with divergence in the recognition source of SI. Three components of storyline units positively impacted MLLs: anchoring phenomena, three-dimensional learning, and navigation. Culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy practices (interactional scaffolding and translanguaging) that were embedded in the storyline units were particularly impactful for Newcomers. Implications for educators and researchers are discussed.