Effect of Linguistic Modification on the Physics Examination Scores of International Students in Higher Education

Abstract

Student performance in examinations of academic subjects is influenced by a complex array of factors. As for Physics which is a crucial component required for any engineering programme, it weaves algebra and mathematical equations extensively into its instruction and delivery. However, the course content and assessments are often delivered using a language, for example English in the case of this study, as a medium of instruction. In this study we aim to investigate the effect of language simplification on international students’ test performance in Physics. Students on an International Foundation Programme in Science and Engineering at a higher education institution (HEI) were given standard assessments, as well as parallel assessments with reduced linguistic complexity. Statistical analysis of the results reveal that the linguistic modification of test items resulted in significant improvement in Physics performance; student scores on the linguistically modified version were significantly higher. Some student groups benefited more from the linguistic modification of items - in particular, students who were originally low-performing.