Experience of CLIL in the natural science disciplines in Kazakhstan’s schools

Abstract

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects are taught in English through the use of the CLIL approach following trilingual education that has been implemented in several pilot schools since 2007. In the Kazakhstani background, however, the CLIL approach is still in its infancy, and little is known about the views of stakeholders that can be useful for understanding its current condition and for effective adoption. The present study aimed to explore the attitudes and perceptions of the students of the CLIL approach in one of the trilingual schools. The study used a mixed approach to the design of case studies and semi-structured interviews and questionnaires as tools for data collection. Nine teachers participated in one-on-one interviews and a total of 53 school teachers (39 women and 14 men aged 20-60) participated in the survey. The study showed that students are primarily positive about the CLIL approach.