Use of a Networked Improvement Community Focused on Academic Language Strategies with High School Biology Teachers of Multilingual Learners

Abstract

Multilingual learners frequently face systemic barriers in high school biology classrooms due to underdeveloped instruction in academic language, which hinders their equitable access to advanced science content and college and career readiness. This qualitative action research study investigated the impact of a Biology Networked Improvement Community (BioNIC) on building experienced teachers' knowledge of academic language strategies and increasing opportunities for multilingual learners’ scientific literacy. Grounded in improvement science, the study engaged high school biology teachers across six collaborative sessions and two Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, supplemented by post-study semi-structured interviews. Data collection focused on teachers' self-reported observations of lesson implementation and student engagement. Findings revealed that the collaborative NIC structure facilitated critical pedagogical shifts, notably transitioning educators toward asset-based frameworks that leveraged students’ full linguistic repertoires. Teachers actively engaged in collaborative "grappling" to reconstruct district curricula by embedding targeted English Language Development (ELD) strategies, such as modified graphic organizers, sentence frames, and structured collaborative conversations. The study concludes that practitioner-led, iterative professional development empowers educators to navigate systemic challenges and foster inclusive, rigorous science environments. Recommendations emphasize the need for longitudinal NIC research, the centering of student voices, and the integration of ELD specialists into initial district-level science curriculum design.