Indigenous-Language Immersion and Native American Student Achievement
Key Question: What can a study of Indigenous-language immersion (ILI) teach us to improve education practice and outcomes for Native American learners?
This 4-year (2016-2020), mixed-method, multisite study will investigate ILI, a promising instructional innovation for which a national database is lacking. It is a collaborative study between UCLA, UNM, and UA.
The study’s rationale stems from rapid changes in Native American students’ opportunities to learn their heritage language, coupled with enduring educational disparities for Native American students as a group. The study includes:
Each immersion/non-immersion pair will provide estimates of the effects of immersion on learning opportunities and outcomes of interest, which will help us understand the conditions under which immersion is more or less beneficial.
The study aims to:
- Illuminate how, when, for whom, and why ILI may be beneficial.
- Advance our understanding of the factors that contribute to improved quality of education practice for underserved Native American students.
- Support Indigenous communities in strengthening their language education efforts.
- Suggest how educators, community members and policymakers can collaboratively capitalize on linguistic and cultural diversity to enhance education for all learners.