The Effectiveness of Teaching Mathematics in English on the Degree of Understanding Mathematical Concepts Among Saudi Students in Private and International Schools

Abstract

The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of teaching mathematics in English on the degree of comprehension of mathematical concepts among a sample of Saudi tenth-grade students studying in private and international schools in Saudi Arabia. To achieve the goal of the study, the researchers applied an achievement test that addresses mathematical concepts the students had previously studied on a sample of students from two private and international schools. The sample consisted of 71 Saudi students studying mathematics in English. The study concluded that the degree of comprehension of mathematical concepts was moderate (64.7%) for the students from both schools from which the study sample was selected; the performances of students from both schools were very similar. Therefore, the two schools had no fundamental differences regarding the degree of students’ comprehension of mathematical concepts. In addition, the degree of students’ comprehension according to the five main concepts was high in the concepts related to geometry and measurement and moderate in the concepts related to data analysis, probability, algebra, numbers, and operations. The study recommended conducting similar studies on the components of mathematics content, such as mathematical concepts, skills, and problems, as well as addressing different educational levels in diverse environments. Furthermore, the study also recommended conducting another study on Saudi students who study mathematics in Arabic in the same two schools from which the sample of the current study was selected, and then comparing the results of the proposed study with the results of the current study.

Received: 20 September 2024 / Accepted: 31 December 2024 / Published: 05 January 2025