To evaluate whether bilingual education predicts academic self-concept (capacity, work procedure, and class participation) in primary school students, comparing bilingual and non-bilingual schools, and to explore gender differences.
Methodology:
Ex post facto study with 93 fifth- and sixth-grade students (M age = 10.93 years) from bilingual (n = 49) and non-bilingual (n = 44) schools in Spain. The Self-Concept Scale of Classroom Interaction was administered.
Data and analysis:
Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) for differences by education type and gender; univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent sample t-tests; multiple regressions predicting self-concept from education type, age, and gender. Analyses conducted in SPSS 28.0.
Findings:
Significant differences by education type (Pillai’s trace = 0.27, p < .001): bilingual students showed higher self-concept in capacity (M = 5.35 vs. 4.34), participation (M = 5.32 vs. 4.46), and work procedure (M = 5.35 vs. 4.98; all p < .01). By gender, differences only in work procedure (females > males, p = .057). Education type predicted 22% of variance in capacity (β = .99, p < .001), 19% in participation (β = .85), and 11% in work procedure (β = .35).
Originality:
First study in a Spanish primary context linking bilingual education to academic self-concept in English as L2, using a validated classroom interaction scale.
Significance:
Bilingual education strengthens academic self-concept, supporting its use as an intervention in non-bilingual schools. Implications for plurilingual educational policies, emphasizing teacher training and family support.
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