Building Social Justice Through Language Friendly Approach: Re-examining Math Standardized Testing in a Divided Educational Landscape

• In Event: Opportunities for social justice and equity in the teaching of mathematics

Proposal

Introduction: Context and Issues
In a world increasingly marked by division—whether through language, culture, policy, or access—education holds the transformative potential to foster peace, equity, and mutual understanding. Yet, standardized testing, rooted in traditions of measurement and classification (Berry & Adamson, 2011), often reinforces narrow definitions of success that may marginalize students whose linguistic and cultural realities differ from dominant norms. These assessments, including Ontario’s Grade 9 mathematics test by Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), have evolved into influential instruments that shape curriculum, pedagogy, and policy (Broadfoot, 2021; Brown, 2022), but they also risk deepening educational inequities if not critically examined.
As divisions rooted in language, culture, and access continue to shape Ontario’s classrooms, this study re-examines how standardized assessment can support equity for multilingual learners. It explores how students experience the linguistic and conceptual demands of the Grade 9 EQAO math test, and how educators can respond through inclusive practice. The research unfolds in two phases. Phase 1 analyzes released EQAO test items to identify features that may challenge these learners. Phase 2 involves co-developing inclusive lessons with teachers, using language friendly pedagogy and a multilingual, multimodal platform called Binogi.
By centering the experiences of multilingual students and collaborating with educators to design responsive instruction, this study contributes to a broader vision of peace and justice in education—one that values linguistic diversity and promotes equitable learning opportunities for all.

Research Questions
1. What are the characteristics of Ontario’s standardized math test items?
2. How can a language friendly approach and multilingual, multimodal digital platform support multilingual students in mathematics?

Theoretical/Conceptual Frameworks
This study is grounded in two intersecting frameworks: the language-friendly approach and digital multimodality. The language-friendly approach treats students’ full linguistic repertoires as assets, fostering inclusive environments that support both academic achievement and language development (Le Pichon & Kambel, 2022; Cummins, 2021). In mathematics, this means making content linguistically accessible and relevant for multilingual learners.
Digital multimodality complements this by using varied modes—text, visuals, audio, and interactivity—to support mathematical understanding, especially in abstract areas (Ntelioglou et al., 2014). Tools like Binogi enhance this approach by offering multilingual interfaces and translation support, helping students overcome language-based barriers (Le Pichon et al., 2023; 2024). Together, these frameworks inform both the analysis of assessment items (Phase 1) and the co-design of inclusive instructional practices (Phase 2), aiming to create more equitable learning experiences for multilingual students in mathematics.

Methodology
This study is designed into two phases:
Phase 1. Rather than employing Differentiated Item Functioning (DIF), which has limitations in capturing fairness across diverse linguistic and cultural groups (Ercikan et al., 2025; Witmer & Marinho, 2025), I adopt a qualitative content analysis approach with a descriptive quantification component. Using a hybrid coding method that combines deductive and inductive strategies (Saldaña, 2021), I examine 56 released Grade 9 math EQAO test items from the 2021–22 and 2023–24 assessments. Deductive codes are drawn from Abedi and Lord’s (2001) language difficulty indexes, while inductive codes emerge through iterative readings of the test items. These codes are organized into five categories: question types, multimodal representation types, linguistic complexity, mathematical terminology, and contextual framing. Frequency counts are used to identify recurring patterns in item design.
Phase 2. Building on findings from Phase 1, I co-develop mathematics lessons with Grade 9 teachers, integrating language friendly pedagogy and the use of Binogi. Following lesson implementation, teachers document their reflections in a reflection log, while I take field notes focused on multilingual students’ engagement and participation. Data from teacher reflections and observation notes are analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase thematic analysis: 1) Familiarization with the data; 2) Generating initial codes; 3) Searching for themes; 4) Reviewing themes; 5) Defining and naming themes and; 6) Producing the report The analysis will be conducted using NVivo to support systematic coding and theme development.

Findings
Phase 1. The analysis of 56 released Grade 9 EQAO math items reveals a heavy reliance on traditional multiple-choice formats (78.6%) with limited use of interactive digital features. Despite the digital shift, the design remains largely text-based, with minimal visual support—only one item includes a visual aid—potentially increasing cognitive load for students who benefit from visual-spatial cues. Over half the items are abstract rather than grounded in real-world contexts, and when context is present, it tends to be impersonal, which may reduce engagement for diverse learners. Linguistically, the items frequently feature complex sentence structures which can be difficult for multilingual students to parse. Additionally, most items include polysemous terms—words with multiple meanings—creating potential confusion. These findings highlight the need for greater attention to linguistic clarity and contextual relevance in standardized test design to better support multilingual learners.
Phase 2. As Phase 2 is planned to be conducted in the upcoming academic year, the following findings are anticipated based on the integration of language friendly pedagogy and Binogi in co-developed mathematics lessons. It is expected that the use of Binogi’s multilingual, multimodal digital platform and language friendly approach will enhance multilingual students’ participation and conceptual clarity. At the presentation, I will focus on how rather than what are enhanced. Teacher reflections are expected to reveal both opportunities and challenges in adopting inclusive practices, with emerging themes around shifts in instructional strategies, student responsiveness, and the role of digital tools in supporting linguistic diversity.

Conclusion & Contributions
This study contributes to multiple stakeholders in education by offering actionable insights into supporting multilingual learners in mathematics. For teachers, it provides a clearer understanding of the linguistic features of math test items, enabling more targeted preparation and inclusive instructional strategies. For school leaders and curriculum developers, it highlights the value of integrating language friendly pedagogy and digital multimodality to promote equity and engagement. For policy makers and assessment designers, it underscores the importance of linguistic accessibility and multimodal representation in standardized testing. Overall, the study advances efforts to create more responsive and inclusive educational environments for linguistically diverse students.

Author

• Rosalia Cha, OISE/University of Toronto