Bio-literacy Through Language: Students’ Lived Experiences of English-Mediated Life Sciences Learning and Pedagogy at Marinduque State University

Abstract

Language plays a central role in how students encounter, interpret, communicate, and construct
scientific knowledge, particularly in higher education contexts where English serves as a primary
medium of instruction. This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of students in English-
mediated life sciences learning and pedagogy at Marinduque State University, with particular attention
to how language shapes their development of bio-literacy. Using an interpretative phenomenological
approach, the study examines students’ experiences of understanding scientific concepts and
terminology, engaging with English-language learning materials, participating in classroom discourse,
responding to pedagogical practices, and negotiating linguistic challenges in life sciences education.
Participants will be purposively selected from undergraduate students who have completed or are
currently enrolled in relevant life sciences courses taught substantially through English. Data will be
generated through semi-structured, in-depth interviews and analyzed through a systematic
phenomenological and thematic interpretative process. Trustworthiness will be strengthened through
reflexivity, an audit trail, contextual description, and sustained engagement with the data. The study
is expected to illuminate how English functions simultaneously as a resource and a potential barrier in
students’ development of biological understanding. By foregrounding student voices, the research seeks
to advance a language-responsive conception of life sciences pedagogy in which linguistic accessibility,
disciplinary discourse, classroom interaction, and culturally situated learning contribute to the
development of bio-literacy. Findings may inform pedagogical practice, curriculum development,
faculty development, and interdisciplinary collaboration between language and science educators in
multilingual higher education.