Is Science Lost in Translation? Language Effects in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Science Assessments

The study aims to examine trends and patterns in observed differences in student performance across language variants of individual questions in Diploma Programme Science assessments. We will investigate the extent to which these observed differences are due to the translation of questions into the different languages resulting in a change in cognitive demand. We will develop a model separating observed differences into a range of translation, language and non-translation related effects using a mixed methods approach. Finally, we will propose improvements to IB processes to help alleviate differences across different language versions of their examinations.