French-Immersion and Mathematical Achievement: A Comparative Study

Abstract

This study investigates the perception that French immersion students perform differently from students from the regular non-immersion programme. More specifically, this study investigates this idea using mathematics as a means to compare the two groups (French immersion and non-immersion). It also investigates the possible differences between students from either programmes in characteristics ranging from socioeconomic backgrounds to participation rates in organized sports and extra-curricular activities. The purpose of this study is to understand what could possibly be behind the previous claims that French immersion students perform better than non-immersion students in an academic setting. The study sheds light on the potential differences and demonstrates the idea that no single factor can explain the phenomenon of academic achievement and of differences. Although the findings were inconclusive as to whether or not French immersion students perform at a higher level than their non-immersion counterparts in mathematics, the findings still help us understand student patterns and some of the factors associated with both French immersion and academic achievement in mathematics and in general.