Integrating content and language in higher education: A scoping review of intervention studies

Language is essential for learning and education, for supporting thinking and learning and for knowledge exchange. This premise forms the basis for content‐ and language‐integrated educational approaches, such as CLIL (content‐language‐integrated learning) and CBA (content‐based approach). Although content and language‐integrated instruction is considered essential for academic success and professional development, empirical research on the gains regarding language development and knowledge acquisition is scant, particularly in higher education. This scoping review provides a broad picture of intervention studies departing from a content and language‐integrated approach in higher education. A total of 104 studies were included in the review. The review focuses on the characteristics of the investigated interventions, on methodological characteristics and on the outcomes, especially students' knowledge acquisition and language development. Concerning these, authors reported positive impacts on both language skills and content knowledge. However, only 19.2% of the included studies employed a (quasi‐)experimental design. Notably, information on the intervention and study design characteristics was often not reproducible or missing. In contrast to earlier reviews, which predominantly reported on studies examining effects on language development, the present review identifies a larger number of studies that also focus on content learning. Even though authors reported positive impacts, these results should be interpreted with caution due to methodological limitations identified in many of the studies. Important implications include a need for boundary crossing between language and content teachers and researchers. Context and implications Rationale for this study: Despite the growing use of content‐language‐integrated approaches in higher education, evidence on their effectiveness, specifically for language development and knowledge acquisition, remains fragmented. Why the new findings matter: This review maps 104 intervention studies, revealing positive trends in both language and content learning, while also exposing important methodological gaps that need to be addressed in future research. Implications for educational practice: Content‐language‐integrated approaches hold promise for enhancing both disciplinary knowledge and language development in higher education. However, the quality of implementation and research varies widely. Educators and institutions should foster collaboration between content and language experts and educational science researchers and invest in carefully designed, evidence‐informed interventions.