TY - JOUR
T1 - Student teachers’ expressions of ‘fear’ in handling linguistically diverse classrooms
AU - Draznik, Tjasa
AU - Llompart-Esbert, Júlia
AU - Bergroth, Mari
N1 - Funding Information:
The production of this article has been supported by the following project: Linguistically Sensitive Teaching in All Classrooms (LISTIAC), co-funded by Erasmus+ Key Action 3 – Support for Policy Reform – Policy Experimentations (call EACEA 28/2017, code 606695-EPP-1-2018-2-FI-EPPKA3-PI-POLICY).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2022/6
Y1 - 2022/6
N2 - This study examined student teachers’ beliefs about teaching multilingual classrooms across three European contexts; Slovenia, Spain (Catalonia), and Finland. Research shows that teachers’ confidence in handling linguistically diverse classrooms is lacking. Linguistically sensitive teaching (LST) was used as a lens to explore different expressions of ‘fears’ in student teachers vis-à-vis handling plurilingual pedagogies. We collected reflections of 128 student teachers and carried out an inductive, thematic content analysis in multiple cycles. The findings showed that student teachers’ fears were related to the following five categories: 1) languages in society; 2) building relationships; 3) teaching skills and methods; 4) external evaluation and teacher’s autonomy, and 5) legislation and policies. Student teachers in all three contexts shared concerns over how to protect minority languages and how to obtain enough opportunities to train for LST. A major difference between the contexts emerged in the categories of building relationships and external evaluation. By examining student teachers’ expressions of fear in the Slovene, Catalan and Finnish contexts, the study gives clues to better design initial teacher education courses that support the inclusion of LST in teacher practices.
AB - This study examined student teachers’ beliefs about teaching multilingual classrooms across three European contexts; Slovenia, Spain (Catalonia), and Finland. Research shows that teachers’ confidence in handling linguistically diverse classrooms is lacking. Linguistically sensitive teaching (LST) was used as a lens to explore different expressions of ‘fears’ in student teachers vis-à-vis handling plurilingual pedagogies. We collected reflections of 128 student teachers and carried out an inductive, thematic content analysis in multiple cycles. The findings showed that student teachers’ fears were related to the following five categories: 1) languages in society; 2) building relationships; 3) teaching skills and methods; 4) external evaluation and teacher’s autonomy, and 5) legislation and policies. Student teachers in all three contexts shared concerns over how to protect minority languages and how to obtain enough opportunities to train for LST. A major difference between the contexts emerged in the categories of building relationships and external evaluation. By examining student teachers’ expressions of fear in the Slovene, Catalan and Finnish contexts, the study gives clues to better design initial teacher education courses that support the inclusion of LST in teacher practices.
KW - beliefs
KW - emotions
KW - Europe
KW - Initial teacher education
KW - multilingualism
KW - student teachers
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85131757266&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/01434632.2022.2086258
DO - 10.1080/01434632.2022.2086258
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85131757266
SN - 0143-4632
JO - Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development
JF - Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development
ER -