Teaching and learning in a multilingual Europe: Findings from a cross-national study

Chatzoudi, D.¹, Papadopoulos, T. C.¹, Dockrell, J.², Mifsud, C.^3
1University of Cyprus, Cyprus
²University College London, United Kingdom
³University of Malta, Malta

 

Submission type

Oral only

Scheduled

Room 116, 12-07-2019, 14:00 - 15:30

Keywords

multilingual, classroom, migrant children, teachers' views, cross-national, Europe

Summary

We examined the current challenges and benefits of working in multilingual classrooms in Europe, merging the data across 11 countries in a cross-cultural study carried out under the European Literacy Network COST IS1401 Action. 2792 teachers (1955 females, 837 males) responded to the Multilingual Classroom Questionnaire (MCQ). Analyses focused on the 46 Likert-scale items of the MCQ aiming to explore teachers’ views about (a) multilingualism, (b) the importance of the first language of migrant children, (c) children’s acquisition of the L2, and (d) general literacy issues. Using Parallel Analysis, four factors emerged, accounting for 54.93% of the variance in teachers’ views on multilingual classrooms, correlating at r = .84. Subsequent Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis allowed testing a second-order model, including a general latent variable representing Teachers’ Attitudes, which was invariant across the 11 countries. Nevertheless, significant main group effects were observed among the countries, regarding teachers’ views about multilingualism in Europe. Examining the contribution of four demographic variables (Education Level, Teachers’ Age, Number of Children in Class, and Percentage of Multilingual Children in Class), only the number of children in class significantly predicted Teachers’ Attitudes. The practical relevance of the findings and new opportunities for teacher training are discussed.

Auteurs