Pre-service teachers’ attitudes about teaching and learning in multilingual classrooms. Insights from the Austrian-wide summer school programme in 2021

Figures & data

Table 1. Personal characteristics of participants before and after the implementation of the Austrian summer school in 2021

	t2: n = 49	t2: n = 81
1) PST from cluster ‘West’	73.4%	67.9%
2) PST at bachelor level	53.1%	65.4%
3) Female PST	85.7%	82.7%
4) PST with German not as dominant language	32.7%

Table 2. Self-reported opportunities to learn about multilingualism, German as L2, and cultural/religious diversity before the summer school 2021 (sorted in ascending order).

	M (SD): t1
1) During my studies, I dealt with theoretical content on multilingualism and German as L2.	3.18 (0.86)
2) During my studies, I dealt with theoretical content on cultural and religious diversity.	3.00 (0.80)
3) I have followed the presentation of these issues in the media (e.g. news reports in newspapers and on television).	2.93 (0.89)
4) I have gained experience with cultural and religious diversity during the practical training phases or while working as a substitute teacher.	2.87 (1.01)
5) I have had experiences with cultural and religious diversity in my personal environment. (e.g. neighbourhood, school or association).	2.82 (1.07)
6) I have gained experience with multilingualism and German as L2 during the practical training phases or while working as a substitute teacher.	2.69 (1.13)
7) I have independently studied the topic of cultural and religious diversity (e.g. through books or other media).	2.69 (0.93)
8) I have independently studied the topics of multilingualism and German as L2 (e.g. through books or other media).	2.42 (0.84)
9) I grew up multilingual or learned German as L2.	1.49 (1.04)
10) I grew up in a family with migration experiences.	1.47 (0.94)

Note: At t₁, the scale items were introduced by the following instruction: We would like to learn about your previous opportunities to learn about multilingualism, German as L2, cultural/religious diversity. Please rate for each statement to what extent they apply. Response format: Likert scale (1 = does not at all apply to 4 = does fully apply). Abbreviations: M (SD) = scale mean (standard deviation).

Table 3. Methods and materials for LRI that PSTs learned and could apply during their theoretical and practical studies (t₁) and that were applied (t₂) during summer school 2021 (sorted in ascending order in the last column from right)

	known: t1	applied before summer school: t1	applied during summer school: t2
Methods
1) Language learning games	69.8%	39.5%	78.9%
2) Vocabulary exercises	81.4%	39.5%	75.4%
3) Worksheets with focus on German as L2	74.4%	32.6%	63.2%
4) Scaffolding	74.4%	32.6%	51.8%
5) Modelling Methods (Syntactic/Semantic Completion, Morphological Transformation)	37.2%	16.3%	43.6%
6) Structural exercises	60.5%	25.6%	38.6%
7) Language portraits (language silhouettes)	83.7%	41.9%	35.7%
8) Indirect language stimulation strategies (parallel talking, questioning strategies)	23.2%	11.6%	30.9%
9) Translanguaging strategies	37.2%	11.6%	23.2%
10) Materials for a reading and writing workshop	55.8%	27.9%	57.9%
11) Vocabulary cards	72.1%	34.9%	38.6%
12) Learning cards	79.1%	20.9%	33.3%
13) Materials from Josef Leisen*	41.9%	20.9%	19.6%
14) Bilingual dictionaries	72.1%	23.3%	19.3%
15) KIESEL neu of the Austrian Language Center (ÖSZ)**	30.2%	11.6%	14.5%
16) Bilingual books/texts	69.8%	32.6%	12.3%
18) FörMig materials***	39.5%	16.3%	5.4%
17) Others	23.3%	11.6%	10.0%
M total sum (M (SD))	10.26 (4.24)	4.51 (3.62)	6.42 (3.55)

Note: At t₁, the scale was introduced by the following instruction: With which of the following materials and methods for LRI did you come into contact with during the theoretical and practical phases of your studies? Response format either ‘learned to know’ = 1 or ‘could apply’ = 1. At t₂, the instruction was: Please mark for the given materials and methods of LRI, whether you were able to apply them during the summer school. Response format ‘could apply’ = 1.

* Materials from Josef Leisen: Josef Leisen is professor for didactics of physics at the University of Mainz and offers numerous publications and materials for language-sensitive subject teaching, language teaching and language learning available at: http://www.sprachsensiblerfachunterricht.de/sprachbildung.

** KIESEL Neu of the Austrian Language Center (ÖSZ): Materials for multilingualism, include ten-volume series on the topic of ‘Children discover languages’. The current booklets 1, 2 and 3 offer recommendations for language workshops and language festivals as well as tips on how to deal successfully with multilingualism, available at http://www.oesz.at/OESZNEU/main_01.php?page=0151&open=13&open2=33.

*** FörMig materials: The model programme FörMig focuses on language support for children with a migration background and addresses the following topics: language diagnostics, cooperative language support, language support networks, language support at transitions in the education system, language support in all lessons, multilingualism as a resource, available at https://www.foermig.uni-hamburg.de/.

Table 4. Self-perceived level of knowledge of LRI strategies (t₁) and self-reported extent of application of LRI (t₂) during summer school 2021 (sorted in ascending order in the last column from right).

	Level of knowledge before summer school M (SD): t1	Extent of application during summer school M (SD): t2
1) Using methods/measures to activate learners’ prior knowledge	4.61 (0.95)	3.15 (0.73)
2) Identifying difficult words and phrases in tasks and Texts	4.80 (1.03)	2.76 (0.79)
3) Analysing tasks with regard to their linguistic comprehensibility	4.70 (1.00)	2.69 (0.86)
4) Distinguishing between different linguistic registers (e.g. everyday and academic language)	4.86 (1.29)	2.68 (0.98)
5) Using remedial methods/measures to support the reading process	4.30 (1.11)	2.67 (0.77)
6) Using methods/measures to guide the reading process	4.30 (1.21)	2.47 (0.93)
7) Identifying difficult grammatical structures in tasks and texts	4.48 (0.95)	2.44 (0.95)
8) Using methods/measures to support text production	4.25 (1.14)	2.38 (0.89)
9) Using methods/measures to plan text production	4.14 (1.25)	2.38 (0.94)
10) Identifying functions of illustrations in teaching and learning materials	4.36 (0.99)	2.27 (0.89)
11) Using methods/measures for text revision	4.14 (1.13)	2.27 (0.97)
12) Investigating texts in textbooks for their linguistic characteristics/stumbling blocks	4.39 (1.08)	2.14 (0.86)
13) Identifying national cultural, stereotypical attributions in texts and pictures.	4.50 (1.42)	1.89 (0.91)
M total (without item 4 and 9)	4.41 (0.89)	2.39 (0.60)

Note. At t₁, the scale items were introduced by the following instruction: We would like to learn about your knowledge level in LRI. Please rate your knowledge level for each of the statements below. Response format: Likert scale (1 = very low to 6 = very high). At t₂, the instruction was: We would like to learn to what extent you were able to use your knowledge in LRI during the summer school. Please rate the extent for each of the statements below. Response format: Likert scale (1 = in none of the lessons; 2 = in some lessons; 3 = in most lessons; 4 = in all lessons). Abbreviations: M (SD) = scale mean (standard deviation).