https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2816-6112
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ABSTRACT
This mixed-methods study examines the language ideologies of 28 preschool educators in their first month transitioning from English-only to dual language education (DLE). Using the language ideology survey developed by [Fitzsimmons-Doolan, S. (2011). “Language ideology dimensions of politically active Arizona voters: an exploratory study.” Language Awareness 20 (4): 295–314; Fitzsimmons-Doolan, S. (2014). “Language ideologies of Arizona voters, language managers, and teachers.” Journal of Language, Identity, and Education 13 (1): 34–52], we analyzed the preschool teachers’ language ideologies, as well as the relationships between the ideologies and demographic and experiential variables. We found that teachers generally held pro-multilingual ideologies, but that particular ideologies correlated with different teacher experiences. For instance, while teachers’ level of education and having studied a language other than English were positive correlates of pro-multilingual beliefs, years of teaching overall was instead positively associated with viewing English as a tool and years at the current placement was positively related to viewing multiple languages as a problem. Neither general teaching experience nor experience having a home language other than English was a significant predictor of pro-multilingual beliefs. Qualitative analysis of transcripts from teacher focus groups reflected teachers’ pro-multilingual beliefs, but also showed teachers’ concerns with DLE implementation. We found, however, that these concerns were practical – balancing district priorities; managing new divisions of labor in the classroom – rather than ideological. Our findings highlight the theoretical and methodological importance of viewing teachers’ experiences, ideologies, and classroom language policies as connected.
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the support of Helios Education Foundation Grant No. 9659174. The ideas presented in this paper are those of the authors and no endorsement from the funding agency should be inferred. We also thank Shannon Fitzsimmons-Doolan for the use of her survey. Thank you, too, to the early childhood educators who participated in this study and to our partner districts.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1 Preschool = year(s) preceding kindergarten, the start of formal education in the US. Pre-kindergarten children are usually ages 3.0–4.11.
2 In Arizona preschool classrooms, the maximum legal ratio of adults to children is 1:13 in classes with 3-year-olds, so teachers usually work in teams, typically composed of one credentialed teacher and one teaching assistant (paraprofessional).
3 In this paper, we use ‘bilingual’ to talk about individuals and ‘dual language’ to talk about the classrooms, programs, and curricula.
4 Star Ratings are a preschool program quality rating system, implemented as part of Quality First, a signature program of First Things First (www.firstthingsfirst.org) in Arizona. Quality First partners with child care and preschool providers to improve the quality of early learning across the state.
5 In the outlier comment, the teacher used her experiences to justify a belief about what best strategies best support second language learning.
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Notes on contributors
Katie A. Bernstein
Katie A. Bernstein is assistant professor in Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. An applied linguist and early childhood researcher, Katie studies the processes and contexts of young children's second learning language. Her recent work can be found in the Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, TESOL Quarterly, and Linguistics and Education.
Sultan Kilinc
Sultan Kilinc is a postdoctoral scholar in Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. Her research focuses on inclusive education policy and practices for diverse groups of students (i.e. students with dis/abilities, linguistic, ethnic, racial minorities, and girls), who are marginalized and excluded from educational opportunities.
Megan Troxel Deeg
Megan Troxel Deeg is a doctoral student in Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. Her research interests include educational practices for diverse learners in pre-k-12 settings, emergent bilingual content development, and the use of dramatic approaches for content and literacy development.
Scott C. Marley
Scott C. Marley is an associate professor in Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. His research examines the efficacy of cognitive theory-based learning strategies.
Kathleen M. Farrand
Kathleen M. Farrand is an assistant professor in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. Her research examines inclusive settings found along the least restrictive environment continuum, with a focus on the use of active and dramatic approaches for learning.
Michael F. Kelley
Michael F. Kelley is an associate professor in Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. His research interests lie in understanding the structural and process features related to high quality professional development experiences for early childhood teachers that effectively impact child outcomes.