K-1 Teacher Experiences with Multilingual Learners in US Public Schools

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 11:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Bridging Gaps, Building Identities: Early Childhood Teachers in Transition

Abstract

This paper explores the experiences of early childhood teachers who teach multilingual learners
in mainstream classrooms. Six kindergarten and first-grade teachers participated in this qualitative study from a phenomenological perspective conducted in Tennessee (U.S.) following Seidman’s (2019) three in- depth interview series. Findings highlighted the high number of multilingual learners in mainstream classrooms, constraints stemming from scripted curricula, teachers’ assimilationist perspective on culture and monoglossic view on language. This study aims to provide valuable insights for teaching programs, and professional development in early childhood education and leadership, addressing the growing number of multilingual learners in English medium classrooms across the country, and advocating for translanguaging pedagogy (García et al., 2017).

Author

• Maria José A. Dias, Ball State University