BackHome
Refresh: OffView Personal Schedule
Session Submission Summary
Share...

Direct link:

Facilitating Teacher Professional Development in Multilingual Contexts of Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Senegal

Wed, March 26, 1:15 to 2:30pm, Palmer House, Floor: 7th Floor, LaSalle 4

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

In many low and middle-income countries (LMICs), language politics are fraught with complexity. In these settings, stakeholders tend to view international languages such as English and French as the languages of “success,” given the proven link between socioeconomic mobility and proficiency in postcolonial languages. As a result, many education systems use English or French as the primary language of instruction in schools. Children must often begin school and literacy instruction in a language they may not use or understand with sufficient proficiency and, even if they do, must transition out of their own familiar language after only brief periods of time.

Yet, a significant body of research shows that instruction in a child’s mother tongue or familiar language is one of the most significant factors for consistent learning gains across a variety of programs and contexts. The advantages include increased attendance in school, higher likelihood of girls and minorities staying in school, and better learning achievement outcomes through junior secondary school. Studies additionally show that linguistically and culturally sensitive curricula lead to socio-cultural and economic development; increased student self-confidence, motivation, and class participation; greater parental involvement; and improved critical thinking for long-term growth. Furthermore, the development of cognitive, linguistic, and metalinguistic skills in one language serve as a foundation for the development of language and reading skills in additional languages. Considering the benefits of instruction in languages children speak and understand, some multi-lingual countries have pursued or considered education policies for teaching in local or regional languages.

In most French-speaking African countries, governments have long been exploring ways to implement education and language policies that incorporate local languages alongside French to improve the quality of teaching and learning. In this panel, we will discuss three aspects of national-level work to promote the use of local and regional languages in primary schools in Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Senegal in francophone Africa. The three countries represented in this panel represent varied stages of language of instruction policy development. In the DRC, schools use one of the four national languages (Kiswahili, Ciluba, Lingala, and Kikongo), depending on the region, for instruction in early grades and then transition to instruction in French beginning in grade 3. In Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, ministries of education have demonstrated considerable interest in promoting the use of local and regional languages in schools but have not yet implemented nationwide policies for local languages of instruction. Senegal has been undergoing several large-scale language of instruction experiments across specific regions in the country, while Côte d’Ivoire has experienced only limited experimentation, with most schools instructing only in French.

The components of national-level work to promote the use of local languages of instruction in schools that we will discuss In this panel include 1) assessing needs for teacher professional development to use local and regional languages in the classroom, 2) designing bilingual teacher professional development through a stakeholder perspective, and 3) mapping languages spoken by students and teachers. In keeping with the CIES 2025 Conference Theme, Envisioning Education in a Digital Society, we discuss the ways in which multilingual literacy can help prepare students for engaging in a digital and increasingly globalized society.

In the first presentation, we will detail a baseline evaluation of a forthcoming bilingual teacher professional development program called the Foundational Learning Improvement Package (FLIP). Using data from a teacher survey, student assessment, and classroom observations, we will assess teacher, student, and classroom characteristics across 2-4 regions of Cote d'Ivoire, the DRC, and Senegal. We will supplement this data with qualitative data from another recent study in the same regions that reported on teachers' attitudes and perceived needs for teaching in a multilingual environment.

In the second presentation, we will discuss the process of co-designing and adapting the FLIP teacher training package with national stakeholders. Namely, we will describe a stakeholder mapping process, the steps taken to engage and co-design with ministry of education stakeholders, stakeholder needs respective to the country’s education context. and the subsequent successes and challenges of the implementation process.

In the final presentation, we will provide an example of a language mapping exercise in Cote d'Ivoire. In a country with over 60 reported languages, the Ministry of Education and Literacy has initiated a nationwide mapping of the languages students use and understand to inform language of instruction decisions. Our presentation will cover the methods we use to assess the languages children know and examples of previous mapping studies in other countries. We will also describe the methods we use for sampling schools and students in Cote d'Ivoire, findings from select regions, and recommendations for using the language mapping data to inform education policies and programs.

Sub Unit

Organizers

Chair

Individual Presentations