Conceptualisations of multilingualism in early childhood teacher education: Ideological and implementational spaces in policy texts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58955/jecer.129347Keywords:
early childhood teacher education, language ideologies, curriculum, knowledge baseAbstract
This paper explores how multilingualism is conceptualised in teacher education policy texts and discuss the ideological and implementational spaces for multilingual pedagogy in teacher education. The main focus is Norwegian early childhood teacher education curricula, and the qualitative oriented content analysis of teacher education curricula documents follows three steps. The first step provides an overview of how the content in Norwegian early childhood teacher education is regulated compared to Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. The second step takes a historical perspective, examining how the conceptualisations of multilingualism in Norwegian ECTE have changed from 1971–2018. The third step involves a close reading of local course plans from 12 different Norwegian higher education institutions. Findings show how curriculum content in Norwegian early childhood teacher education related to multilingualism is far more regulated than in the other Nordic countries. The historical analysis reveals how the ideological and implementational spaces have changed over the years by defining multilingualism differently, and how the current national guidelines open the ideological and implementation spaces for multilingualism. Furthermore, the analysis of the 12 local teacher education programs illustrates how these open spaces are implemented in different ways, either in narrowing further the spaces or broadening the spaces. The discussion revolves around how these spaces require different kinds of competencies for both practitioners and teacher educators.
References
Act on Early Childhood Education and Care (2022). LBK nr 985 af 27/06/2022. Børne- og Undervisningsministeriet [Ministry of Children and Education]. https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2022/985
Act on Early Childhood Education and Care (2018/540). Undervisnings- och Kulturministeriet [Ministry of Education and Culture]. https://www.finlex.fi/sv/laki/ajantasa/2018/20180540
Act on Education and Employment of Teachers and School Administrators at Play Schools, Primary and Secondary Schools (2019). Mennta- og barnamálaráðuneyti [Ministry of Education and Children]. https://www.althingi.is/lagas/nuna/2019095.html
Alisaari, J., Møller Daugaard, L., Dewilde, J., Harju-Autti, R., Heikkola, L. M., Iversen, J. Y., Kekki, N., Pesonen, S., Reath Warren, A., Straszer, B., & Yli-Jokipii, M. (2023). Mother tongue education in four Nordic countries - problem, right or resource? Apples - Journal of Applied Language Studies. https://doi.org/10.47862/apples.113671
Alstad, G. T., & Sopanen, P. (2020). Language orientations in early childhood education policy in Finland and Norway. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, 7(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/20020317.2020.1862951
Decree on the Education for Bachelor Professional as a Pedagogue (2017). BEK nr 354 af 07/04/2017. Uddannelses- og Forskningsministeriet [Ministry of Education and Research]. https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2017/354
Bergroth, M., & Hansell, K. (2020). Language-aware operational culture: Developing in-service training for early childhood education and care. Apples – Journal of Applied Language Studies, 14(1), 85–102. https://doi.org/10.17011/apples/urn.202006043978
Bergroth, M., Llompart, J., Pepiot, N., van der Worp, K., Dražnik, T., & Sierens, S. (2022). Identifying space for mainstreaming multilingual pedagogies in European initial teacher education policies. European Educational Research Journal EERJ, 21(5), 801–821. https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041211012500
Broström, S. (2012). Curriculum in preschool: Adjustment or a possible liberation? Nordisk Barnehageforskning 5(2), 5–14. https://doi.org/10.7577/nbf.419
Carlson, M. (2009). Flerspråkighet inom lärarutbildningen. Ett perspektiv som saknas. Utbildning & Demokrati, 18(2), 39–66. https://doi.org/10.48059/uod.v18i2.903
Cummins, J. (2000). Language, power and pedagogy: Bilingual children in the crossfire. Multilingual Matters.
Cummins, J. (2021). Rethinking the education of multilingual learners: A critical analysis of theoretical concepts. Multilingual Matters.
Economou, C., & Ennerberg, E. (2020). Flerspråkighet och transspråkande i lärarprogram för nyanlända lärare: Språkbro med förhinder? Högre Utbildning, 10(2), 75–89. https://doi.org/10.23865/hu.v10.2211
Education Act (2010). Utbildningsdepartementet [Ministry of Education]. https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/skollag-2010800_sfs-2010-800/
Forskrift om rammeplan for barnehagelærerutdanning [National Regulations for Kindergarten Teacher Education] (2023). Kunnskapsdepartementet [Ministry of Education]. https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2012-06-04-475
Forsström, S. & Munthe, E. (2023). What characterizes Nordic research on initial teacher education: A systematic scoping review. Nordic Studies in Education, 43(3), 241–259. https://doi.org/10.23865/nse.v43.5588
From, T., Zilliacus, H., Holm, G., & Wallinheimo, K. (2022). Students’ orientations towards multilingualism and social justice in a Swedish-medium university degree program in Educational Sciences in Finland. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 22(6), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2021.1938574
García, O. (2008). Multilingual language awareness and teacher education. In J. Cenoz & N. H. Hornberger (Eds.), Knowledge about language: Encyclopedia of language and education (2nd ed., Vol. 6, pp. 385–400). Springer.
Giæver, K., & Tkachenko, E. (2020). Mot en ny satsing på flerspråklighet – en analyse av språkpolitiske føringer i barnehagens styringsdokumenter. Nordic Studies in Education, 40(3), 249–267. https://doi.org/10.23865/nse.v40.2442
Hermansson, C., Shaswar, A., Rosén, J., & Wedin, Å. (2021). Teaching for a monolingual school? (In)visibility of multilingual perspectives in Swedish teacher education. Education Inquiry, 13(3), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/20004508.2021.1885588
Hornberger, N. H. (2006). Frameworks and models in language policy and planning. In T. Ricento (Ed.), An introduction to language policy: Theory and method (pp. 24–41). Blackwell.
Hornberger, N. H., & Hult, F. M. (2008). Ecological language education policy. In B. Spolsky & F. M. Hult (Eds.), The handbook of educational linguistics (pp. 280–296). Blackwell.
The Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for Preschools (2011). Mennta- og barnamálaráðuneytið [Ministry of Education, Science and Culture]. https://www.government.is/library/01-Ministries/Ministry-of-Education/Curriculum/adskr_leiksk_ens_2012.pdf
Iversen, J. Y. (2022). Pre-service teachers’ narratives about their lived experience of language. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 43(2), 140–153. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2020.1735400
Johansson, J.-E. (2006). Will there be any preschool teachers in the future? A comment on recent teacher-education reforms in Sweden. In Einarsdóttir, J. & J. T. Wagner (Eds.), Nordic childhoods and early education. Philosphy, research, policy, and practice in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. (pp. 43–69). Information Age Publishing.
Johnson, D. C. (2010). Implementational and ideological spaces in bilingual education language policy. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 13(1), 61–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050902780706
Kanstad, M. (2013). Syn på språk og vurdering av studenter med norsk som andrespråk. Norsk Pedagogisk Tidsskrift, 97(4–5), 269–279. https://doi.org/10.18261/ISSN1504-2987-2013-04-05-03
Karlsen, G. E. (2006). Styring av norsk lærerutdanning – et historisk perspektiv. Norsk pedagogisk tidsskrift 89 (6), 402–16. https://doi.org/10.18261/ISSN1504-2987-2005-06-03
Kindergarten Act (2006). LOV 2005-06-17. Kunnskapsdepartementet [Ministry of Education]. https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/2005-06-17-64
Kirke-, utdannings- og forskningsdepartementet (1995). Rammeplan for førskolelærerutdanning. Kirke- utdannings- og forskningsdepartementet.
Kulbrandstad, L. I. (2017). Integration and language education in Norwegian immigration policy documents 1980–2016. Apples – Journal of Applied Language Studies, 11(3), 101–120. https://doi.org/10.17011/apples/urn.201712104586
Kultti, A. (2022). Teaching responsive to play and linguistic diversity in early childhood education: Considerations on theoretical grounds. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 25(8), 3037-3045. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2021.2001426
Kunnskapsdepartementet (2012). Nasjonale retningslinjer for barnehagelærerutdanning. Kunnskapsdepartementet.
Lærarutdanningsrådet (1971). Rammeplan for førskolelærerutdanning. Universitetsforlaget.
Lærerutdanningsrådet/Kirke- og undervisningsdepartementet (1980). Studieplan for førskolelærerutdanning. Universitetsforlaget.
Lindquist, H. (2019). Språkpedagogisk arbeid og de yngste flerspråklige barna. Norsk Pedagogisk Tidsskrift, 103(2–3), 159–171. https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.1504-2987-2019-02-03-07
Makoe, P., & McKinney, C. (2014). Linguistic ideologies in multilingual South African suburban schools. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 35(7), 658–673. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2014.908889
McKinney, C. (2019). Researching language ideologies. In G. Barkhuizen (Ed.), Qualitative research topics in language teacher education (pp. 33–38). Routledge.
The National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care (2022). Föreskrifter och anvisningar 2022:2b. Utbildningsstyrelsen [Finnish National Agency for Education]. https://www.oph.fi/sv/statistik-och-publikationer/publikationer/grunderna-planen-smabarnspedagogik-2022
National Framework Plan for Kindergarten (2017). Kunnskapsdepartementet [Ministry of Education]. https://www.udir.no/contentassets/7c4387bb50314f33b828789ed767329e/rammeplan-for-barnehagen---bokmal-pdf.pdf
National Preschool Curriculum (2018). Skolverket. https://www.skolverket.se/download/18.6bfaca41169863e6a65d5aa/1553968116077/pdf4001.pdf
National Regulations for Local Curricula (2018). BEK nr 968 af 28/06/2018. Børne- og Undervisningsministeriet [Ministry of Children and Education]. https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2018/968
National Regulations for Teacher Education (2004/794). Undervisnings- och kulturministeriet [Ministry of Education and Culture]. https://www.finlex.fi/sv/laki/alkup/2004/20040794
Nikula, T., Saarinen, T., Pöyhönen, S., & Kangasvieri, T. (2012). Linguistic diversity as a problem and a resource. Multilingualism in European and Finnish policy documents. In J. Blommaert, S. Leppänen, P. Pahta & T. Räisänen (Eds.), Dangerous multilingualism: Northern perspectives on order, purity and normality (pp. 41–66). Palgrave Macmillan.
Paulsrud, B., & Lundberg, A. (2021). One school for all?: Multilingualism in teacher education in Sweden. In M. Wernicke, S. Hammer, A. Hansen & T. Schroedler (Eds.), Preparing teachers to work with multilingual learners (pp. 38–57). Multilingual Matters.
Pettersvold, M., & Østrem, S. (2018). Profesjonell uro – barnehagelæreres ansvar, integritet og motstand. Fagbokforlaget.
Pramling, N., & Pramling Samuelsson, I. (2011). Introduction and frame of the book. In N. Pramling & I. Pramling Samuelsson (Eds.), Educational encounters: Nordic studies in early childhood didactics (pp. 1–13). Springer.
Preschool Act (2008). Mennta- og barnamálaráðuneytið [Ministry of Education, Science and Culture]. https://www.government.is/media/menntamalaraduneyti-media/media/MRN-pdf_Annad/Preschool_Act.pdf
Puskás, T., & Björk-Willén, P. (2017). Dilemmatic aspects of language policies in a trilingual preschool group. Multilingua, 36(4), 425–449. https://doi.org/10.1515/multi-2016-0025
Regulations on Education for Teachers and Preschool Teachers (2021). Utbildningsdepartementet [Ministry of Education]. https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/forordning-20211335-om-utbildning-till-larare_sfs-2021-1335/
Rosén, J., & Wedin, Å. (2018). Same but different. Negotiating diversity in Swedish pre-school teacher training. Journal of Multicultural Discourses, 13(1), 52–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/17447143.2018.1426589
Sickinghe, A.-V. (2013). The discursive construction of multilinguals in Norwegian language education policy. Nordand: Nordisk Tidsskrift for Andrespråksforskning, 8(2), 87–114.
Statistics Norway (2024, January 11). Kindergartens [Data set]. https://www.ssb.no/en/utdanning/barnehager/statistikk/barnehager
Thomassen, W. E. (2021). Grunnskolelærerstudenters kompetanse for undervisning i flerkulturelle og flerspråklige klasserom: En ‘mixed methods’-studie. [Doctoral dissertation, Universitetet i Stavanger].
Universitets- og høgskolerådet [UHR] (2018). Nasjonale retningslinjer for barnehagelærerutdanning [The National Curriculum guidelines for kindergarten teacher education]. Universitets- og høgskolerådet.
Utdannings- og forskningsdepartementet (2003). Rammeplan for førskolelærerutdanningen. Utdannings- og forskningsdepartementet.
Vallberg Roth, A.-C. (2006). Early childhood curricula in Sweden. International Journal of Early Childhood, 38(1), 77–98. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03165979
Wagner, J. T., & Einarsdóttir, J. (2006). Nordic Ideals as reflected in Nordic childhoods and early education. In J. Einarsdóttir & J. T. Wagner (Eds.), Nordic childhoods and early education. Philosophy, research, policy, and practice in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden (pp. 1–12). Information Age Publishing.
Wedin, Å., & Rosén, J. (2021). Språkliga normer i förskollärarutbildning: Ett kritiskt perspektiv. Acta Didactica Norden, 15(2), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.5617/adno.8361
Woolard, K. A. (1998). Language ideology as a field of inquiry. In B. B. Schieffelin, K. A. Woolard & P. V. Kroskrity (Eds.), Language ideologies. Practice and theory (pp. 3–47). Oxford University Press.
Østbergutvalget (2010). Mangfold og mestring: Flerspråklige barn, unge og voksne i opplæringssystemet (Norges offentlige utredninger [NOU] 2010:7). Departementenes servicesenter.
