Teachers’ ideologies towards implementation of translanguaging in selected multilingual grade 4 classrooms of the Zambezi region, Namibia.
Date
2024
Authors
Mashinja, Begani Ziambo
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
Namibian schools face challenges with English as a language of teaching and learning, especially for transitional grade learners, leading to consideration of translanguaging strategies by the government. However, the implementation of translanguaging faces resistance in multilingual classrooms. Therefore, this study examined the teachers’ ideologies towards the implementation of translanguaging in selected multilingual grade 4 classrooms of the Zambezi Region, Namibia. The study employed a qualitative approach, utilising classroom observations, interviews (one-on-one), and document analysis data collection sources. Purposeful sampling was used to delimit the primary population and to come up with ten (10) teachers and eight (8) HODs, totalling eighteen (18) participants in the study. The documentary analysis involved documents such as the grade 4 English language lesson plans. These documents were analysed to see whether teachers deliberately planned for translanguaging and purposefully used it as a pedagogic practice. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, which involved looking for naturally occurring units and reducing them to natural meaning units to check for regular patterns of themes. The study findings showed that while most teachers were familiar with the language policy, they were, however, not familiar with translanguaging. Further, while some teachers held positive ideologies about translanguaging implementation, others held negative ideologies leading to resistance to applying it. In terms of classroom application, of the ten teachers whose lessons have been presented, four of them had lesson plans while six did not have them, implying that while the policy was accepted by some, others contested it. Moreover, although teachers had lesson plans, they did not intentionally plan for translanguaging, implying that teachers did not deliberately plan to use it in their teaching. However, observations provided that most teachers implemented translanguaging practices spontaneously in their lessons, implying that teachers were willing to implement it even if they did not plan for it. In addition, the study observed that other teachers held monolingual
ideologies in which they used English exclusively during classroom interaction. Finally, the study found that several factors promoted and constrained the implementation of translanguaging in the classrooms. The study concludes that while translanguaging is practicable in Namibia, a lot has to be done, especially in teacher training, to equip teachers with the necessary knowledge and skills to use translanguaging and decolonise the negative
ideologies for its successful implementation. The implications of these findings suggest the need for professional development programs focused on multilingual pedagogies to assist teachers in reframing their language ideologies and understanding the benefits of translanguaging as an instructional strategy. Therefore, the study has suggested a structured training program designed to enhance teachers' understanding and application of translanguaging strategies within their classrooms, serving as part of their continuous professional development (CPD) in Namibia.
Keywords: language ideologies, translanguaging, language policy, lesson planning, Zambezi region, Silozi
Description
Thesis of Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Linguistics.