Sung, Priscilla, & Nameera Akhtar (2017, July). Exploring preschool teachers’ perspectives on linguistic diversity: A Q study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 65, 157-170. (Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.03.004)
Abstract: Twenty-one preschool teachers in California participated in a Q methodology study exploring beliefs about linguistic diversity. Four perspectives emerged from the factor analysis: Aesthetic Caregivers emphasized the importance of effectively negotiating student differences, Bilingualism Advocates supported bilingualism to reinforce family ties, Diversity Accommodators focused on adapting teaching methods to meet English learners’ individual needs, and an English Acquisition Supporter highlighted the need to learn English. All teachers agreed that linguistic diversity contributes positively to the classroom. Findings present a nuanced picture of these teachers’ beliefs about linguistic diversity, illustrating the usefulness of Q methodology as a mixed-methods exploration of perspectives.
Priscilla Sung <psung1@ucsc.edu> and Nameera Akhtar <nakhtar@ucsc.edu> are in the Department of Psychology, University of California–Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA (USA).
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