Att stärka elevers lärande i flerspråkiga klassrum: En kvalitativ studie med tio lärare i årskurserna F-3

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to illuminate how teachers from preschool class to grade 3 work with language development in multilingual classrooms and to explore their experiences of using pupils' mother tongues in teaching. The study is based on two central research questions: What strategies and tools do teachers use to promote language development for pupils who do not have Swedish as their first language, and how do they describe their experiences of integrating pupils’ mother tongues in teaching. To answer the research questions, a qualitative research method was used through semi-structured interviews with ten teachers. The results show that teachers use a variety of strategies and tools to support language development. Key strategies employed by teachers include the Bornholms model and the Curriculum circle, which focus on strengthening pupils’ language skills through structured teaching. The use of visual aids and digital tools also proved to be important for facilitating understanding and creating a more inclusive learning environment. The results indicate that teachers have different approaches to how the mother tongue is used in teaching. Some teachers view the mother tongue as an important resource for parallel language development, where pupils develop both their mother tongue and Swedish simultaneously. Other teachers use the pupils' mother tongue more restrictively, primarily to provide support when needed, such as allowing pupils to read or listen to books in their mother tongue. It can be concluded that multilingualism is seen as an asset rather than a limitation, but that awareness about and the use of tailored strategies are required for the mother tongue to be effectively integrated into teaching.