Teachers’ Beliefs about Standard and Vernacular Arabic The Case of Mother Tongue Tuition in Sweden

Abstract

This thesis investigates Arabic mother tongue teachers’ beliefs about Standard and Vernacular Arabic within the Swedish educational system. The study aims to explore teachers’ beliefs about Arabic varieties, the functions attributed to them in teaching, how these beliefs relate to pedagogical materials, and which beliefs are commonly held together. The beliefs are analysed in relation to a theoretical framework of Standard Arabic ideology and prescriptivism (Hallberg, 2023a), language orientations (Ruiz, 1984; ), and curricular domains (Goodlad et al., 1979). They are also discussed in relation to a contextual background and previous research. Using a mixed-methods approach, data consist of questionnaire responses from 333 teachers and semi-structured interviews with 11 of them, analysed with inspiration from thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The findings show diverse beliefs about Arabic varieties, although the high status of Standard Arabic is consistently upheld. Vernacular Arabic is primarily recognised for its communicative function and as pupils’ mother tongue, while Standard Arabic is viewed as essential for formal written language. Some teachers support the use of Vernacular Arabic in initial literacy development, whereas others advocate a Standard Arabic-only approach, despite pupils’ limited proficiency in this variety. The study also addresses beliefs about pedagogical materials and assessment and proposes an additional category within curricular domains: external curricula, reflecting teachers’ engagement with external curricula and textbooks. The analysis demonstrates that teachers’ beliefs tend to cluster in consistent combinations; four main belief groups are identified, relating differently to teaching and assessment, with likely implications for pupils.