Conference Agenda

To establish sustainable and inclusive education (IE), it is imperative to “overcome barriers limiting the presence, participation and achievement of learners” (UNESCO, 2017, p. 7). Realization of this objective requires a concerted effort from education policy and practice stakeholders to identify and address barriers that impede students’ access to quality education and opportunities (Alexiadou & Essex, 2016). Given the proliferation of migration and refugee movements worldwide, there has been a notable increase in linguistic diversity (European Commission/Eacea/Eurydice, 2019). As a result, the need for school inclusion of students with migration biography and refugee experience has been identified as a crucial objective of educational policy and practice (European Commission/Eacea/Eurydice, 2019).

While the presence of linguistic diversity in schools is not a new phenomenon and has been extensively documented for many years (UNHCR, 2023), numerous countries in Europe and beyond continue to adhere to a monolingual approach by separating students based on their language proficiency (Herzog-Punzenberger et al. 2020). Specifically, according to a report by the European Commission, EACEA, and Eurydice (2019), in 24 of the 27 countries within the European Union, students who have recently arrived in a new country and do not yet speak the language of instruction are temporarily placed in pull-out language support or preparatory classes. This separation of students with beginning or emergent skills in the language of instruction, which follows the structured immersion approach, is often presented as a means of promoting their overall academic and linguistic growth. However, international comparative studies have consistently revealed significant disparities in achievement between students with and without migration biography or refugee experience (OECD, 2018). Moreover, research suggests that the conventional approach of segregating students based on their language proficiency levels does not align with the most effective language support practices employed by skilled teachers during mainstream classes (Erling et al., 2022).

Despite ongoing challenges in achieving educational equity caused by the continued use of segregated language support in various European nations, this symposium aims to provide a transnational perspective on current approaches and practices related to addressing linguistic diversity. It will feature insights from those closely engaged in the task of professional language instruction. The symposium reveals a common thread among the three represented countries - they all implement some form of a segregated approach when integrating newly arrived children and young people (European Commission/Eacea/Eurydice, 2019). Furthermore, each contribution emphasizes unique aspects pertinent to addressing linguistic diversity in educational institutions. Specifically, contribution one examines the language ideologies of educators in Austria, contribution two analyzes the practical application of inclusive teaching methods for newly arrived immigrant students in Germany, and contribution three explores the creation of strategies to assist teachers in instructing linguistically diverse classrooms in Finland.

The first contribution provides a thorough examination of the elements that Austrian educators deem beneficial to their students' linguistic growth in the language of instruction. It delves into the significance that teachers place on their students' linguistic repertoire and investigates how they incorporate it into their daily teaching practices. The second contribution intends to analyze the inclusive approaches that educators in Germany adopt to address the diverse requirements of students who have fled from Ukraine. Finally, the third contribution utilizes information gathered from Finnish teachers in preparatory and mainstream classrooms, focusing on their approaches to multilingualism in the classroom. Based on this data, an educational game has been developed to assist teachers in recognizing and meeting the needs of all students, regardless of their linguistic prerequisites. Overall, the results presented in this symposium contribute to the expansion of knowledge in the field of language sensitive instruction.

Despite the multilingual reality in classrooms, the Austrian school system follows a monolingual orientation (Erling et al., 2022), which perceives the linguistic repertoire of students from a deficit-oriented perspective and focuses on changing learners’ educational requirements rather than on educational offers (Prinsloo & Krause, 2019). Accordingly, German language learners are “pulled out” of the mainstream classes and are taught in so-called German language support classes (GLSC) (BMBWF 2019). GLSC are heavily criticised by education and language experts because they do not consider the students’ linguistic repertoire (Erling et al. 2023). Furthermore, they do not correspond to examples of 'best pedagogical practices' such as translanguaging and adaptive teaching that can effectively support multilingual students (García & Otheguy, 2021). Similarly, serious obstacles have been identified for multilingual students when it comes to learning the language of instruction or teachers’ attitudes towards students’ linguistic repertoires (Haukås et al., 2022). Building on this, the aim of the present study was to examine which factors teachers consider to be conducive to students’ linguistic development in German (RQ1), and what value teachers place on students’ linguistic repertoire and how, if at all, they integrate it into lessons (RQ2). To this end, 19 semi-structured guideline interviews were conducted with GLSC teachers in 12 primary and 3 secondary schools in Vienna were conducted and analyzed using Mayring’s (2022) summarizing qualitative content analysis. Findings for RQ1 indicate that teachers perceive German language role models, parental encouragement, and knowledge of first language as favourable factors for students to learn German. However, the teachers’ perceptions of students’ linguistic repertoire (RQ2) were either positive, auxiliary, or hesitant. While some indicated that the students’ language repertoire was beneficial and that other languages were actively included in the lessons, others stated that students’ linguistic repertoire was a necessary tool to improve their German language skills. Moreover, some teachers stated that a focus on students’ linguistic repertoire is associated with less time available for practising German. In this context, a hierarchisation of languages was analysed, with Turkish and Chechen being rated unfavourably by teachers. Hence, some of the participating teachers were in favor of the monolingual orientation of the Austrian school system which is contradictory to the linguistic diversity in Austrian schools. This study emphasizes the need to adapt the legal requirements of GLSC to linguistic diversity and to educate teachers to employ translanguaging and adaptive teaching to support students with a broad linguistic repertoire.

BMBWF. (2019). Deutschförderklassen und Deutschförderkurse. Leitfaden für Schulleiterinnen und Schulleiter. Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung. https://www.bmbwf.gv.at/dam/jcr:f0e708af-3e17-4bf3-9281-1fe7098a4b23/deutschfoerderklassen.pdf Duarte, J. (2020). Translanguaging in the context of mainstream multilingual education. International Journal of Multilingualism, 17(2), 232–247. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2018.1512607 Erling, E. J., Gitschthaler, M., & Schwab, S. (2022). Is Segregated Language Support Fit for Purpose? Insights From German Language Support Classes in Austria. European Journal of Educational Research, 11(1), 573–586. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.11.1.573 Erling, E. J., Radinger, S., & Foltz, A. (2023). Understanding low outcomes in English language education in Austrian middle schools: The role of teachers’ beliefs and practices. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 44(5), 412–428. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2020.1829630 García, O., & Otheguy, R. (2021). Conceptualizing Translanguaging Theory/Practice Juntos. In CUNY-New York State Initiative on Emergent Bilinguals (Ed.), Translanguaging and transformative teaching for emergent bilingual students: Lessons from the CUNY-NYSIEB Project (pp. 3–24). Routledge. Haukås, Å., Mercer, S., & Svalberg, A. M.-L. (2022). School Teachers’ Perceptions of Similarities and Differences between Teaching English and a Non-Language Subject. TESOL Quarterly, 56(2), 474–498. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.3062 Mayring, P. (2022). Qualitative Content Analysis: A Step-by-Step Guide (1st ed.). SAGE Publications Ltd. Statistik Austria. (2023). Bildung in Zahlen 2021/22. Tabellenband. Verlag Österreich GmbH.

Currently, refugee Ukrainian students attend German mainstream schools, leading to growing heterogeneity in learning groups. More than 90,000 Ukrainian students admitted to Germany since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine through May 2022 need to be swiftly integrated (Deutschlandfunk Kultur, 2022). A topical concern for education policymakers and school practices is the problem of how best to integrate them into the German school system, with the objective of having them transition successfully into mainstream classes. Successful integration largely depends on how quickly refugee students can learn the German language and participate in the education system’s normal offerings (Freudenberg-Findeisen et al., 2021). Systematic research data on the school integration or inclusion of refugees is scarce (Preuß, 2018), but has already shown that social and ethnic segregation of students with migration backgrounds and refugee biographies works to the educational disadvantage of this vulnerable group (Baur & Gröpler, 2020). Refugee students are further disadvantaged among other things by the lack of appropriate pedagogical approaches (Schwaiger & Neumann, 2014) and by teachers feeling inadequately prepared for dealing with refugee students in the classroom (Schuelka, 2018). To help shrink the gap between the right to inclusive education and the potential educational disadvantage of refugee students, schools and teachers are encouraged to provide inclusive teaching offerings (UNESCO, 2023), for example, by employing a range of differentiation models and practices. Against this background, the aim of the present study was to examine which inclusive practices teachers implement to cater the needs of Ukrainian students and what limits the inclusion of Ukrainian students. To explore the research question, eight semi-structured guided interviews with (four) elementary and (four) advanced secondary school teachers were conducted and analyzed (intercoder reliability coefficient of .87 [Holsti, 1969]) using qualitative content analysis (Mayring, 2014). Findings reveal that teachers employ certain differentiated practices such as tiered assignments and tutoring systems. In contrast, differentiated practices such as mastery learning or open education, are seldomly implemented. Additionally, teachers reported a manifold of difficulties ultimately limiting the implementation of differentiated practices. The main difficulty teachers mention is the language barrier. These results, practical implications as well as future lines of research are discussed.

Deutschlandfunk Kultur. (2022). Mehr als 90.000 Schülerinnen und Schüler aus der Ukraine an deutschen Schulen. Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts. https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/mehr-als-90-000-schuelerinnen-und-schueler-aus-der-ukraine-an-deutschen-schulen-100.html#:~:text=Seit%20Beginn%20der%20russischen%20Invasion,Watzinger%20d er%20%E2%80%9ERheinischen%20Post%E2%80%9C. Freudenberg-Findeisen, R.; Harsch, C.; Middeke, A. (2021). Zur sprachlichen und gesellschaftlichen Integration neu zugewanderter Menschen. Eine Bilanz. Universitätsverlag Göttingen. Holsti, O. R. (1969). Content Analysis for the Social Sciences and Humanities. Addison- Wesley. Mayring, P. (2014). Qualitative Content Analysis: Theoretical Foundation, Basic Procedures and Software Solution. Basic Procedures and Software Solution. https://nbn- resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar395173 Preuß, B. (2018). Inklusive Bildung im schulischen Mehrebenensystem: Behinderung, Flüchtlinge, Migration und Begabung. Research. Springer VS. http://www.springer.com/ Schuelka, M. (2018) Implementing Inclusive Education. Helpdesk Report. https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstream/handle/20.500.12413/14230/374_Impl ementing_Inclusive_Education.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Schwaiger, M. & Neumann, U. (2014). Junge Flüchtlinge im allgemeinbildenden Schulsystem und die Anforderungen an Schule, Unterricht und Lehrkräfte. In M. Gag & F. Voges (Hrsg.), Bildung in Umbruchsgesellschaften: Bd. 10. Inklusion auf Raten: Zur Teilhabe von Flüchtlingen an Ausbildung und Arbeit (Bd. 10, S. 60–79). Waxmann. UNESCO (2023). Inclusion in Education. https://www.unesco.org/en/inclusion-education UN-Generalversammlung. (1966). Internationaler Pakt über wirtschaftliche, soziale und kulturelle Rechte (ICESCR). https://www.institut-fuer- menschenrechte.de/menschenrechtsschutz/deutschland-im- menschenrechtsschutzsystem/vereinte-nationen/vereinte-nationen- menschenrechtsabkommen/sozialpakt-icescr

In the last decade, Finland has seen a wave of immigrants that it is struggling to integrate (Rovamo et al., 2023). However, between the political and economic discussions on the subject, school teachers’ voices continue to call for assistance (Sinkkonen & Kyttälä, 2014; Taylor, Wingren, et al., 2023). They speak of problematic language programs, leading to inequitable outcomes (Helakorpi et al., 2023). Our research sheds light on the issues they face and a means of support (Acquah & Katz, 2020; Taylor, 2024; Taylor, Acquah, et al., 2023; Taylor, Wingren, et al., 2023). For example, results from a thematic analysis highlighted a lack of support regarding materials, training, or cooperation with a system that views immigrants as workers, not students (Taylor et al., 2023). Further classroom observations confirmed teachers’ statements, shedding further light on practices not aligned with Finnish bildung or research (Taylor, 2024). However, research into digital resources gave direction for student-centered designs but highlighted the need for material to be teacher-oriented (Acquah & Katz, 2020; Taylor, Acquah, et al., 2023). The current study examines Finnish educator’s perspective on teaching newly arrived immigrants. Our ongoing research involves three data types focused on teacher’s perspectives. The first is a continuance and then a re-evaluation of interviews with immigrant preparatory and mainstream subject teachers. These interviews will aid content development. We will combine this with data from a Swedish-speaking teacher focus group in a Finnish municipality with high immigrant numbers. This data provides further insight into teachers’ current situation as they support student integration. Lastly, re-evaluating the observational data collected from teachers across Finland in light of these themes will help create a practical design for classroom environments. Unable to change the economic forces driving immigration, we focus instead on modernizing education via technology. We aim to create a language-learning game called Sprok, which is meant to act as a digital workbook for teachers and a role-playing game for students. By analyzing municipal curricula, the current materials used in language learning, and understanding classroom teachers’ needs, we are designing practical support material for teachers based on their perspectives. This, in conjunction with the resultant thematic analysis, will provide insight into what features are required for students to receive educational content in a way that benefits not only them but teachers as well.

Acquah, E. O., & Katz, H. T. (2020). Digital game-based L2 learning outcomes for primary through high-school students: A systematic literature review. Computers & Education, 143, N.PAG-N.PAG. a9h. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103667 Helakorpi, J., Holm, G., & Liu, X. (2023). Education of Pupils with Migrant Backgrounds: A Systemic Failure in the Finnish System? Finland’s Famous Education System: Unvarnished Insights into Finnish Schooling (pp. 319–333). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-8241-5_20 Rovamo, H., Pettersson, K., & Sakki, I. (2023). Who’s to blame for failed integration of immigrants? Blame attributions as an affectively polarizing force in lay discussions of immigration in Finland. Political Psychology, n/a(n/a). https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12917 Sinkkonen, H.-M., & Kyttälä, M. (2014). Experiences of Finnish teachers working with immigrant students. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 29(2), 167–183. Taylor, B. B. (2024). Policy Effects on Immigrant Integration Education in Finland-Swedish Schools [Manuscript submitted in preparation]. Taylor, B. B., Acquah, E. O., & Hilli, C. (2023). Interactivity and Digital Learning Resources: A Scoping Review [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Taylor, B. B., Wingren, M., Bengs, A., Katz, H., & Acquah, E. (2023). Educators’ perspectives related to preparatory education and integration training for immigrants in Finland. Teaching and Teacher Education, 128, 104129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104129