PhD project exploring how home languages are supported and implemented in Norwegian early childhood education and care (ECEC), as viewed from the perspectives of minority parents and pedagogical leaders.
The PhD project explores how children’s home languages are understood and supported in Norwegian early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings.
The study is motivated by the increasing linguistic diversity in Norway, where about one in five children has a first language other than Norwegian. Kindergartens therefore play a central role in supporting both children’s Norwegian language development and the maintenance of their home languages.
The project aims to gain insight into how parents and ECEC professionals (pedagogical leaders) understand and implement the use of home languages in ECEC, and which factors facilitate or hinder such language support.
Methodology
The project addresses questions such as: How do pedagogical leaders interpret the guidelines of the Norwegian Framework Plan regarding support for home languages? What are parents’ views on the use of their children’s home languages in kindergarten?
The research consists of three sub-studies: one focusing on family language policy among transnational Polish families, one exploring Polish mothers’ perspectives on the use of home languages in kindergarten, and one examining pedagogical leaders’ perspectives and practices in Norwegian ECEC. Methodologically, the project is based on qualitative in-depth interviews analyzed through a phenomenological approach, emphasizing participants’ lived experiences and perspectives.
The project is relevant for ECEC teachers, researchers, and policymakers interested in how multilingualism can be valued and integrated into pedagogical work in early childhood education.
Monika Ewa Stapor's publications (nva.sikt.no)
Supervisors
Joakim Evensen Hansen, University of Stavanger
