Researching and Transforming Multilingual Spaces
Multilingualism in the pedagogical professionalization for preschool
The project explores multilingualism and language education in the education of future elementary teachers. Two groups of citizen scientists are involved in the scientific work: a) students of a vocational secondary school for early childhood education, who contribute and reflect on their biographical and pedagogical experiences with multilingualism and carry out small ethnographic studies in preschools during their preschool internships; b) preschool teachers working in Carinthian and South Tyrolean preschools, who contribute and reflect on their experiences with multilingualism and language education based on their pedagogical practice. The empirical data contributed by the citizen scientists forms the basis for new scientific findings on educational processes of future elementary teachers for early childhood education in linguistically heterogeneous migration societies. In addition, recommendations for pedagogical practice are formulated and a further training concept for early childhood education in multilingual regions is developed.
The main scientific goals are:
- Reconstruction of biographical and pedagogical experiences of students with multilingualism and their reflection with regard to their education processes in the Carinthian migration society.
- Producing 'small' ethnographic studies on multilingualism and language education in Carinthian preschools and analyzing language and language-promoting practices.
- Reconstruction of experiences of active preschool teachers with multilingualism and language education in Carinthian and South Tyrolean preschools and their application in pedagogical training and further education of professionals in early childhood education.
