Polish-English Bilingual Language Provisions in Scotland: Understanding Classroom Teacher’s Perspectives on Implementation

What is it about?

This paper aimed to understand the perceptions of Scottish primary school teachers working in an area with an above (national) average number of Polish speaking children towards a bilingual Polish-English programme. Through qualitative data (semi structured interviews and open-ended surveys), research discovered that teachers regarded the programme positively, highlighting improved student experience and greater inclusion as the main benefit and opportunity of the programme. Teacher´s did however raise concerns, about whether the programme would be suitable for all learners, adding potential challenges, such as negative attitudes towards the Polish language and the practical implementation of the programme. Teachers were also concerned that the programme could increase what they felt was an already demanding workload.

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