Student teacher ethnocentrism: attitudes and beliefs about language

Abstract

After the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa, democratic transformation included desegregating mono-ethnic environments, such as schools and higher education institutions, through the integration of learners and students from diverse multilingual and multicultural backgrounds. A further ideal encouraged mother-tongue education. Yet, a growing preference for English as the medium of instruction ensued, especially in multilingual urban areas. This study investigated the degree of ethnocentrism that student teachers studying at a mono-ethnic private higher education institution had and what their attitudes and beliefs about language-in-education issues were since such outlooks could potentially affect their classroom practices. Ethnocentrism, the tendency of an individual to identify strongly with their own ethnicity and to reject others’, draws on the premises of the social identity theory owing to the focus on in-group-out-group distinctions, racism and stereotyping. Using an online questionnaire to generate primarily quantitative data, this embedded mixed-methods study investigated 1 164 student teachers’ reasons for choosing to study at a mono-ethnic higher education institution. Their degree of ethnocentrism as well as their attitudes and beliefs about languages used for social and educational purposes were measured by the standardised Generalised Ethnocentrism and Language Attitudes of Teachers Scale. Key findings from the qualitative data indicated that student teachers chose to study at a particular institution because of a shared mono-ethnic social identity, which strongly relates to a common language (Afrikaans), culture (Afrikaner), religion (Christianity) and possible race (Caucasian). The quantitative data showed a statistically significant relationship between the student teachers’ degree of ethnocentrism and their attitudes and beliefs about language-in-education issues. Overall, in line with the social identity theory, findings pointed to the formation of social identities based on shared ethnic characteristics, such as language, culture, religion and race. The study provides a more comprehensive understanding of how ethnocentrism, social identities and particular perspectives of language-in-education issues exist on a continuum. Unchecked, such attitudes and beliefs may have far-reaching consequences for multilingual classroom practices, especially where English as the medium of instruction is the mother tongue of neither the learners nor the teacher.

Afrikaans: In Suid-Afrika het demokratiese transformasie die desegregasie van mono-etniese omgewings, soos skole en hoëronderwysinstellings, ingesluit. Dit het onder andere meegebring dat leerders en studente uit verskillende taal- en kultuuragtergronde saam in die leeromgewing verkeer. Moedertaalonderrig is ook veral tydens aanvangsonderrig aangemoedig. Tog het daar toenemend ʼn voorkeur vir Engels as onderrigmedium ontstaan, veral in meertalige stedelike gebiede. Hierdie studie stel ondersoek in na die mate van etnosentrisme wat studenteonderwysers openbaar terwyl hulle by ʼn mono-etniese private hoëronderwysinstelling ingeskryf is. Hulle houdings en oortuigings met betrekking tot taalonderrigkwessies is ook vasgestel. Etnosentrisme, die neiging van individue om sterk met hul eie etnisiteit te identifiseer en dié van ander te verwerp, is geskoei op die sosiale identiteitsteorie met ‘n fokus op binnegroep-buitegroeponderskeid, rassisme en stereotipering. ʼn Aanlyn vraelys is gebruik om hoofsaaklik kwantitatiewe data te genereer wat verskaf is deur 1 164 studenteonderwysers. Sowel hulle graad van etnosentrisme as hul houdings en oortuigings oor tale wat vir sosiale en opvoedkundige doeleindes gebruik word, is gemeet aan die hand van die gestandardiseerde Generalised Ethnocentrism en Language Attitudes of Teachers skaal. Sleutelbevindinge uit die kwalitatiewe data dui aan dat studenteonderwysers verkies om aan ʼn spesifieke instelling te studeer waar ʼn gedeelde mono-etniese sosiale identiteit, wat sterk verband hou met ʼn gemeenskaplike taal (Afrikaans), kultuur (Afrikaner), godsdiens (Christendom) en moontlik ras (blank) heers. Die kwantitatiewe data het ʼn statisties beduidende verband getoon tussen die studenteonderwyseres se graad van etnosentrisme en hul houdings en oortuigings rakende taal-in-onderwyskwessies. Die bevindinge dui ook op die ontwikkeling van sosiale identiteite gebaseer op samehorigheidseienskappe soos taal, kultuur, godsdiens en ras. Die studie bied ʼn meer omvattende begrip van hoe etnosentrisme, sosiale identiteite en bepaalde perspektiewe van taal-in-onderwys-kwessies op ʼn kontinuum bestaan. As voornemende onderwysers nie bewus gemaak word van hulle sterk etnosentriese oortuigings nie, kan dit verreikende gevolge vir meertalige praktyke in die klaskamer inhou, veral waar Engels as onderrigmedium gebruik word, maar nie die moedertaal van die leerders of die onderwyser is nie.