CONFERENCEhttps://doi.org/10.22364/htqe.2025.03 | 44-54 | PDF
Teacher Professionalism in Ensuring Minority Students’ Linguistic Well-Being During the Learning Process
Zenta Anspoka¹, Inga Stangaine¹
¹University of Latvia, Latvia
Abstract
In light of recent changes in Latvian education policy mandating the provision of pre-school and school education in the official language, this study explores the necessity for teachers to develop new competences for working in ethnically and linguistically diverse groups.
The aim of this study is to identify the real professional needs of teachers to help minority students to achieve well-being, both when learning Latvian language and when using it in other school subjects.
The methods applied in this study draw on research examining how student well-being influences learning outcomes and inclusion in education (Nīmante, 2021; Marsh et al., 2020; Svence, 2020; Elksne & Rubene, 2018) as well as on lingvodidactic theories (Martena, 2021; Nanquil, 2021; Fanany, 2018; Anspoka, 2016).
Empirical data were collected through a survey of 162 pre-school and primary school teachers and six focus group discussions involving 109 participants. This approach offered a deeper insight into teachers’ understanding of the issue under investigation and their professional needs.
The results of the study indicate that teachers do understand the concept of linguistic well-being and recognise its importance in the educational process. However, to foster it, teachers need greater engagement from parents and society, as well as access to teaching and methodological tools and learning environments that support the differentiation and individualisation of teaching methods and work organisation. Furthermore, assessment methods for learning achievements should encourage students to learn the language of instruction and to use it regardless of their current level of proficiency.
The results are significant because they provide insights into the specific needs of teachers working with pre-school and primary school students from minority language backgrounds and promoting their linguistic well-being. Teachers need to support students in accessing educational content in the official language, Latvian, while also helping them improve their proficiency in it.
Keywords: educational content, language anxiety, language teaching/learning, linguistic well-being, multimodal text
In: Human, Technologies and Quality of Education, 2025. Proceedings of Scientific Papers = Cilvēks, tehnoloģijas un izglītības kvalitāte, 2025. Rakstu krājums. Ed. L. Daniela. Riga: University of Latvia, 2025. 698 p.
ISBN 978-9934-36-461-7
https://doi.org/10.22364/htqe.2025