Multimodality as a “third space” for English as an additional language or dialect teaching: early career teachers’ use and integration of technology in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis research reports on a qualitative study that examines early career teachers’ preparedness for the pedagogical use and integration of (digital) technology in culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) classrooms. In particular, it explores and unpacks teachers’ views of and experiences with the affordances of technology and feelings of preparedness to create a multimodal “third space” in the classroom that leverages the practices that learners have developed in the “first space” of their homes and communities and what they must develop in “the second space” of school. In-depth semi-structured interviews with eight mainstream secondary school teachers in Sydney addressed three broad dimensions: (i) their feelings of preparedness to implement multimodal classroom practice for English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) students; (ii) their challenges and experiences with digital technology in creating a multimodal “third space”; and (iii) the teachers’ observed and perceived benefits of a multimodal “third space” to support the needs of EAL/D learners. Analysis of interview data revealed that although teachers reported sufficient knowledge of and confidence with digital technology and acknowledged the potential of multimodal environments for supporting EAL/D learners’ needs, they do not appear to be pedagogically prepared to deliver multimodal classroom practice due to the lack of preparation in initial teacher education (ITE) courses and an overcrowded curriculum, which do not always allow for the creation of third spaces in the classroom.