Nafn nemanda: Samar Bardaei
Námsleið: International Studies in Education, MA
Heiti verkefnis: Multilingual Practices and Immigrant Children’s Social Participation in an Icelandic Preschool
Leiðbeinendur: Anh Dao Katrín Tran og Megumi Nishida

Ágrip/efni (drög): Language is fundamental for children’s social interactions with their peers and educators; it also plays an important role in their inclusion in the preschool community. This qualitative study investigated how multilingual practices shaped the social participation of immigrant children in a preschool in Reykjavík, Iceland. In addition, educators’ and parents’ perceptions of multilingual practices in relation to children’s interactions and wellbeing were examined. The study was informed by Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, Cummins’ work on linguistic interdependence and identity, and García’s theory of translanguaging, and was situated within Icelandic preschool policies emphasizing equality, inclusion, and Icelandic language development. This study aimed to explore how multilingual practices shaped immigrant children’s participation in an Icelandic preschool setting. The study was conducted through six one-hour observations and seven semi-structured interviews. Four educators, three multilingual immigrant children, and the mothers of those children participated in the study. My data consisted of field notes, a research diary, and interview recordings. The data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. An iterative coding process was used to develop codes and themes by identifying common patterns across the different sources of data. Findings showed that children’s access to peer play was associated with their proficiency in Icelandic. The children tended to interact with peers with whom verbal communication was easier. Children with more limited Icelandic sometimes withdrew or experienced difficulties participating in peer interactions. Multilingual children were supported by their educators using visual support, gestures and occasional use of children’s home languages. However, this support often depended on the knowledge and linguistic resources of individual educators rather than on a consistent institutional approach. Educators also described balancing children’s immediate needs to feel safe with the goal of supporting their Icelandic language development. Parents’ confidence in their children’s wellbeing was also connected to the information they received about their children’s preschool experiences. The study shows that recognition of children’s linguistic identities, including their home languages, is important to their sense of belonging. Moreover, the findings suggest a need for greater institutional support to help bridge the gap between policy principles concerning multilingual inclusion and their implementation in everyday preschool practice, rather than relying primarily on individual educators. These findings may help educators and preschool leaders develop more consistent approaches to supporting multilingual children’s social participation and may inform policymakers about the need for clearer institutional guidance and professional support.