The Needs of Educators in Intercultural and Bilingual Preschools in Chile: A Case Study

Abstract

Several studies have examined the lack of or the insufficient preparation of K-12 educators to work in intercultural and bilingual (IBE) schools in Chile, but little is known about the preparation of educators to teach in IBE preschools. Even less is known about teachers' perceptions of their own preparation. This work contributes to a growing body of literature that examines the experiences and practice of second language teachers in Indigenous language education settings from a sociocultural perspective. This qualitative case study focuses on teachers' perceptions of their preparation to teach Mapudungun, the language of the Mapuche people, in urban IBE preschools in Chile. Ferrada, & Villena, 2013). In addition, relevant research on teacher education for IBE settings is limited in Chile, with few of these studies focused specifically on the preparation of teachers to teach in IBE preschools.The small number of relevant studies, as well as their findings with respect to insufficient teacher preparation, are not surprising if we consider that university programs for teacher education in IBE schools are very limited in Chile. There are only two such programs in Chile, and neither of them is located in Región Metropolitana, the capital region, even though this region has the fastest growing population of Indigenous people in the country. This lack of teacher education programs for IBE in Región Metropolitana suggests that preschool teachers may face crucial issues when teaching in IBE preschools. First, these teachers may not have received relevant or adequate linguistic and cultural preparation for IBE; second, they will be teaching in an area-Región Metropolitana-that sees itself as a "white" and "modern" city, while rejecting and ignoring the presence of native Mapuche people (Aravena, 2007). In short, these teachers are not professionally prepared, and they may not be even aware of diversity and Indigenous children in their schools, despite the widely researched importance of culturally responsive pedagogy in teacher preparation programs (e.g., Cochran-Smith, 2004;Gay, 2002Gay, , 2010Villegas & Lucas, 2002).To address these issues, we focused this study on preschool education, as this is the only level that acknowledges IBE education from the standpoint of an entire school as opposed to the mainstream elementary and secondary schools in Chile that offer a single course or class on Indigenous language and culture. Additionally, we focused on IBE preschools because Indigenous communities in Chile consider the education of young children as crucial for the revitalization of Indigenous languages.In this study, we aim to identify teachers' perceptions of their needs regarding their preparation to teach language (specifically, Mapudungun) in emergent bilingual settings, such as IBE preschools. This study is focused on the Mapudungun language as it is the language of Mapuche people; it is one of the This study addresses in part the directive of the IBE program in Chile to develop additive bilingualism in ...

Promoting Intercultural Competence in Bilingual Programs in Indonesia

“…She identified that these three have different views on interculturality, in which Peruvian views IC as harmonious dialogue among cultures, Ecuadorian views it as a strengthened indigenous identity, and Bolivian viewed it as a strengthened national identity based on respect for all. A recent study in Chile by Becerra-Lubies and Fones (2016) suggests teachers in Chilean contexts need to equip themselves with IC components to successfully transfer and teach in bilingual programs. What is implied in this research is that IC is related to building harmony among different ethnic groups and maintaining local identities.…”

Exploring the lived experience of one Rural Teacher in Indigenous context in Chilean Northern Territory: A narrative inquiry

“…The absence of guidance for teaching in rural contexts in the Chilean Teachers' Professional Program evidences the lack of discussion about how to improve rural and Indigenous education through teachers' professional development. In 1978, the Intercultural Program was implemented, and this is still being taught in schools (Becerra-Lubies & Fones, 2016). This program gives some flexibility for rural schools with Indigenous students to adjust the National Curriculum according to the students' needs (Catriquir & Duran, 1997).…”

“…How could these skills be developed in teacher education programs? Most of the research that has been undertaken in Indigenous communities and schools in Chile is in the south of the country because these regions are where the majority of the Indigenous population are located (Becerra-Lubies & Fones, 2016;Ortiz, 2009). Thus, the reality of local Indigenous peoples' education, and the experiences of their teachers in the North of Chile, seems to be unknown.…”

“…Research suggests that teachers construct their own beliefs and perceptions about teaching from their experiences inside the educational system (Chong & Low, 2009). In Chile, most of the teachers working in rural and Indigenous contexts do not know about local traditions because they were educated in urban settings (Becerra-Lubies & Fones, 2016). Thus, the concern is that there is a gap between teachers' perceptions and the reality of teaching in rural school contexts.…”

“…Nevertheless, most research about teaching in different Chilean contexts has been focused on preservice teachers' perceptions of their teaching experiences. The perceptions and experiences of in-service teachers remains unclear (Becerra-Lubies & Fones, 2016). Also, Becerra-Lubies and Fones (2016) suggest the importance of understanding in-service teachers' perceptions of teaching in Indigenous settings.…”