Preschool Educators’ Perspectives and Experiences Implementing Dual Language Bilingual Education for Emergent Multilinguals with Disabilities

Abstract

This study examines three preschool educators’ perspectives and experiences implementing Spanish-English dual language bilingual education (DLBE) for young emergent multilinguals with disabilities (EMwDs) for the first time. Inclusive DLBE can provide both linguistic and disability-related support to EMwDs. However, several barriers, such as misconceptions about EMwDs’ bilingualism, the competing nature of educational support for disability and linguistic needs, and inadequate DLBE infrastructure, hinder their access to inclusive DLBE. Given the limited research conducted in DLBE for EMwDs, this study aims to contribute to this underexplored field. We used sociocultural theory and boundary crossing as theoretical frameworks to explore how educators’ new experiences implementing DLBE for EMwDs influenced their perspectives. This study took place in two developmental preschool DLBE classrooms located in an urban school district in Arizona. One bilingual lead teacher, one bilingual paraprofessional, and one monolingual paraprofessional, and their ten culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse students participated in this study. The primary data for this study consisted of 12 semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using a constant-comparative method as a recursive and iterative process. The findings revealed that educators’ perspectives evolved from concerns and uncertainty to recognizing benefits as they made sense of their new experiences. The last theme focused on educators’ perspectives and factors impacting the bilingualism of EMwDs. They observed all EMwDs’ developing bilingualism, particularly Spanish-dominant EMwDs. The duration of bilingual exposure and continuation of DLBE were described as some factors impacting EMwDs’ bilingualism.