Teachers' Mindsets About Their Role in Shaping the Norms of Students' L1 Use in Greek Classrooms

Abstract

In Greece, mainstream classes consist of linguistic and cultural mosaics, where pupils face problems related to the absence of their L1. Teachers play a significant part in this, as when L1 is welcome, the sense of belonging increases, being highly influenced by their mindsets, in terms of values, teaching attitudes and methods. The chapter explores teachers' mindsets about their role in handling the presence and set the norms of different L1 use in class, presenting the findings of a qualitative research conducted as part of a doctoral thesis on the production of multilingual teaching material for the awakening of first-schoolers to linguistic diversity. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews, exploring 60 teachers' mindsets about their role in promoting the use of L1 in class. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and processed through thematic analysis. Encouraging the L1 use, adopting integrative routines, creating conditions of cooperation, and cultivating values among pupils are the main axes that set the norms of students' L1 use in class.