From Theory to Agency: Professional Development Pathways for Multilingual Pedagogies

Abstract

This study explores how multilingual pedagogies are understood and enacted within Türkiye’s education system by analysing teachers’ beliefs, language ideologies, and classroom practices. Although professional development increasingly promotes translanguaging, teachers’ use of multilingual strategies remains constrained by monolingual policies, standardised testing, and curricular demands. Research shows that educators often distinguish between immigrant and regional minority multilingualism, assigning different degrees of legitimacy to students’ languages. Teachers’ identity, prior linguistic experiences, and exposure to diverse contexts strongly shape their willingness to adopt multilingual practices. Evidence indicates that sustained professional development enhances teachers’ confidence and ability to integrate students’ home languages. The study argues that effective multilingual pedagogy requires alignment across policy, curriculum, and teacher education. Copyright © 2026, IGI Global Scientific Publishing. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global Scientific Publishing is prohibited. Use of this chapter to train generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is expressly prohibited. The publisher reserves all rights to license its use for generative AI training and machine learning model development.