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Teachers’ beliefs about metalinguistic reflection for promoting English learning and plurilingualism. The evolution of three English teachers’ beliefs in a reflective practice programme

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Universitat de Barcelona. Facultat d'Educació

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[eng] Promoting and valuing multilingualism in education has gained significant attention in recent years, as traditional ideologies of language isolation are being challenged. These ideologies assume that learners’ first languages interfere with the acquisition of the target language, and that greater exposure guarantees high levels of attainment. In contrast, research shows that languages within a learner’s repertoire interact dynamically, and that activating prior linguistic knowledge can enhance foreign language learning. Despite this evidence, monolingual traditions continue to shape classroom practice, making it essential to prepare teachers to address linguistic diversity through multilingual approaches. In this context, analysing teachers’ beliefs becomes crucial, since they shape classroom practices. However, few studies have examined the tools that foster meaningful change among in-service primary EFL teachers’ beliefs. This study addresses this gap by investigating EFL teachers’ existing beliefs about the integration of metalinguistic reflection through cross-linguistic comparisons in English classrooms, tracing their evolution over time, and identifying the practices that trigger change in beliefs.  

To achieve these aims, a two-stage intervention was conducted. Stage 1 investigated 43 primary EFL teachers’ beliefs regarding plurilingualism, mediation, and metalinguistic reflection through a questionnaire. Stage 2 involved a year-long reflective training with six teachers selected from Stage 1, three of whom were analysed in depth, each representing one of the three views identified by Pérez-Peitx et al. (2019): Isolated, Partially Integrating, and Integrating. The training comprised three phases: (1) self-analysis through a visual reflective diary (VRD) to surface tensions and contradictions; (2) contrast, involving four sessions of a focus group that confronted participants’ beliefs with scientific knowledge; and (3) redescription, where participants engaged in self-confrontation and compared their final VRD entry with both the initial and intermediate ones to revisit tensions in their beliefs and advance toward reconceptualisation. This intervention was supplemented with an individual final interview with the focus group participants to explore the training’s effectiveness.  

The findings revealed that most teachers expressed positive beliefs toward plurilingual practices, ranging from Partially Integrating to Integrating views, though elements of monolingual traditions persisted across the three views. The in-depth analysis of three teachers’ beliefs showed diverse starting points and demonstrated that sustained reflection ncould prompt substantial reorientations, particularly regarding the pedagogical value of first language use, the accessibility of metalinguistic reflection, and the ultimate goals of language learning. Belief change emerged as a non-linear, multi-layered process, most likely to occur when participants confronted internal contradictions in their own belief systems. Moreover, change was most effectively fostered through the interplay of collaborative reflection, self-confrontation with classroom practice, and theoretical input, though tools such as VRD also supported metacognitive awareness. Overall, the study underscores both the complexity of teachers’ belief systems, and the transformative potential of carefully designed reflective training for advancing toward more linguistically responsive pedagogies.

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[cat] Promoure i valorar el multilingüisme en l’educació ha adquirit una rellevància creixent en els darrers anys, especialment davant el qüestionament de les ideologies que conceben les llengües com compartiments aïllats. Aquestes perspectives assumeixen que les llengües primeres interfereixen en l’aprenentatge de la llengua meta. En canvi, la recerca indica que activar el coneixement lingüístic previ pot afavorir l’adquisició de llengües estrangeres. Malgrat aquestes evidències, les tradicions monolingües continuen influint en la pràctica docent. En aquest context, analitzar les creences del professorat esdevé fonamental, especialment perquè encara hi ha pocs estudis que explorin eines capaces de promoure canvis significatius en les creences dels docents de primària d’anglès com a llengua estrangera. Aquest estudi investiga les creences dels docents sobre la integració de la reflexió metalingüística mitjançant comparacions interlingüístiques a l’aula d’anglès, n’analitza l’evolució al llarg del temps i identifica les pràctiques que poden desencadenar transformacions en els seus sistemes de creences.

La recerca es va estructurar en dues etapes. En la primera, es van examinar les creences de 43 docents de primària. En la segona, es va implementar una formació reflexiva d’un any amb sis docents seleccionats, tres dels quals es van analitzar en profunditat, representant les tres visions descrites per Pérez-Peitx et al. (2019): Aïllada, Parcialment Integradora i Integradora. La formació es va articular en tres fases: (1) autoanàlisi mitjançant un diari visual reflexiu; (2) contrast a través de quatre sessions de grup de discussió; i (3) redescripció, amb un procés d’autoconfrontació i comparació de les entrades del diari. L’estudi es va completar amb una entrevista final individual.

Els resultats mostren que, tot i que la majoria de docents manifestaven creences favorables a pràctiques plurilingües, persistien elements monolingües en totes tres visions. L’anàlisi evidencia que la reflexió sostinguda pot generar reorientacions significatives. El canvi de creences es configura com un procés no lineal i multicapa, especialment quan els docents afronten contradiccions internes. Les reflexions col·lectives, l’autoconfrontació i la teoria emergeixen com a factors clau. En conjunt, l’estudi destaca la complexitat dels sistemes de creences docents i el potencial transformador d’una formació reflexiva orientada a pedagogies més sensibles a la diversitat lingüística.

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cc by-nc-nd (c) Frigolé Pujol, Neus, 2026

# metadata.dc.title[].value
Teachers’ beliefs about metalinguistic reflection for promoting English learning and plurilingualism. The evolution of three English teachers’ beliefs in a reflective practice programme