The Mediating Role of Language Ideologies in the Link Between Teacher Beliefs and Classroom Discourse on Translanguaging: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

This study explored the role of language ideology in shaping the relationship between teacher beliefs and classroom discourse on translanguaging among public school teachers. Grounded in applied linguistics, the study addresses how internal belief systems influence actual pedagogical practices in multilingual classrooms. Specifically, it aims to determine whether language ideology mediates the relationship between teacher beliefs and classroom discourse. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, involving 300 public school teachers from Region XI, Philippines. Quantitative data were analyzed using structural equation modeling to test the mediation model, while qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 17 purposively selected participants to enrich and validate the findings. Results revealed that language ideology serves as a significant full mediator between teacher beliefs and classroom discourse on translanguaging. Qualitative findings further confirmed the relationships among variables, emphasizing that language ideology functions as a critical internal filter through which teacher beliefs are translated into instructional discourse. The integration of quantitative and qualitative data are mostly characterized as connecting-confirmation, with language ideologies described as connecting-expansion. In conclusion, the study provides substantial evidence that language ideology plays a pivotal role in bridging teacher cognition and classroom practice, highlighting its importance in promoting effective translanguaging strategies in multilingual education contexts.