German language support in Austria: feasibility, effectiveness and legitimacy from the perspective of public administration

Abstract

Education systems around the world have been grappling with the task of including multilingual students. To achieve this objective, multilingual students in Austria have been receiving parallel instruction in segregated classrooms since the 2018/19 school year. These measures have been the subject of criticism, particularly in terms of their practical feasibility due to limited space and staff resources, as well as their effectiveness in terms of students’ academic, linguistic, and socio-emotional development and their fundamental normative value (i.e. legitimacy). To add a new perspective, this study employs qualitative data to clarify public administration employees’ stances on the perceived feasibility, effectiveness, and legitimacy of German language support measures. The results of a reflexive thematic analysis reveal that most participants hold negative perceptions of perceived feasibility, particularly concerning spatial and personnel resources as well as class composition. Findings also indicate that participants convey a critical outlook on the effectiveness of the German language support measures in terms of students’ general academic progress and socio-emotional development. Interestingly, the findings suggest that, despite clear negative assessments, there exist conflicting and indecisive views pertaining to perceived legitimacy. The results presented in this study hold significant implications for research efforts that prioritize language and diversity considerations.