Building Bridges: A Holistic and Non-Linear Framework for Training Language Teachers in Technology-Mediated Plurilingual Pedagogies

PhD Research

My doctoral research explored the intersection of plurilingualism and educational technology—increasingly recognized in emerging scholarship as technology-mediated plurilingual pedagogies—within contemporary language teacher education programs. It examined how language teacher candidates perceive, develop, and enact such pedagogies, challenging dominant narratives attributing implementation difficulties solely to individual resistance. Instead, the study foregrounded the systemic, institutional, and contextual factors that shape teachers’ willingness to adopt or refrain from implementing inclusive, digitally informed pedagogies.

The research consisted of three interconnected studies and drew on the ecological model and the metaphor of rhizomatics—two frameworks that have not been used in the context of teacher education in general and technology-mediated plurilingualism in particular. Thus, it offers a context-specific contribution to the field of applied linguistics. The ecological model enabled a multi-layered analysis of teacher candidates’ development, attending to the interplay between micro-, meso-, and macro-level influences. Rhizomatics, on the other hand, as both a methodological and conceptual lens, offered a way to trace teacher learning as non-linear, dynamic, and contextually entangled—mapping movements, ruptures, and unexpected connections rather than fixed progressions. This approach challenges the conventional view of teacher education as a sequential or cumulative process. Instead, it emphasizes how teaching practice is often governed by implicit, overlooked forces—such as institutional limitations, shifting language ideologies, policy constraints, and relational dynamics—that lie beyond teachers’ control or intent.

One of the key contributions of the research was the development of a context-responsive framework for preparing language teachers to critically and creatively engage with plurilingual and digital pedagogies. This framework provides concrete directions for teacher education reform across diverse (language) programs and contexts. It contributes to the evolving field of language education by advancing methodological innovation and pedagogical relevance.

The findings will be disseminated through upcoming peer-reviewed publications.