FIRST-LANGUAGE EXCLUSION AND SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG MARGINALIZED CHILDREN IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN: AN EXPLANATORY SEQUENTIAL MIXED-METHODS STUDY

Abstract

First language exclusion is the exclusion or marginalisation of L1 or first language in any early childhood institution. Rapid language shifts in multilingual environments could limit understanding, emotional safety, involvement, self-expression of identity and school belonging. An explanatory sequential mixed method design was used in this study to investigate the relationship between first-language exclusion and socio-psychological wellbeing of the marginalised children between the age of 4-6 years of the public and low-cost early childhood education (ECE) institutions in Pakistan. The quantitative sample consisted of 480 children, 480 caregivers, 96 ECE teachers and 48 classrooms. Data collection methods comprised caregiver and teacher measures, structured classroom observation, child friendly pictorial vignettes and play based conversations, and qualitative interviews. The First-Language Exclusion in ECE Scale exhibited high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .89 for teachers and .86 for caregivers) and confirmatory factor-analysis indices were favorable (CFI = .95, RMSEA = .045, and chi-square/df = 2.34). There were more reports of structural forms of exclusion such as missing multilingual supports (84.5%), discouraged home-language use (78.2%), unsupported rapid immersion (71.0%), constrained instructional access (65.8%) and explicit prohibition/correction (42.4%) than explicit prohibition. Higher exclusion was associated with lower overall socio-psychological well-being (beta = -.42, 95% CI [-.49, -.35], p < .001), emotional security (beta = -.38, p < .001), and classroom participation (beta = -.45, p < .001). The association was mediated by teacher support, which was .21 (p < .01) with the interaction. Qualitative analysis produced three themes: misinterpreted withdrawal, identity devaluation versus linguistic affirmation and institutional pressure or ‘guilty multilingualism’. Overall, integrated findings indicate that language exclusion takes place as an instructional-access and socio-psychological issue of inclusion. Participation, safety and belonging can be helped through additive, scaffolded multilingual transitions and respectful recognition of home languages. As the study was observational, the results are considered associations and not causes.