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A break from traditional programs: Ensuring the academic success of upper secondary immigrant students Candace Alison Loque Thesis for M.A.

degree February 2022 FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND DIVERSITY A break from traditional programs: Ensuring the academic success of upper secondary immigrant students Candace Alison Loque M.A.
thesis in Educational Studies with an emphasis on Multicultural Studies Supervisors: Dr. Edda Óskardóttir and Dr. Hafdís Guðjónsdóttir Faculty of Education and Diversity School of Education, University of Iceland February 2022 A break from traditional programs: Ensuring the academic success of upper secondary immigrant students.

This thesis satisfies 40 credits towards an M.A.


in Educational Studies in the Faculty of Education and Diversity, University of Iceland, School of Education © Candace Alison Loque, 2022 This thesis may not be copied in any form without author permission.

Preface First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisors, Dr. Edda Óskarsdóttir and Dr. Hafdís Guðjónsdóttir.

I am grateful for their guidance, expertise, and encouragement throughout my endeavor.
With their help, I was able to improve the structure of my thesis.

Likewise, I would like to thank all participants for generously sharing their thoughts through their stories.

I would like to give a special mention to my friend, Nura Sarmiento, for helping me reach out to participants who would otherwise not have any idea about my research.

Finally, I´d like to dedicate this thesis to my son and to my mother for loving me just the way I am.

This thesis was written solely by me, the undersigned.
I have read and understand the University of Iceland Code of Ethics (https://english.hi.is/university/code_of_ethics) and have followed them to the best of my knowledge.

I have correctly cited to all other works or previous work of my own, including, but not limited to, written works, figures, data, or tables.

I thank all who have worked with me and take full responsibility for any mistakes contained in this work.
Signed: Reykjavík, February 2022 Candace Alison Loque 3 Abstract A break from traditional programs: Ensuring the academic success of upper secondary immigrant students The growing multicultural environment that schools at all school levels face needs teachers and educators who are willing and ready to change their teaching methods and are attentive to their students' needs.
Even though the upper-secondary schools in Iceland are increasingly accommodating to immigrant students, recent data of student dropouts has demonstrated that professionals lack the knowledge and skills needed to successfully help this group of students move forward with their education.

The purpose of this research is to understand how upper secondary school teachers work with students with diverse language backgrounds in order to construct a pedagogy that responds to immigrant students.
The aim is to investigate how teachers employ the multicultural teaching approach with students with diverse language backgrounds.

This is a qualitative study, and the data consists of 30 stories collected from upper secondary teachers, immigrants and upper secondary students using the story completion method.

The stories were thematically analyzed.

Findings reveal that anxiety, although for various reasons, was present in each group's combined stories.
Teachers showed that they want nothing but the best for their students and are willing to find effective teaching methods.

However, they felt that they lacked the skills to obtain this vision, as well as lacked support.

Similarly, the immigrant group suggested that flexible and effective teaching methods are necessary for students to succeed academically.

Acquisition of academic language skills was something that they agreed to be a crucial factor for progress.
However, students' key results showed that they care more about their well-being than how they prepare themselves for academic success.

4 Ágrip Hlé frá hefðbundnu skólastarfi: Að tryggja námsárangur innflytjenda á framhaldsskólastigi Í því vaxandi fjölmenningarlega umhverfi sem skólar á öllum skólastigum standa frammi fyrir, þurfa kennarar að vera tilbúnir að breyta kennsluaðferðum sínum og hefðum til að bregðast við fjölbreyttum hópi nemenda.
Jafnvel þó framhaldskólar á Íslandi séu í auknum mæli að reyna að koma til móts við þarfir nemenda af erlendum uppruna, hafa nýleg gögn um brottfall þessa hóps sýnt að kennara skortir þá þekkingu og færni sem þarf til að hjálpa þessum hópi nemenda að komast áfram í námi sínu.

Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar er að skilja hvernig framhaldsskólakennarar vinna með nemendum með fjölbreyttan tungumálabakgrunn til að byggja upp kennslufræði sem hentar innflytjendum.
Markmiðið er að rannsaka hvernig kennarar beita fjölmenningarlegum kennsluaðferðum með nemendum sínum.

Þetta er eigindleg rannsókn og gögnin samanstanda af 30 sögum sem var safnað með sögulokaaðferð hjá þremur hópum þátttakenda: framhaldsskólakennarar með reynslu af kennslu nemenda af erlendum uppruna, innflytjendur sem koma frá ýmsum löndum og framhaldsskólanemendur af erlendum uppruna.

Sögurnar voru greindar með þemagreiningu.


Niðurstöður leiða í ljós merki um kvíða af mismunandi ástæðum í sögum hvers hóps.

Kennarar sýndu að þeir vilja ekkert nema það besta fyrir nemendur sína og eru tilbúnir að leita árangursríkra leiða í kennslu.

Hins vegar fannst þeim sig skorta færni og þá vantaði stuðning.

Á sama hátt lagði innflyjendahópurinn til að sveigjanlegar og árangursríkar kennsluaðferðir væru mikilvægar fyrir nemendur til að ná árangri.
Að ná tökum á fræðilegri tungumálakunnáttu var eitthvað sem þeim fannst vera afgerandi þáttur fyrir framfarir í námi.

Helstu niðurstöður úr sögum nemenda sýndu hins vegar að þeim þykir vellíðan sín skipta meira máli en hvort þeir ná árangri í námi.
5 Table of Contents Contents Preface ..............................................................................................................................3 Abstract .............................................................................................................................4 Ágrip .................................................................................................................................5 Table of Contents...............................................................................................................6 Table of Tables ..................................................................................................................8 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................9 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................... 10 1.2 Purpose and significance of the study.......................................................................... 11 1.3 Structure of the thesis .................................................................................................. 12 2 Literature review....................................................................................................... 13 2.1.1 Laws and regulations ............................................................................................. 13 2.1.2 The policy of inclusive education .......................................................................... 14 2.1.3 School quality and teacher’s professionalism ....................................................... 15 2.2 Challenges that immigrant students face in upper secondary schools ....................... 15 2.2.1 Academic language proficiency ............................................................................. 17 2.3 Multicultural Education ................................................................................................ 21 2.3.1 Immigrant
21 2.3.1 Immigrant dropouts from upper secondary education ........................................ 23 3 Methodology ............................................................................................................ 25 3.1 Story completion method ............................................................................................ 25 3.2 Participants ................................................................................................................... 26 3.3 Data gathering through story stems ............................................................................ 28 3.4 Data and data collection ............................................................................................... 29 3.5 Data analysis ................................................................................................................. 30 3.6 Ethical issues ................................................................................................................. 32 3.7 Anonymity and Privacy ................................................................................................. 33 3.8 Limitations of the study ................................................................................................ 33 4 Findings .................................................................................................................... 35 4.1 Teacher group ............................................................................................................... 35 4.1.1 Challenges faced by teachers ................................................................................ 35 4.1.2 Lack of support for teachers.................................................................................. 37 6 4.1.3 Importance of knowing Icelandic .......................................................................... 39 4.1.4 Anxiety ................................................................................................................... 40 4.2 Findings from the
 immigrant group ............................................................................. 43 4.2.1 Anxiety ................................................................................................................... 43 4.2.2 Lack of academic skills as an issue ........................................................................ 45 4.2.3 The importance of flexibility in finding teaching methods that work .................. 48 4.3 Findings from the student group .................................................................................. 51 4.3.1 Positive outlook ..................................................................................................... 51 4.3.2 Anxiety ................................................................................................................... 52 4.3.3 Thinking about the present ................................................................................... 53 5 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 55 5.1 Challenges ..................................................................................................................... 56 5.2 Opportunities ............................................................................................................... 57 5.3 A look to the future ...................................................................................................... 60 6 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 63 References ....................................................................................................................... 65 Appendix A: Introductory letter in Icelandic ..................................................................... 71 Appendix B: Introductory letter in English ........................................................................ 72 Appendix C: Introductory letter in Spanish
 ....................................................................... 73 Appendix D: Formal message to participants in English .................................................... 74 Appendix E: Formal messages to participants in Spanish .................................................. 75 Appendix F: Permission letter for teachers and students .................................................. 76 Appendix G: Permission letter for parents and guardians ................................................. 77 Appendix H: Permission letter for students over 18 years of age ...................................... 78 Appendix I: Story stems intended for teachers ................................................................. 79 Appendix J: Story stems intended for immigrants ............................................................. 80 Appendix K: Story stems intended for students ................................................................ 81 7 Table of Tables Table 1.
Completion rate and dropout from upper secondary education by age when moving to Iceland 2015–2019 (Statistics Iceland, 2021) ................. 26 Table 2.

Number of participants .............................................................................. 29 8 1 Introduction When Iceland became a part of the Schengen Agreement in 2001, employment opportunities for immigrants became more accessible (Skaptadóttir et al., 2012).
Nordic countries are forerunners in the design of family-friendly policies and are considered leaders in providing equal opportunities for women in society and the labor market (Gupta et al., 2008).

Iceland, being a Nordic country, was no wonder an attractive country to immigrants.

People move to Iceland for various reasons.

It could be because of education, reunification of family members, unemployment, or a better life (Skaptadóttir, 2010).
There are countless other reasons to mention, but the main reasons why people immigrate to Iceland are instability and inequality in their home countries (Þórðardóttir, 2011).

In the recent years, immigration to Iceland has increased like in many other European countries (Statistics Iceland, 2019).

Life in a new country comes with many challenges, such as children need to learn Icelandic because it is the language used in schools.
For some children, it can be easy, but for others, it can be very challenging.

Learning a new language takes time and can be very difficult because most immigrant children speak one language at home and another at school.

According to recent studies in Iceland, the school system has struggled to address immigrant students' scholastic and social demands.
The findings of these studies have presented that the well-being of immigrant students suffers in terms of feeling socially isolated, feeling low about themselves, having fewer friends, and are likely the ones that are bullied.

Their participation in leisure and sports activities also tends to be lesser than their peers (Guðmundsdóttir & Ragnarsdóttir, 2013; Ministry of Education, Science and Culture 2020; Ragnarsdóttir & Vilhjálmsson, 2015; Þórisdóttir, 2018).
According to PISA data (The Programme for International Student Assessment) (OECD, 2019), immigrant students have lower educational achievement than their Icelandic classmates and are more likely to drop out from upper secondary school (Ragnarsdóttir & Lefever, 2018).

When teachers focus on the mastery of language acquisition as the point of formally starting their immigrant students' participation in Icelandic schools, it overshadows the strength that these students bring with them.
Based on the data collected by Tran (2018), Vietnamese students' strengths were not recognized because teachers were unable to identify and use those strengths to help their students move forward with their education.

In deciding on a topic for my final thesis, my academic experience as an immigrant and as a teacher in Iceland motivated me to write about upper secondary immigrant students' educational journeys.
This is because these students are not young enough to have enough time to reach the level of academic Icelandic needed to further their education in Iceland.

9 1.1 Background Coming from a diverse linguistic background did not help me in my academic journey in Iceland as none of the languages I grew up with were similar to Icelandic.

Struggling to find a way to achieve the level of academic Icelandic has not been an easy road.
Because of my experience, I can relate to the struggles that immigrant students face.

Many years ago, I took part in a development project with immigrants in upper secondary schools called “Framtíð í nýju landi”: At that time, I was learning to become a teacher, and there were very few of us at the University of Iceland School of Education who did not speak Icelandic as our first language.
I was a mentor to two Vietnamese teenagers who believed that they could only move forward with their education if they could grasp an academic level of Icelandic.

Sadly, neither of them believed that would ever happen.

I did not have strong Icelandic skills at that time, and the main goal of the development project was to support and strengthen participants' education and integration in Iceland.

I did not know how to help them because I struggled with the language, and I am not Vietnamese.
The project made me realize that learning is not all about language skills, although they are essential.

Both teenagers I mentored wanted to further their education.

I initially thought that I could not help them and started to question what I could teach them without Icelandic.

However, my studies in Engineering gave me the ability to help them with mathematics.

Knowing English since I began talking was also helpful because both teenagers felt that English was too difficult for them.
They struggled to read the English books they were required to read at school.

I had the skills that they needed help with, giving me the tools to mentor, even though I did not have a strong command of Icelandic at the time.

Language is not everything.

It is imperative, but there are other ways to teach.

Students who have difficulity learning Icelandic should not be excluded from receiving an education.

I can relate to this as I have struggled to learn a new language many times.
I come from a diverse linguistic and cultural background.

My father is Chinese, and my mother is of Chinese, Spanish, and Filipino descent.

Chinese was my home language since it was the language my parents used to communicate with each other.

I was then enrolled to a Catholic private school at the age of three in which the medium of instruction was in English.
I needed to speak in Cebuano as I lived in the Philippines and then had to learn Tagalog because together with English, it was in some subjects required at school.

My maternal grandmother spoke a different language, as well, which I did not realize until becoming an adult.

Therefore, as a child, I was exposed to many languages, and I learned to behave as expected as I jumped from one culture to another.
Many things were different in each community I participated in, as well as what was expected of me at school.

I had to behave in specific ways appropriate and acceptable for each culture.

Things that seemed reasonably 10 fine in one culture could have been wildly inappropriate in another culture and vice versa.

As an adult, I see this as one of the strengths that has pushed me forward no matter what language I am expected to use, wherever I am in the world.
I never saw language as my enemy to succeed academically.

Learning a new one has never intimidated me, but I have had times when I have struggled.

Considering my background as an immigrant and as a teacher, it is not surprising that I am passionate about finding ways for immigrant students to become active participants in their studies since I have experienced being invisible.

I strongly feel that immigrants should not get stuck because of language barriers or, worse, be given an inferior curriculum.
The best way to help them does not always have to do with how proficient they are in Icelandic.

Teachers need a better understanding of how each person learns differently, need to be sensitive to cultural differences, and need to implement multicultural teaching methods.

There is a saying that “English is not a measure of intelligence.” I can say that neither is Icelandic nor any other language.

It is in the way we teach that we can get the best out of our students.
As Einstein said, “Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid” (Klug, 2014).

We cannot expect immigrant students to be academically at the same level in Icelandic as their peers.

Reaching academic language proficiency takes a lot of time, so in the meantime, while they are on their journeys towards acquiring that, what we can do is find their strengths and use those to push them forward.
1.2 Purpose and significance of the study The increasing multicultural environment that classrooms face needs teachers and educators interested in professional growth.

It is necessary to have teachers who are willing and ready to change their teaching methods and are attentive to their students' diversity.

A practical, multicultural learning approach does not only concern students.

Teachers must also be well prepared for the challenges they have to face in their classrooms.
Teachers need to find ways to help all their students feel capable and be active participants, regardless of their Icelandic language abilities or cultural backgrounds.

Multicultural teaching promotes education that treats different cultures with respect.

It emphasizes that discrimination is morally unacceptable (Verkuyten & Thijs, 2013).

When students feel left out, it is an indication that teachers are not implementing the ideology of multicultural education.
It is necessary to apply inclusive teaching approaches regarding students' diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds (Banks, 2019).

Various teaching practices must ensure that cultural responsiveness is engrained in all aspects of teaching (Banks & Banks, 1995).

11 To ensure equality of opportunity in education, we need teachers who can understand immigrant students' challenges.

Teachers need to be able to communicate with them correctly to help them succeed in their academic journeys (Wells, 2008).
At the same time, students need to see their teachers interact positively with their minority classmates.

Teachers must recognize their racism and biases to perceive the world through diverse cultural lenses (Banks, 2019).

Like the United States, educators in Iceland are primarily white, middle-class people responsible for teaching students who are culturally, linguistically, racially, and economically different from them.
Despite their commitments to address diversity, these educators have never experienced challenges such as those immigrant students face (Ladson, 2005).

Nevertheless, regardless of teachers' cultural and ethnic backgrounds, there is an apparent demand for teachers to be well-prepared to teach in culturally diverse schools.

Teachers need support to help their students achieve desirable academic success.
The purpose of this research is to understand how upper secondary school teachers work with students with diverse language backgrounds in order to construct a pedagogy that responds to immigrant students.

This thesis will give valuable insights into a teaching method that needs to be implemented thoughtfully to help second language learners in their academic journeys.

Increasing the knowledge base within education using the multicultural teaching approach will be of great value for planning classes.
It can also help evaluate services, as well as influence educational policies and strategies to help students feel like there is a way forward without knowing Icelandic.

I aim to investigate how teachers employ the multicultural teaching approach with their students with diverse language backgrounds.

My research question is as follows: How are upper secondary teachers responding to students of immigrant background in their lessons to ensure their academic success?
1.3 Structure of the thesis Chapter 1 of this thesis introduces the study.

Then chapter 2 is the literature review on which this study is based.

The third chapter presents the research design along with the methods used for data collection and analysis.

The fourth chapter is the study's findings.

Chapter 5 is the discussion, and Chapter 6 is the conclusion.
12 2 Literature review This chapter presents relevant literature to this study, beginning with a description of the laws and regulations of the Icelandic school system, then about the policy of inclusive education.

This will then be followed by a chapter about school quality.

A short overview of the challenges that immigrant students face follows this.

After, there is a discussion about academic language proficiency and why it matters followed by a chapter about multicultural education.
Finally, this section ends with an overview of immigrant dropouts from upper secondary education.

This is presented to give a clear picture of important statistics.

2.1.1 Laws and regulations The upper secondary education in Iceland is a comprehensive system where students can choose between attending a grammar school (menntaskóli), comprehensive school (fjölbrautaskóli), and vocational school (tækniskóli).
All who complete compulsory education, usually at the age of 16, have the right to attend the upper secondary level.

Upper secondary level is usually three to four years of study.

Those who graduate from grammar education are matriculated (stúdentspróf) and have the right to attend higher education at the university level.

Students graduating from comprehensive schools (fjölbrautaskóli) can either have completed vocational or matriculated studies.
Vocational schools are for students who choose to study vocations.

The length of study depends on the vocation they choose to study (Ministry of Education & Science and Culture, 2021).

The local government is responsible for planning and developing schooling, defining school policies, and implementing them, according to the Upper Secondary Education Act No.

92/2008.
92/2008.

The Act establishes the fundamental belief that equality should be the foundation of preschool, compulsory, and secondary school operations.

Regardless of whether students have special needs or disabilities, they should be educated in inclusive settings at all levels of education.

This means that teachers and educators should develop inclusive practices and pedagogies because they are the ones who can transform the learning environment for effective learning (Guðjónsdóttir & Óskarsdóttir, 2016).
The National Curriculum Guide of Upper Secondary Schools in Iceland states that teachers and school personnel must have clear academic goals on meeting the needs of immigrant students (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2012b).

This can be done through actively teaching Icelandic, integrating them into Icelandic society, providing them with the support and assistance they need with their homework, and allowing peer-assisted learning.
13 Positive personal and academic attitudes between teachers and their students is influential and is the key to tackling a diverse group of students.

However, that alone is not enough.

Teacher quality matters and is the most important school-related factor influencing student achievement.

A teacher's role is multifaceted, especially now more than ever, because of the diversity of student groups (European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, 2017).
According to a regulation on the rights of students in upper secondary school to receive an education in Icelandic, schools are required to create a reception class for students with native languages other than Icelandic.

Individualized curriculum that takes into account students' backgrounds, language capabilities, and other academic abilities must match their specific requirements to the best of their abilities (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2018).
2.1.2 The policy of inclusive education The development of inclusive education in Iceland has been influenced by the Salamanca Statement adopted by the United Nations in 1994.

The Salamanca Statement was implemented to respect the rights of all learners, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses in any area and to become part of the mainstream education.

It allows every child to have the fundamental right to education.
It also accommodates a child-centered pedagogy that calls for meeting the needs of each child regardless of their abilities and learning needs (Bjarnason et al., 2016).

Inclusive education is a continuous process that aims to offer quality education for all (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2012b).
Based on Gunnþórsdóttir (2016) findings, teachers claimed that the notion of implementing inclusive education is easier to implement in preschools and compulsory schools but is more challenging to apply in upper secondary schools and universities.

According to Handal and Lauvas (1987), three elements influence instructors' work theories.

Implementation, professional knowledge, and ethics are the three components.

Performance is determined by instructors' professional teaching ideas.
Professional or academic expertise is determined by job theory and theoretical concepts, and ethics is determined by the teacher's personal experiences, beliefs, and visions.

Teachers who are culturally responsive in their teaching can meet the needs of their diverse student groups.

They are more self-aware of their biases and can perceive, understand, and accept differences in others.
However, implementing curricula that cater to diversity can be challenging because of many teachers' fear, uncertainty, and discomfort.

Teachers' beliefs also impact and affect how they teach and can hinder the integration of a curriculum that embraces diversity (Van Hook, 2002).

14 2.1.3 School quality and teacher’s professionalism Immigrants in Iceland come from a variety of cultural backgrounds and live in a variety of situations depending on their country of origin.
The Salamanca Statement (1994), which influenced the development of inclusive schools in Iceland, has provided a gateway for all children to be included regardless of their disabilities or learning abilities.

Teachers’ professionalism is based on what their attitude is like, how their work ethic is, and how they impart knowledge to their students.

Teacher professionalism is based on their special vocational education, knowledge, and welfare (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2012b).
Teachers oversee assisting students in acquiring information and abilities, boosting their enthusiasm for learning, and nurturing creative thinking.

This is only feasible if teachers are eager to grow as individuals.

The Icelandic Teacher's Union (2021a) supports this by encouraging teachers to continue their education to have continuous professional development.

Establishing curricula that cater to the diversity of students´ needs requires professionalism.
However, this is relevant because students can be better met with a teaching style that recognizes their cultures and uniqueness (Banks, 2019).

Teachers are accountable for the education and well-being of their students.

They are to support and encourage their students in their studies to achieve their maximum potential.

Teacher education in Iceland was extended from a three-year B. Ed.

Degree to a five-year master's degree.


Since 2012, pre-primary, compulsory, and upper-secondary teachers must have a master's degree in education or their field of study, as well as teacher certification studies.

They are expected to spend time on in-service training, preparation, and other duties in addition to their presence in schools (OECD, 2016).

The extension was done to strengthen the teaching profession and to improve teacher professionalism in Iceland.
There are some programs at the University of Iceland that provide training for culturally sensitive teaching (Icelandic Teacher's Union, 2021a).

Among these are the M. A. degree in International Studies in Education, the M. A. degree in Education Studies with a specialization in Community and Multiculturalism, and the M. Ed or M. A. program on Inclusive Education (University of Iceland, 2021).
2.2 Challenges that immigrant students face in upper secondary schools Vygotsky determined that through exposure to social interactions, a child is exposed to ideas and tools.

Children start to refine concepts for themselves through a sequence of developmental events and repeated exposure to ideas.

Because learning begins from a social plane, theories of normalcy are constructed through the influence of dominant ideologies that they encounter socially (Ratner, 2015).
15 Differences in beliefs, cultural values, and parents' expectations for their children and their education may create obstacles to getting the best out of the education service provisions available that could benefit their children.

In many cases, communication between parents and teachers is essential and is the school's responsibility.

Through communication, teachers can acquire information about what expectations their immigrant students have and that of their parents.
Parents of foreign origin may have differing views on Icelandic education.

Therefore, it is vital that teachers and parents have good communication to understand what expectations these parents have so that there will be better cooperation.

Teachers must demonstrate that they recognize, and respect varied cultural backgrounds and educational perspectives, as well as that having informative communication which is in their students' best interests (Gunnþórsdóttir, Barillé & Meckl, 2017).
Municipalities and schools are required to provide a specific welcoming committee or program assistance that can answer questions concerning language, social, cultural, and school topics.

This committee is also responsible for considering the child's language skills, background, and skills in other learning areas.
Teaching Icelandic as a second language with careful consideration not to replace the child's first language but to encourage and develop bilingualism is one of the essential responsibilities of this committee (Compulsory School Act.

No.

91 2008; Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2012a).

The Upper Secondary Education Act No.

92/2008 strives to provide all students with equal educational opportunities and to meet their educational, physical, social, and emotional requirements.
This regulation also aims to provide children with special education needs with enough learning opportunities, mentoring, and support in creating a stimulating learning environment (OECD, 2016).

With forced displacement reaching historic levels, many countries worldwide are welcoming increasing numbers of refugee children.

Iceland has not been an exemption, and the government has opened its door to people who have had to face forced displacement for several years.
Ragnarsdóttir and Hama (2018) give an inside view of how these families adapt to their new culture and language.

Their academic journeys are one of the challenges they need to face, which further stresses the importance of teachers' expertise, knowledge, and experience to effectively know how to strengthen student engagement, even if it requires a different teaching method.

Students found it difficult to know their peers, but they were very content with their school.
Findings from this study showed that the youngest children progressed better than the older ones.

The older ones showed difficulty learning Icelandic, which eventually made them feel more isolated.

Lack of language skills hindered them from fully participating in their school activities and from building close relationships with their peers.

Refugee children do not alone face isolation.

They have experienced 16 trauma that can have a direct impact on their learning and behavior in the classroom.
They can be overwhelmed, and teachers need to be more sensitive about their linguistic and cultural heritage.

Teachers need to take a team approach in integrating these children into the education system.

Nevertheless, the results obtained by this study showed that most students have been successful in their studies and have somehow found a way to actively participate in their schoolwork (Ragnarsdóttir & Hama, 2018).
Nevertheless, the Icelandic school system has not been successful in meeting the educational needs of students with immigrant backgrounds.

Studies have reported that teachers are facing challenges with working with students of immigrant backgrounds because of limited understanding of their situations and needs (Gunnþórsdóttir, Barillé and Meckl, 2018).
Having foreign-born teachers can help immigrants belonging to minority groups have more self-confidence in their studies and can motivate them to succeed (Gay, 2010).

Many scholars suggest that diverse teachers are fundamental in handling multicultural students because they have varied knowledge and experience in education (Óskarsdóttir et al., 2019).
A teacher who has never taught in a language other than their own typically has not developed the understanding of what it is like to learn in a foreign language.

It is likely that they still have not developed the knowledge and perspectives they need to teach a second language learner (Lucas, 2010).
As this is the case, it is more than beneficial to second language learners in a multicultural teaching approach to have teachers of foreign backgrounds because they have the insights and understanding of struggling academically because of a language barrier.

Moreover, it is also essential to prepare monolingual teachers to understand second language learning.

This way, they can anticipate some of their students' learning processes and therefore be able to recognize common errors.
With such an understanding, they can know when to intervene and when not to intervene and can offer the most effective intervention types (Lucas, 2010).

Research concerning foreign teachers in preschools and grade schools has been conducted in the Nordic countries for the past few years.

The results of this research indicated that teachers of foreign origin experience obstacles within the educational system.
They feel that they are given marginal positions and that they are undervalued because they lack language skills.

In the end, they do not receive the jobs and roles that they are capable of, and their knowledge and educational backgrounds are not fully recognized (Óskarsdóttir et al., 2019).

2.2.1 Academic language proficiency Learning Icelandic is necessary to be able to take part in society.
Some develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to interpret and use language confidently but not enough to learn and communicate in and out of school and participate effectively within the society.

17 This is because literacy skills can go beyond just being able to speak a language.

It is a means to advance personally and socially, which means landing better job opportunities, studying at universities, or integrating better into society.
Icelandic is a requirement to become an active participant in the classroom, but it takes time to learn.

Cummins (2017) believe that there is a difference between surface fluency and academically related proficiency.

He theorized that there are two language components that a student must learn.

He described surface fluency as Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS), while higher-level proficiency was called Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) (Cummins, 1980, 1981).
This was the beginning of the terms BICS and CALP, which became a way to describe the different stages of second language acquisition.

Cummins´ theory of BICS and CALP BICS is cognitively undemanding and is easy to understand.

It is present when dealing with social situations in hallways, classrooms, playgrounds, buses, etc.
As a person's oral and listening skills develop, it is possible to add more challenging activities that can eventually help the person read and write in a second language, such as writing a grocery list, jotting down directions, etc.

It is the language used every day, which requires face-to-face conversational fluency, correct pronunciation, adequate vocabulary, and correct grammar usage of simple language structures (Gallagher, 2008).

The other language proficiency is CALP which is cognitively demanding.
In written academic language and abstract language abilities, extensive vocabulary deals with complex language structures that require analyses, syntheses, and evaluations (Gallagher, 2008).

Other patterns began to emerge as Cummins continued his work with bilingual children.

He observed that there was a specific timeline for CALP to develop.
Bilingual students were fluent in their second language from 0-2 years after their arrival, but it took 5-7 years for the bilingual children to reach CALP (Cummins, 1983; Collier, 1987).

B comes before C, so BICS comes before CALP.

Based on this theory of language acquisition, it is necessary to go beyond BISC to be proficient in CALP.
Acquiring CALP allows a person to read and comprehend academic books in science and social studies and to perform cognitively demanding tasks like writing research essays, expressing oneself in writing academic papers, or reading educational books (Cummins, 2017).

Failure in recognizing the difference between BICS/CALP (conversational/academic) resulted in discriminatory assessment of bilingual students and early exit from language support programs into mainstream classes (Cummins, 1986).
This finding was significant during that time because many school districts in the United States operated on reduced budgets.

Educators assumed that ELL students had already acquired total mastery of the English language when they had only acquired the BISC level of language development.

Thus, it was believed that extra support was unnecessary.

18 However, the distinction between both supported the data that acquiring CALP takes more time since it requires a more complex use of the language.
CALP may not be able to develop without the foundation of BICS.

Cummins found that literacy test results presented that those bilingual students were unfairly disadvantaged.

Assessments created academic deficits because, unlike previously thought, they failed to distinguish between BICS and CALP to understand the different stages of language development.
The distinction between the two has prevented the inappropriate use of standardized tests and has made it possible to intervene successfully to reverse improper labeling and placement of students.

The distinction between BICS and CALP has also provided a continuum for describing language activities in the classroom and for educators to talk about second language acquisition (Cummins, 1983).
Cummins' continuum is based on two intersecting ranges of cognitively demanding and understanding activities: context-embedded vs. context-reduced activities.

By scaffolding language instruction, teachers can assist their students on their journeys of acquiring CALP.

The main idea is to begin in quadrant A with context-embedded, cognitively undemanding activities.

Students can then slowly progress to quadrant D, which includes fewer contexts and is more cognitively demanding (Cummins, 1981).
The distinction between BICS and CALP has provided teachers with a way to talk about second language acquisition and to consider students' proficiencies in their native languages.

Although it is narrowly defined and cannot adequately represent a child's language capability, Cummins' continuum greatly influences bilingual education and how classroom activities are accessed.
Other views on language learning Communication mechanisms that demand different literacy levels are expected in various school system and other professions.

The complexity of the language being used in different settings varies greatly and can adjust according to need.

CALP development is essential in many ways to open doors for academic success, higher education, critical thinking, and more options for career changes and opportunities.
Considering that not all second language learners have the same language proficiencies and might need different approaches, teachers should be careful to not stereotype these students, as they often get categorized as simply second language learners (Frodesen & Holten, 2018).

If so, they end up not getting the right amount of individual support that they need.
In the end, it should not be surprising that when these children are expected to write using their second language, in this case in Icelandic, they fall behind their peers academically.

It is commonly assumed that they can fend for themselves after they have 19 acquired essential academic fluency.

However, writing for educational purposes requires more skill than everyday conversions (Gibbons, 2002).
Grammar can be challenging but is an essential element in writing and is needed to convey meaning properly.

Although, when too much emphasis is placed on it, it can hinder achievement and the content of the writing.

This is because even though grammar is essential and can be easily corrected with proper feedback, content is most important (Frodesen & Holten, 2018).

Aukerman (2007) has criticized Cummins' BICS and CALP development theory.
He has stated that there is no prerequisite language pedagogically and that there is no such thing as not yet acquiring enough CALP.

Aukerman (2007) addressed that reading instructors should better understand the student's home literacy and frame of reference rather than just categorizing students by distinguishing between the BICS stage of language development and the CALP stage of language development.
Carol Edelsky, a childhood reading specialist and a supporter of bilingual education, has also criticized Cummins.

In her opinion, CALP's notion promotes a deficit theory as it attributes the academic failure of bilingual minority students to low cognitive and academic proficiency rather than to inappropriate schooling (Edelsky, 1990).

She feels that literacy incorporates a much broader spectrum of classroom tasks that cannot simply be classified according to the distinction between BICS and CALP.
She has questioned how Cummins and his colleagues defined literacy on reading and writing activities regarding achievement test scores and exercises with artificial texts.

She argues that by accepting Cummins' literacy definition, it becomes necessary to explain failure by simply blaming the learner, the teacher, the language of instruction, and materials.

It leads to the inability to examine the validity of how literacy was conceptualized in the first place.
Core subjects in the upper secondary school are Icelandic, mathematics, and English (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2012b).

Children and youth moving to Iceland usually come from different language backgrounds.

Because the local educational context in Iceland is all based on Icelandic, these children typically become part of the social categorization of students who do not have the language capital to actively participate in their classes.
However, immigrant students whose native language is not Icelandic have the right to instruction in Icelandic as a second language.

This also applies to Icelandic-born students who have stayed abroad for a long time and have little knowledge of Icelandic.

This allows these students to maintain their native language as an optional subject through distance learning or otherwise (OECD, 2016).
Children of immigrant backgrounds could face obstacles in integrating into the Icelandic school system because they come from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

20 Although verbal skills mostly revolve around interactive experiences and plenty of opportunities for speaking and listening, language is so much more than that, as explained using the BICS and CALP theory of language acquisition.
Language is a way of expressing oneself, and children must receive the proper support to be able to express themselves adequately (Hauksdóttir, 2007).

2.3 Multicultural Education As schools in Iceland are becoming more diverse, it is easy for immigrant students to get lost in the school system, especially if schools cannot meet the different needs of students in terms of culture, language, religion, etc.
Terry and Irving (2010) define culture as a broad concept that includes lifelong family life and social networks learning.

Culture includes behavioral styles, language (including different dialects), non-verbal communication, worldviews, values, and perspectives.

Irving (2010) explains that within each culture, subgroups may be formed.

These subgroups differ according to ethnicity, class, language, religion, and geography.
The children of newcomers with different cultures and languages influence the student composition and classroom dynamics of schools (Banks, 2019).

This includes the children of immigrants and the children who, for whatever reason, belong to marginalized groups.

Schools are starting to recognize that a lot of preparation is needed to accommodate the needs of students of diverse cultural backgrounds (OECD, 2015).
Lack of professional knowledge among administrators and teachers can become an obstacle in understanding the needs of students who do not have Icelandic as their first language.

Even though municipalities try to develop policies that can provide a better approach to a multicultural group of students, the lack of emphasis on multicultural teaching in teacher education is one of the reasons why teachers differ in their approaches when dealing with diversity (Tran & Ragnarsdóttir, 2016).
This is where the multicultural teaching approach comes in.

It aims to reform schools by acknowledging various contributions of diverse groups so that they can highlight the struggles, hopes, and dreams these groups have experienced (Banks, 2015).

Banks and Banks (2010) explain multicultural education as, “an idea or concept, an educational reform movement, and a process” (pp.

3–4).
3–4).

Banks further states that multicultural education is not a goal to be obtained but rather an ongoing process that will never be fully realized.

Multicultural education is an educational philosophy that focuses on celebrating cultural differences.

All students should have an equal opportunity to learn in school regardless of their gender, social class, ethnicity, race, religion, ability, and cultural characteristics.
It is a progressive approach that transforms education based on educational equality and social justice.

Multicultural education embraces the philosophy of content 21 integrations, prejudice reduction, and the empowerment of school and social culture (Alismail, 2016).

Different teaching methods can be used to promote multicultural education.

Cultivating a learning environment that benefits diverse student populations is one way to incorporate a multicultural teaching approach.
Teachers can also infuse multicultural education in every element of their instruction, from their projects to the lessons they teach.

Teachers must be aware and critically be able to reflect on the power and the privileges of the dominant culture, as well as where their students belong in these systems.

They must also have the skills to reduce these inequalities to be able to create social equality in the way they deliver a multicultural teaching approach (Alismail, 2016).
Students' motivation to learn is impacted by how teachers introduce tasks that motivate their intrinsic autonomy and competence to flourish, which allows them to engage in deeper learning (Niemiec & Ryan, 2009).

Multicultural education values different student cultures and prepares students to thrive in a diverse world.

Multicultural education fosters equality, justice, and equity, as well as establishes the reality of philosophical ideals in classroom environments.
Multicultural education is what schools implement to set equitable educational opportunities for all their students.

It is also an ongoing process of helping students succeed in their academic and personal lives.

Successful implementation of the multicultural teaching approach into practice and creating active classroom engagement is possible when the school culture and organization are committed to carry out a holistic multicultural approach to education.
This requires changes in the whole school or educational environment and not just to curricular changes.

Hiring the right individuals and teachers is essential.

Departmental goals, objectives, staffing patterns, education, staff development models, policies, and committee structures should be reviewed and revised to value diversity (Banks, 2019).
Training programs for educators, administrators, and school leaders play an essential role in ensuring multicultural education by selecting and managing policies, curricula, and teaching styles.

The practice relies on educators who value the histories and experiences of diverse groups of students.

Schools and teachers can approach multicultural education in various ways, therefore supporting students as they develop positive perspectives of their own cultures and that of their peers.
By incorporating culturally responsive pedagogy in curricula and teaching practices, teachers can create an inclusive classroom that values all students.

Teacher collaboration is also vital because there is so much that they can learn from each other as they constantly improve in practice (Guðjónsdóttir & Óskarsdóttir, 2018).
Teachers must be willing to change some of their deeply held beliefs and to work effectively in facing new challenges such as the increasing amount of diversity within student groups.

Teachers must also trust whatever knowledge and skills they have and try to apply that in their classrooms (Walters, 2002).

22 2.3.1 Immigrant dropouts from upper secondary education Upon completing compulsory school, all 16-year-olds in Iceland are entitled to education at upper secondary schools up to age 18.
However, enrolment in upper secondary education and in vocational education and training (VET) programs at the upper secondary level in Iceland are below the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average.

Many students leave school before completing upper secondary education.
Factors that have increased the risk of dropout in Iceland are the structure and quality of upper secondary education, the availability of lifelong learning to complete studies, and the broad employment opportunities for youth (OECD, 2016).

The risk of dropping out of school has consistently been related to low academic success.

Students bear a greater risk of dropping out if they perform poorly or obtain less support from their teachers (Fan & Wolters, 2014).
There is significant concern that children with immigrant backgrounds are worse off in the Icelandic school system than their peers.

They are also at a higher risk of experiencing exclusion, distress, and isolation (Ragnarsdóttir & Lefever, 2018).

Another obstacle that upper secondary student immigrants face is that teachers have difficulty connecting to them in Icelandic, especially when they are older (Magnúsdóttir, 2010).
If Icelandic language skills are the main criteria for academic achievement in Icelandic schools, very little progress can be obtained.

This can then lead to a very high risk of immigrant dropouts.

School dropouts can be psychosocially and economically costly to both the individual and the society.

Our communities increasingly rely on highly skilled labor force, and without upper secondary education, students will have fewer work opportunities.
They are also less likely to return to education or to seek training later in life than those who have finished school (Rumberger & Lamb, 2001).

This group is at risk of ending up unemployed, living in poverty, having health problems, and getting involved in antisocial behavior (Rumberger & Thomas, 2000).

For these reasons, it is imperative to keep children and youth in school.

To do this, we need teachers who are willing to find ways to help them, regardless of how challenging that might be.
Teachers who are sensitive to their students' developmental levels, have the knowledge, attributes, and skills to encourage them to succeed in their academic journeys (Guðjónsdóttir & Óskarsdóttir, 2018).

Additionally, although the financial crisis in 2008 has demonstrated the vulnerabilities of low-skilled labor, conditions in Iceland still incentivize students to dropout and enter the labor market.
The economic situation of students and their families, the high employment rates, and the small wage differences between low-skilled and high-skilled labor can increase the risk of a student leaving school without a degree (OECD, 2012).

23 Table 1.
23 Table 1.

Completion rate and dropout of immigrants from upper secondary education from year 2015–2019 (Statistics Iceland, 2021) Status of Immigrants Four Years After Entering Iceland Number of Immigrants Still in education Graduate of general program Graduate of vocational program Dropout of general program Dropout of vocational program Total 32 44 41 109 46 272 Note.

An immigrant is a person who was born abroad with foreign born parents and grandparents (Statistics Iceland, 2019).
The Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for Upper Secondary Schools states that schools must offer a specialized continuation of studies suitable to the needs of each student.

They must prepare students by giving them a solid foundation to pursue further education to obtain the necessary skills to carry out specialized work (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2012b).
This objective acknowledges that upper secondary schools are where students get the skills and knowledge necessary to prepare themselves for employment and further studies.

Thus, dropping out can affect seeking a job because of a lack of skills, credentials, educational qualifications, diplomas, and training certificates that determine their suitability for employment.

It can also affect their productivity as active members of society.
While numerous stories of people who have never made it past high school and are successful exist, dropping out should never be encouraged.

The role of the teacher is crucial regarding this matter.

Having the right skills to determine at-risk students who are struggling and uninterested in school and to find the proper support necessary to keep them in school can prevent students from dropping out.
Teachers need to prioritize identifying these alarming signs, as well as work to improve their educational experiences.

- 24 3 Methodology The purpose of this research was to understand how upper secondary school teachers work with students with diverse language backgrounds in order to construct a pedagogy that responds to immigrant students.

The study aims to investigate how teachers employ the multicultural teaching approach with students with diverse language backgrounds.
My research question was: How are upper secondary teachers responding to students of immigrant backgrounds in their lessons to ensure their academic success?

To best answer my research question, I decided to use the story completion method (Clarke et al., 2017).

This chapter begins with a brief background about the story completion method.

This will then be followed by how I used this method to carry out this research.

After that, I will introduce the participants and how the data was gathered.
This will be followed by explaining the method of analysis.

Finally, a discussion about the ethical issues and the limitations of this research will follow.

3.1 Story completion method This method is suited for researching participants’ perceptions and understanding of the broader social constructions concerning the studied subject (Clarke et al., 2018).

When using the story completion method, participants are asked to complete fictional stories using story stems.
These require the participants to draw on their knowledge, ideas, and values about the main topic.

The stories are not based on actual events since the story completion method is not about participants’ experiences.

Questions that tend to focus on people’s experiences are, therefore, not suited for this method.

This method was primarily used within the disciplines of psychology and feminist theory (Hamshire et al., 2017).
British feminist psychologists Celia Kitzinger and Deborah Powell (1995) reconceptualized the story completion method for use in social discourses, rather than only for psychological meanings.

They pointed out that the story completion method can be read through an essentialist lens by revealing psychological truths about the writer.

It can also be read through a social constructionist lens.
It can interpret stories as reflections of contemporary discourses, which the participants draw upon based on their experiences.

Therefore, stories can be theorized as the product of sociocultural discourses.

Through a social constructionist framework, the story completion method is transformed into an examination of how the social, cultural discourses available to the participants influence their stories and how they make sense of a particular scenario (Clarke et al., 2019).
The story completion method is still uncommon, as well as underutilized in qualitative educational research.

However, it is an exciting, innovative, and flexible method that offers 25 researchers many possibilities that can be used across disciplines (Gravett, 2019).

The method allows the participants to decide the information they provide; they control the data they offer, and they all begin from the same baseline or with the same beginning of the story (Clarke et al., 2019).
The story completion framework can make a vulnerable situation more relaxed.

Since this method does not permit participants to take ownership or justify their responses, they are most likely to discuss the research topic without withholding what they think (Moore et al., 1997).

It is, therefore, a nonintrusive way to research sensitive and morally complex issues and is an advantageous method to collect data (Clarke et al., 2017).
The topic under study is sensitive because teachers play a significant role in ensuring students’ academic success and statistics have shown a remarkably high dropout rate of students with immigrant backgrounds.

Using this method gave me the opportunity to look at how my participants made meaning of a situation and how their stories were shaped by the social and cultural discourses around them.

Thus, this allowed me to gather data on my participants’ understanding of my research question.
At the same time, this enabled me to explore their perceptions, assumptions, and social/discursive constructions of my topic.

Story stems can be generated quickly, efficiently, and cheaply, and data can be collected online using survey software (e.g., SurveyMonkey, BOS, Qualtrics) (Clarke et al., 2019).

This can also be done by emailing the story stems to participants as an attachment or in the body of an email (Clarke et al., 2017).
3.2 Participants The aim of conducting qualitative research is to obtain data with richness and depth.

Therefore, participants in qualitative research are selected intentionally and purposely.

Participants are not chosen randomly but are chosen based on their ability to provide in- depth information about the research topic (Patton, 2015).

Using the story completion method, I gathered data from three different groups.
The first group was of upper secondary teachers who have had experience working with immigrant students.

The second group consisted of immigrants who were parents of upper secondary students, relatives, friends, or were former upper secondary students themselves.

Some had concerns because they had children who would be attending the secondary school level in a few years.

The immigrants who took part in this research had to fit the criteria of having a connection to upper secondary immigrant students.
The third group was made up of upper secondary students with immigrant backgrounds.

Participants were gathered through Facebook groups, Messenger, and email from the middle of February to the end of March 2021.
An invitation to my research was posted on 26 the Facebook walls of the following groups: Foreigners in Iceland (9.9 thousand members), Cross-Cultural and Intersectional Community Organizing Network, Iceland (418 members), W.O.M.E.N Samtök kvenna af erlendum uppruna á Íslandi (2.3 thousand members), Iceland's International Parents Group, and Latinos en Islandia (719 thousand members).

Two of the seven upper secondary teachers who took part were people I knew.
Through the snowballing method, I was able to attract additional teacher participation.

From the perspective of the immigrant community, I shared an invitation about my research on my Facebook page, and then it was reposted by other friends.

In a short period of time, my invitation letter had appeared on numerous Facebook walls, and I began receiving a flood of responses.
A friend of mine who is from Chile reached out to the Latinos by translating my research invitation into Spanish on her own initiative (see Appendices C & E).

This proved to be a success, and this enabled me to reach out to a larger number of immigrant participants.

The use of social media to recruit research participants from the immigrant community was a success and proved how the snowballing method is helpful in finding participants.
I was overwhelmed by willing participants' responses and interests over the first few days of data collection.

Others were intrigued and wanted to know about the study results without participating, so they emailed me, responded on social media, and invited me for coffee.

Others were curious and wanted to know about the study results without participating.

This shows how the immigrant community has a deep need for discussing matters such as schools.
There was a total of 110 participants and 30 stories were used for this research.

Table 2.
Number of participants and stories used Participants Number Ages of Background of participants participants Upper secondary teachers 7 stories 28-55 Immigrant teacher-graduate degree (1) were gathered and all of them were used Upper secondary teachers- undergraduate degree (5) Student teacher (1) Immigrant community 47 stories 23-56 Doctorate degree (3) Vocational studies (3) Doctorate degree (2) Undergraduate degree (1) Graduate (1) were gathered and 12 were used 27 Vocational studies (1) Anonymous (1) Upper secondary immigrant 56 stories 16-21 Upper secondary immigrant students students were gathered and 11 were used (11) Total number of participants 30 Among the upper secondary teacher participants, one was still in the final year of her studies.
Six were native Icelanders, and one was Polish.

The immigrant community differed in educational and socioeconomic statuses.

Some had not completed high school, whereas others had completed masters and doctoral degrees.
They, along with the upper secondary students, differed in cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, and races, including Latinos (Colombians, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, Mexicans, Chileans), Asians (Filipinos, Malaysians, Thailanders), Europeans (Polish), and one anonymous participant who participated but did not share any personal information.

All participants in this research were given pseudonyms.

The names Taty, Catherine and Elizabeth are all hypothetical characters from the story stems.
3.3 Data gathering through story stems I took notes to keep track of who I had contacted and who had connected me to more participants.

This was necessary to be able to know who was genuinely interested in this research.

To maximize the number of participants with different language backgrounds, an introductory description of the study was written in English, Icelandic, and Spanish (see Appendices A, B, & C).
After participants agreed to be part of the study, I sent them formal letters, also in English & Spanish, that explained the study in more detail (see Appendices D & E).

Since my story stems did not require my participants to own what they have written, most of them gave me verbal permission and voluntarily wanted to participate in this research.

Nevertheless, I had permission letters ready to hand out (see Appendices F, G, & H).
Some permissions were obtained through phone, and I explained about the story completion method.

I gave permission letters by hand to those I met, and to those I did not meet, I sent them by email or through Facebook Messenger.

28 3.4 Data and data collection To collect information about the understanding and perceptions of upper secondary school teachers, immigrants, and students in Iceland, I sent out story stems for participants to complete (see appendices J, K, & L).
They were asked to complete hypothetical situations written in the third person.

Therefore, they did not have to take ownership of or justify their stories in the way that they would if they were being asked directly about the topic.

There is no assurance that the data collected in this research are non-fictional.

However, using the story completion method can disclose psychological realities about the writers.
Their stories could be reflections of current discourses that participants draw on depending from their own experiences.

Story completion method is changed into an analysis of how the social-cultural discourses available to the participants influence their stories and how they make meaning of a particular scenario using a social constructionist framework (Clarke et al., 2019).

The method allows participants to choose what information they want to contribute.
They are also in charge of the data they provide, and they all start at the same point in the story (Clarke et al., 2019).

This structure can therefore help relax sensitive topics, which fall into that category.

This was a sensitive topic because the teachers usually tried to do their best to support upper secondary immigrant students in their education.

Still, something needs to be done because teachers need more training and professionalism in accomodating immigrant students (Tran, 2018).
Immigrants either have a positive or a negative view of how education is conducted in Iceland and what can be better done.

Knowing what they have to contribute from their stories could be valuable suggestions or starting points to understand how they feel, think and most especially their attitudes towards education.

Immigrant participants were individuals who somehow had a connection to upper secondary school students.

They were either parents or relatives, or they had been former students themselves.
Collecting data from students was also a sensitve topic because it seems that there is so much focus on mastering the language of instruction in order to continue their education.

Gathering data from participants using the story completion method allowed them to say what they wanted without restraints since their stories would never be connected to them because they were written in the third person.
In this research, the story stem intended for the teachers was carefully designed to obtain data on how they would deal with situations with diverse students.

There were two story stems intended for immigrants, and they could choose which story they wanted to complete.

They were designed either to gather data through a positive or a negative outlook on education.

This was done so that a comparison of the results could be gathered.
There were also two story stems that were intended for the upper secondary immigrant students.

29 The first story stem was designed to capture their feelings about being in school, and the second one was designed to get an insight into their plans in continuing their academic journeys.

Literacy skills were an issue for some willing participants, and additional follow-up emails, phone calls, and messages were also done to clarify responses but not change their stories.
Furthermore, some participants became information providers while their children wrote for them.

Additionally, as the guidelines for writing the story stem state that each story should be at least ten sentences, the story stems completed with less than five sentences were eliminated.
Since I was looking to understand how upper secondary school teachers were working and responding to students of immigrant backgrounds, the richness of the data gathered from the stories determined whether I had enough data to answer the research question.

From the 110 participants that took part, only 30 stories ended up being useful to answer the research question.

The stories that were not used were incomplete, as they were too short or did not convey a full story.
3.5 Data analysis Analyzing data can be complex since qualitative data consists of words with deep meanings and contexts (Lichtman, 2013).

Since qualitative analysis is an intuitive and inductive process, researchers cannot have keen insights (Taylor & Bogdan, 1998).

This makes the analytical process complicated and prone to bias.

Analyzing the material continuously throughout the study is recommended (Lichtman, 2013).

This should be done by analyzing the data from all angles.
From the time I gathered the completed story stems, I began analyzing the data.

The stories were initially coded and then analyzed according to themes.

Errors in grammar and language were ignored unless they influenced the meaning of the story.

Upon further analysis of the stories, eliminating those that did not contribute to new knowledge was necessary, including those that were completed with less than ten sentences.
I employed the five stages of thematic analysis, according to Braun and Clarke (2017).

Steps 1 and 2: Familiarizing myself with my data and generating initial codes.

This involved becoming familiar with the data gathered from all the story stems (Braun et al., 2015).

At this stage, I had an overwhelming amount of data and decided to get fully immersed in the stories.

As I had sent out different story stems for each of the three groups, it was vital to sort the data.
I categorized them accordingly as: • Stories from the teacher group • Stories from the immigrant group • Stories from the student group 30 I fully immersed myself with the data from each group by concentrating on analyzing one group at a time.

This process of analyzing the data for each group took several weeks.

This was a very long process, but it was the only way to become fully engaged and observant of patterns.
At this stage I reduced the data and focused on the stories related to my research question.

Once I had reduced the number of stories, I read and re-read them to be able to develop insight and to have a rigorous, solid foundation for my analysis.

I coded the data by finding meaningful data segments.

I did this by printing out all my data and coding them by hand.

I used relevant words, phrases, sentences, and sections during this stage.
I labelled my codes when I saw them as essential or if they were repeated many times.

The labels or the codes were descriptive and are not interpretive.

The coding was a way to start organizing data into meaningful groups.

After I was done with coding my data, I collated all the sections that fit into each code.

Step 3: Searching for themes.

A theme can be considered when it captures something important about the data concerning the research question (Braun & Clarke, 2006).
After reflection and data engagement, I was ready to combine codes that created more meaningful patterns.

At this point, I had many candidate themes, which meant that I needed to evaluate which ones told a coherent and relevant story that had a connection to my research question.

Determining a theme does not necessarily depend on the quantifiable measures of a code appearing in the data but rather on relevance to the overall research question (Braun & Clarke, 2006).
Themes and codes are not the same, but themes can be constructed because of codes.

The better one knows how to code, the better-positioned one is to build relevant themes.

Searching for parts of a theme can involve endless mapping of codes and relations, constantly organizing and reorganizing their relationship (Clarke et al., 2015).

Steps 4 & 5: Reviewing and defining the themes.


During this stage, I labelled the themes from each category, starting with the teacher group, followed by the immigrant group, and finishing with the student group.

I demarcated the differences between the themes.

The fourth stage was crucial and was when I had to again review potential themes to determine whether they function as themes in the analysis.
At this stage, I generated theoretically informed analyses and actively compared themes against the theoretical framework concepts.

I still had candidate themes, and I needed to further shape, clarify, and reject some themes that did not work well with my codes or research question.

The themes I had left were those with meaningful consistency.

They were the ones that conveyed a coherent and theoretically engaging story and answered my research question.
The themes from the teacher group include the following: 31 • Challenges faced by teachers • Lack of teacher support • Importance of knowing Icelandic • Anxiety The themes from the immigrant group include the following: • Anxiety • Lack of academic skills as an issue • The importance of flexibility in finding teaching methods that work The themes from the student group include the following: • Positive outlook • Anxiety • Thinking about the present 3.6 Ethical issues In qualitative research methods, results are influenced by the subjective assessment of investigators and their experiences.
Research must therefore meet specific requirements for possible ethical issues that may arise in their preparation.

Investigators need to be aware of their responsibility and be honest throughout the research process (Kristinsson, 2003).

This study was conducted following guidelines issued by the Icelandic Act on the Protection of Privacy and with regards to the Processing of Personal Data Act No.

77/2000.
77/2000.

Written consent, privacy protection, and confidentiality when processing personal data were all used in this research.

Following this act, the research participants provided me with written or verbal informed consent.

The consent letter explained to participants the research goal, purpose, nature of the study, and benefits and risks from participating in this study.

The letter specifically explained that this research was voluntary and that they could opt not to join without explanation.
Formally, participants in the agreement received a letter of consent and were requested to sign two copies of the letter, one copy for the participant and the other for me to keep.

However, since I used the story completion method, which was already in the third person, and the story stems completed were anonymous from the start, a letter of consent was unnecessary but was still sent to all the participants as an extra precaution.
According to the Act on the Protection of Privacy guidelines, confidentiality in research means that private data identifying informants will not be disclosed (Data Protection Act No.

77/2000).

The story completion method raises fewer ethical concerns than research that involves direct interaction with participants that asks about personal matters.
Online distribution using the story completion method makes it easier for participants to be anonymous, thus 32 reducing the risk for both the participants and the researchers.

Nevertheless, the research topic must be considered, especially if it concerns sensitive issues, and the standard accepted ethical practice still needs to be adhered to (British Psychological Society, 2009).
The participants in the teachers’ group, even though I only knew two of them personally, were very generous with their time, so I assume that they genuinely wanted to help further this research.

Additionally, the immigrant group may have been more forthcoming with their perceptions, trusting me as an immigrant myself, as they shared much of their personal lives and their worries for their children’s education here in Iceland.
I assumed this because they shared information completely unrelated to the story stems, and I had not met most of them before.

I further assumed that they trusted me because 10 out of the 12 participants answered both story stems intended for the immigrant group.

The student group knew that I was a researcher, teacher and even though I am of foreign origin, this might not have outweighed the fact that there was a power dynamic that could not be avoided.
I assumed this because this group wrote very short stories.

It took some time to assure them that their stories would never be linked directly to them and that they could write whatever came to their minds.

3.7 Anonymity and Privacy Each participant was given a pseudonym.

All participants, particularly those from the immigrant and upper secondary student groups, were informed that no personal information would reveal their identities.
I released information about their educational backgrounds and ages but have decided to keep their countries of origin to myself.

If I give that information out, it would be easier to track them and identify who they are.

That information is irrelevant to this study.

This was very important because, even though I utilized the story completion method, and they were not required to take ownership of what they wrote, I asked them specific background questions.
Several of them contacted me to inquire why I needed to know.

I did not ask them their names; instead, I inquired about their educational backgrounds, where they were born, and their ages.

All the stories gathered for this research will be deleted once this research is completed.

This is to ensure that the risks of harm to participants will be kept to a minimum.

3.8 Limitations of the study There were several limitations to this study, as follows: 1.
The lowest number of stories collected were from teachers, and it was their voice that I wanted to hear the most.

Although they did provide me with essential data for 33 this study, more stories from them would have been even more beneficial to this study.

2.
2.

Although there was intense participation from the student and immigrant group, many story stems had to be excluded because they failed to meet the instruction of writing at least ten sentences, which is very important for data gathering using the story completion method.

3.

I would have wanted to clarify some stories because some did not provide coherency from one sentence to the next, but I opted not to do so as it may influence a change in the meaning of their stories.
34 4 Findings Findings based on the analyses of the stories are presented and grouped into three sections.

The first section of the study presents the stories gathered from the teachers, the second presents the stories from the immigrant group, and the third presents the stories from the student group.

These findings answered my research question, which was “How are upper secondary teachers responding to students of immigrant backgrounds in their lessons to ensure their academic success?”.
4.1 Teacher group Through the analysis, four themes emerged from the data.

The first one is about the challenges faced by teachers because of the diversity in the student group.

This theme covers the managerial and societal expectations of teachers as experts.

The second theme discusses the lack of support teachers experience in their practice and how they endeavor to improve professionally with or without support.
The third theme focuses on how important it is for students to learn Icelandic and use it in the classroom.

The fourth and final theme is the anxiety teachers face and their lack of trust towards themselves.

4.1.1 Challenges faced by teachers The stories from teachers highlight the challenges that they face in dealing with a diverse group of students, as well as their resilience and initiative in finding ways to help their students.

The names connected to the stories below are all pseudonyms.
The names Taty , Elizabeth and Catherine are all hypothetical characters from the story stems.

Grazyna needed to have in mind that her students could have learning difficulties because of their origins.

This is because people from Asia have difficulties pronouncing sounds like “r.” They also have difficulties understanding grammatical gender as it does not exist in their mother tongues.

(49, immigrant teacher, graduate degree).

Grazyna understood that her teaching practice was complex.
She knew that she must take individual differences into account when preparing her lessons.

She was also conscious that her students faced different challenges in learning Icelandic that had something to do with their language backgrounds.

To complicate things, it is not always clear what students' educational backgrounds are and if their difficulties with the new language have anything to do with inherent learning difficulties.
This uncertainty was the subject of Hjördís' story, an experienced teacher who had been working for many years.

35 Taty is an experienced teacher and has been teaching for more than 30 years.

Over the past few years, her classes have become more diverse than they were before.

She suspects that some of her students have some learning problems, although she does not know how to find out because they are still learning Icelandic and some of them do not speak English.
One student who she thinks has a learning problem speaks Spanish, and she wants to help him.

Taty speaks some Spanish, and she tries to communicate with him.

She found out that he does not have any school records because something happened at his school, but he does not like to tell her more.

Taty believes him, but sometimes she doubts if he understands everything she is trying to ask him to do.

(61, teacher undergraduate degree).


As an experienced teacher, Hjördís immediately sensed that her student had some learning problems but was unsure to what extent.

This teacher showed empathy to the student and attempted to build a trusting relationship with him.

She tried to connect with him by speaking Spanish, her student's mother tongue.

However, this was challenging as she had limited Spanish knowledge, and her student was neither fluent in English nor Icelandic.
There were no school records available which could have been useful for her to know how to begin helping her student.

This story also shows that knowledge and training are fundamental for a teacher to address the needs of students that come without records.

No single formula or strategy works for all students, although there are guidelines on carrying out inclusive education.

Still, every situation is different, and teachers need to face challenges of meeting the needs of every unique student.
Some students may lack the skills that they need to actively participate in their classes.

Depending on their past situations and their opportunities to attend schools, they may come with learning difficulties that teachers need to address.

Potentially, students’ learning could have been affected, interrupted, or non-existent in their past.
Connected to the challenge of not having enough information about students, teachers face the difficulty of not knowing how committed to learning their students are and how they can be motivated to learn.

As Grazyna stated, it is not very easy to get them to speak Icelandic if others speak their language: If few students are speaking the same language, it is very likely they group, and it is tough to motivate them to use only Icelandic during classes.

(49, immigrant teacher, graduate degree).


Grazyna was unsure how motivated her students were in their learning and found it challenging to encourage them to use their Icelandic language skills in class.

She noticed that her immigrant students socialized less with their Icelandic peers and preferred to hang out 36 and communicate using their mother tongues.

This teacher found it challenging to motivate her students of different cultural backgrounds to use Icelandic.
All the stories under this theme indicate that even experienced teachers like Hjördís and Grazyna still faced challenges in finding solutions that work well for their students of immigrant backgrounds.

This is because of the diversity, the challenges they come with, and the different language backgrounds of their students.

They both mentioned that they could better support their students when their students begin to feel comfortable around them.
Their stories show that they are knowledgeable, confident, and positive towards their work.

The combined stories under this theme suggest that teachers perceive that having a classroom atmosphere that supports good teacher- student relationship and good peer relationship cultivates students´ interest and curiosity in participating actively in class.

They consider this critical for supporting immigrant students in their learning.
Teachers also intend to be friendly and approachable at a personal level so that they can build a trusting relationship.

4.1.2 Lack of support for teachers This theme shows how important it is for school administrators to support teachers in their work.

School administrators must ensure that they are doing the best that they can to meet all the constituents' need in their school system.

A good leader always leads by example.


Although teachers are the ones who are in direct contact with students, the school director must be present and available to assist the school administration and the teachers.

Ensuring that teachers care about their work and are on the same page can prevent staff conflicts.

The school director was mentioned multiple times as being uninterested in increasing the school's quality.

It was also mentioned that it is imperative to have an encouraging school director.
Nevertheless, with or without support, their stories show that teachers take the initiative in finding ways to help their students: Taty was pretty sure the school director knows how difficult the situation in her class is, and at this moment, there was nothing to be proud of, nothing to share with others.

Her mission wasn't accomplished, wasn't even going well, and she needed help, not interviews!

(49, immigrant teacher, graduate degree).

Grazyna is determined to find ways to become better at her work.
The mention of the word "mission" illuminates that she has a clear goal that she will not stop pursuing.

Despite mentioning that she needed help with her mission, she showed passion and dedication in achieving her goal regardless of how much support she receives.

In a similar story, Auðbjörg (44, teacher undergraduate) also felt like the school director did not appreciate her and her colleagues' efforts.
However, this teacher sees the advantage in being televised and finds 37 that being on TV will allow her to share how well she and her colleagues are working with their students.

Even though Grazyna and Auðbjörg think they are not getting the support that they need from their school director, they nevertheless show a lot of dedication in their work.

Ragnheiður is the same: Taty attends a variety of courses, which she says are very inspiring.
She says she is diligent in using what she learns in the courses.

She tries to apply what she has learned at work and encourages her co-workers to take the same courses.

She is always ready to share what she has learned.

She feels like she is not the right person to encourage and teach her colleagues.

It is the principal's job, but she does not do anything, and it annoys her because the principal shows interest but does nothing more than that.
Taty takes continuing education courses; maybe it is because she is such an enthusiastic and ambitious teacher.

She has been a teacher for a long time and knows they use staff days to invite lecturers.

(40, teacher, undergraduate).

Ragnheiður continues to learn throughout her professional career.

She invests in herself by improving, growing, and learning to be better at her work.

She applies her knowledge in her classes and continuously inspires her colleagues to do the same.
However, she sees that her school director displays interest in what she does but does not do anything to improve the quality of their school.

This can be tricky because there is no guidance from the school director.

It is easy for teachers to take responsibility into their own hands, which can eventually lead to a power struggle among the teachers and create staff conflict.
This is evident from what Snædís wrote: Taty feels that her colleagues are jealous of her because she can connect with her students more.

She has many ideas and would like to share them with them, but she does not know how they will react because she is not even a teacher yet, and most of her colleagues have been teachers for a long time.

(24, student teacher).

From this story, Snædís seems to be a very eager and passionate student teacher.
She would like to share her ideas but is anxious because she lacks experience.

She also feels that her colleagues could easily misunderstand her motives.

From this story, knowing that there was barely any participation from the school director, a power struggle could happen as teachers can easily compete for authority, leading to staff conflict.
Teachers who are doing their jobs well were not being recognized, and those who needed assistance were not getting the guidance they needed to work together as one school.

38 None of the stories mention a lack of knowledge from the school director.

However, the combined stories from Grazyna, Auðbjörg, Ragnheiður, and Snædís make it clear that the school director is irresponsible in carrying out her work and does not show any enthusiasm in doing so.
She does, however, have the potential of improving as Snædís further explained: Taty thinks her school director is a good person, but she can do better.

She sees a lot of potential for everyone in her school to improve because all her colleagues are very dedicated to their work, but until they get guidance and support from their schoolmaster, very little can be done.

(24, student teacher).


4.1.3 Importance of knowing Icelandic The following stories explain that it is vital to learn the language of instruction and that teachers are willing to help students of immigrant backgrounds.

This is obvious in the following stories, such as in Snædís’ story: Taty noticed that her students, regardless of whether they are native or not, become active in class through presentations.
She also feels that she can make a connection with them because they begin talking to her, and she can know them a little bit more.

(24, student teacher).

Hjördís (61, teacher, undergraduate) also finds that immigrant students are not the problem.

They participate and get along with their Icelandic peers in class.

However, she wishes they were also friends when they were out of school.
She mentioned that students speaking the same languages seem to flock together, and she doubts that they have Icelandic friends.

She wants to help them find a way to better integrate, not just in class.

Although being active in class is a good sign, immigrant students need to be involved in the society because this can help them learn Icelandic.

Ragnheiður also wishes to help her students more.

Taty said that it was noticeable that her students needed to adapt to their new country.
She wished she could talk to all of them more meaningfully, would be able to help them feel more at ease around her, see her not just as their teacher but also their friend.

Some students are very eager to learn, but she could feel that some do not feel comfortable around her.

Maybe because they think she will fail them, but all she wants is to help them.

Some students speak in a such a low voice that she can barely hear them.

They are so afraid to make mistakes, but all that she wants is to help them.
(40, teacher undergraduate).

39 Ragnheiður wishes that she was multilingual so she could help her students more.

She is also beginning to think that being the teacher, an authoritative figure, is getting in her way to build a more relaxed relationship with her students.

She wants to connect to them more personally and relate to their world so that their conversations can be more meaningful.

In a different story, the teacher is multilingual.


Hjördís has no problems with her students who speak Portuguese and Spanish.

She feels that because she speaks both languages reasonably well, she can connect with them.

She wants to find ways to reach out to other students with different languages, but they don't talk to her, and she wishes she knows how to speak all languages.
Her language skills are an asset for the school because she can build a trusting relationship with her students whose mother tongues are the same as those she knows.

In contrast, Freyja (55, teacher, undergraduate) thinks that solely using Icelandic is the way to best teach her students.

She enjoys teaching them, and she always uses Icelandic to get her students used to the language.

When some of them ask her questions in English, she always answers in Icelandic.
Dagný (28, teacher, undergraduate) also thinks the same as Freyja.

She mentioned that she wanted to help her students as much as possible.

She is aware that her students need to learn Icelandic and thinks that if only they would try to speak Icelandic and stop using their mother tongues, they would overcome their hardships at school.

She tries to talk to them in English, but some students do not speak English.

With no Icelandic and no English, she thinks that there is very little she can do for them.
Both Freyja and Dagný seem to think that knowing Icelandic is the key to progress academically in school.

They both suggested that students should dedicate themselves more to learning Icelandic, which is the medium of instruction.

This will help them have an easier time at school.

Freyja seems to want her students to get fully immersed in Icelandic.

She believes they will benefit linguistically, socially, and culturally by doing so.
On the contrary, Dagný tries to use English but still emphasizes the importance of learning Icelandic.

The collected stories for this theme show the importance of teachers' perceptions of acquiring Icelandic language skills.

They all have positive intentions to help their students, and they use different ways to do this.

Their combined stories show that they intend to create a language-rich environment.
4.1.4 Anxiety The following stories show teachers' anxiety about representing their school on national television.

All the gathered stories for this theme show that they want to avoid being the ones to represent their school.

To gain credibility in handling professional challenges faced by the diversity of student groups in the classroom, teachers need to acknowledge a positive view of themselves, communicate confidently 40 about their work, and handle criticism.
This does not mean that they lack actual abilities to do their job well.

However, the stories collected present that teachers have a low perception of themselves on having the skills they need to confidently represent their schools.

Dagný (28, teacher, undergraduate) mentioned that teachers who are dedicated to their work could also feel anxiety and lose trust in themselves.

She shared that she knew she needed to help her students.
She took this responsibility seriously but was frustrated because she seemed not to understand how to help them.

In the end, she did not want to go to work because she was questioning whether she was the right teacher for her students.

Dagný mentioned that she takes her responsibility very seriously, which indicates that she intends to do her best.

However, even though she has that vision, she has difficulty making it a reality.
She does not know how to start helping them, and she doubts her capability and professionalism in handling her student group.

In several stories, teachers feel anxious talking about what they can do to ensure the educational success of their students of immigrant backgrounds.

In the first story, Hjördís (61, teacher, undergraduate) does not want to be interviewed and says she does not want to say the wrong things on TV.

She said that her director was not happy when she declined the interview.
She mentioned that she was not ready, and she would have needed to be told beforehand because she needed time to research the topic.

She thought she would have the correct answers if she had enough time to research the topic discussed.

She mentioned “research” and not “review,” which implies that she does not know what her school has been doing.

Dagný (28, teacher, undergraduate) also did not understand why they were going to be interviewed.
She knew that she had not been able to do her job well, even though she wanted to.

She felt that her students had not understood everything that she had taught them.

She felt uncomfortable and described the interview as some form of an interrogation.

She further explained that TV interviewers ask questions on the spot, and because of this, she does not trust how the interview will end up.

She worries that the public can misunderstand it.


She mentioned that schools have annual reports, which should be enough.

Although annual reports usually show school performance, Dagný seemed uncomfortable talking about her work.

She was not ready to answer questions that she might not have the answers to.

Just like Hjördís, she was also not confident in her professional performance.

Dagný also showed that she was anxious and that she doubted herself.
41 On a similar note, Freyja (55, teacher, undergraduate) shared that she does not want to look like she does not know anything about her job.

She thinks that being on TV will be challenging, and it will just make her very nervous.

She prefers to write everything down as a group report, which can answer questions.

From the stories gathered, Hjördís, Dagný, and Freyja find that yearly school performance reports say everything relevant about a school and can give all the information that interests people.
None of the stories above indicate that being the sole representative for an interview on national television was a good idea.

Teamwork among teachers on deciding how to answer questions, either in written or verbal form, was what these teachers thought appropriate.

This is not the responsibility of just one teacher but is the responsibility of the whole school.
However, in the following stories, some teachers shared that representing their school to a broader audience was the responsibility of the person who had the highest authority in the school system which was the school director.

This was clearly stated in the following stories.

Freyja was willing to work together as a team and was ready to give her support by accompanying her school director.
She thinks that the school director should be the one to be interviewed, but she is willing to go with her so that she does not have to be alone.

(55, teacher, undergraduate).

Hjördís wrote something similar to that: She thinks that it is the school director's job.

This was her idea, and so she should do this by herself.

She is the head of the school, and she should be the one to go.

(61, teacher, undergraduate).


Snædís, however, was very enthusiastic about representing their school on national television.

She said that the interview was a perfect opportunity to share her ideas, and she was very excited for it to happen.

However, as with the other teachers, she eventually mentioned that she was unsure if she was the right person to represent their school.

She only showed anxiety when talking about not knowing how her colleagues would react if she would be their representative.
(24, student teacher).

From the collected stories, it is evident that the teachers thought representing their school was a huge responsibility that required teamwork.

This is not surprising since teachers tend to have a lot of work, and interviews are usually not prioritized unless urgent.

Yearly reports are written and reviewed, and some teachers thought this was enough.

42 4.2 Findings from the immigrant group Through the analysis of the data from the immigrant group, three themes emerged.
The first one is anxiety about how immigrants feel about studying in an Icelandic school.

The second theme is about a lack of academic skills becoming an issue, and the third theme is about the importance of flexibility from teachers in finding teaching methods that work.

4.2.1 Anxiety The following stories give us an insight into immigrants' perceptions about studying in an Icelandic school.

They share their struggles on what makes them anxious as members of a society very different from their own.
They also show a lot of determination in succeeding in their academic journeys, regardless of the hardships that they must face along their way.

Several immigrants wrote about struggles.

Luna (44, doctorate degree) wrote that there are many things that she is finding hard in her studies, but she feels that she has grit, and she will not let any obstacles get in her way.

She may be anxious now, but soon, she will overcome the hardships of having to start a new life in Iceland.
Aurora (39, undergraduate degree) wrote that she is finding it hard because there is a lot of prejudice in the society, and she feels that she is being stereotyped.

However, this is not something she finds intimidating.

Both Luna and Aurora wrote about anxiety.

However, both are confident that this is something temporary.

However, this is not the case for some immigrants who think that it will be a lifelong challenge, such as Amara: Moving to Iceland has affected Elizabeth's life in many ways.
It has affected her goals and achievements.

She realized that it is really difficult to learn another language and find your community in a different country.

She is very worried and every day becoming very anxious about her future in this country.

She feels that she will not be able to go to the uni because she is finding it very hard to understand Icelandic.

(42, doctorate degree).

Amara has trouble achieving her previous goals because she must deal with the challenges of moving to another country.
She feels pressured that her academic future depends on how fast and well she can learn Icelandic.

This has contributed to her stress.

Similarly, Millie feels isolated and lost in Iceland.

This is clear from her story in which she wrote that: She feels alone and needs help with her studies and does not know who to ask because she has no Icelandic friends, and she needs to catch up.

If she does not catch up now, she will fall behind in her class.

(33, graduate degree).


43 These stories give us an insight that some immigrants think that it takes time to be successful in a new country.

This could be due to difficulty adjusting because of cultural differences, as mentioned in Luwahati’s story: Elizabeth has never seen so much diversity in one place.

She has made friends with a lot of her classmates.

They are from different countries and everyone is having the same struggles in school.
She feels happy being in school, but she does not want to disappoint her parents.

She feels that her anxiety level rises when her parents ask her how she is doing in school because she is not doing very well.

She hopes that they will understand but they expect too much to her.

She wants to become a nurse so she has to learn Icelandic but does not know how that will be possible.

(23, vocational).

This story shares that educational adjustment and attainment can contribute to anxiety.
Unlike the previous stories, Luwahati is happy and relaxed at school but at the same time is worried that she might not be able to get to the level of academic Icelandic required for more rigorous university standards.

She is also concerned about disappointing her parents if she does not do well.

This is something prevalent in Asian families.

Teachers must have the skills necessary to help at-risk students.
Sandra’s story makes this clear: Elizabeth comes home after a long day at school and doesn't have a will to do her homework.

She is not motivated, and she has no one to turn to for help.

At school she is not given any special attention or shown understanding.

She feels lost, misunderstood, unmotivated, hopeless, and depressed.
Her parents don't know how to help as they do not speak the language and are working all day, which contributes more to her isolation and feeling of being misunderstood and underappreciated.

(anonymous).

Sometimes, the teachers are the ones who can help the most because they know the society a lot better than the parents.

Magiting (28, vocational) wrote something similar.

She said that she feels alone in Iceland.

She feels lonely, and she wants to make new friends.
In the middle of the school year, she still does not know how to communicate well in Icelandic.

She considers skipping school when there are presentations and feels better when she plays her guitar at home instead.

Lately, she has spent so much time trying to feel better and instead of studying, she plays her guitar because she says that music helps her feel better.

From this story, it is evident that Magiting feels some level of depression and hopelessness.
This is because she is getting absorbed with playing her guitar, which is a 44 coping mechanism for her to get mentally and emotionally disconnected from reality.

The following story also mentions anxiety, but it does not say anything about depression.

In Amara’s story, anxiety came from feelings of isolation: Elizabeth, a newcomer, has been feeling very anxious going to school and her anxiety level has increased every single day.

She feels that she is an outsider.


It is not that she feels uncomfortable or unwanted but it is that she feels that she has to reinvent herself.

She must build her life from scratch.

(42, doctorate).

Her story justifies that her feelings are not due to social rejection.

She mentions that it is not that she feels uncomfortable or unwanted but that she is struggling on her own.

She acknowledges that she is getting anxious because she feels like she does not belong in the society.
These stories tell us that not belonging can cause anxiety and sadness.

Losing meaningful connections and struggling with a new language can be challenging.

Some of these stories show that their psychological well-being has been affected by how well the schools and the local community has welcomed them.

The last story does not contain feelings of anxiety but instead highlights the benefits of diversity.
It is important to realize that although most immigrants who took part in this study have mentioned about being anxious, Adria wrote that she finds that being different is beautiful and that there are a lot of good things that diversity can bring.

Adria (23, vocational) wrote that: Elizabeth has never seen so much diversity in one place.

She has made friends with a lot of her classmates.

They are from different countries, yet everyone has the same struggles in school.
4.2.2 Lack of academic skills as an issue The following stories suggest that even though immigrants think that they are disadvantaged in their studies because they lack the academic skills that they need in Iceland, they trust that they will attain those skills after some time.

Here is a collection of stories that show how immigrants feel about not managing the curriculum intended for their grade levels.
Brie's story tells us she will have to be patient and that she must be able to accept that personal accomplishments will have to wait: She knows she will be successful in this country, but she will have to find her way here first.

It will not be easy to study in the universities here, but she has a choice.

She can go back to her country and come back here when she is finished getting her degree.

Whatever she must do must make her happy.

If she is happy 45 here, she should stay here.


There is nothing in Venezuela to go back to, so she will have to stay.

(38, graduate degree).

Adria (23, vocational) wrote that her whole life would change.

She has left everything she has known, but she is in a good country.

She knows that it will be intimidating at first because she feels that this is a strange country with a language that she does not understand.
It is a place very different than her hometown, where everyone knows everyone, and everyone is friendly.

She said that she is happy at school, and after several years, she will eventually be able to catch up with her peers.

She said that one of these days, she will be able to read and write in Icelandic.

Aurora (39, undergraduate) wrote that she has been pleased ever since she started going to school in Iceland.

Many of her relatives and friends have moved.


She has new hopes and dreams, and she is happy being in school.

She finally feels that she is in a new chapter.

She knows that she will be comfortable making friends, but as any newcomer, she will struggle to speak well and get a job that does not require her to do more than speaking.

She feels that she has a future here.

She wrote that her teachers are all very helpful.


Brie, Adria, and Aurora shared that their lives here are much better than in their home countries.

They are aware that they will have to work hard in their studies, but they are willing to do that, which is very positive.

Their stories are similar, and they acknowledge that this country has given them opportunities that were unavailable to them before.
Aurora particularly mentioned that many people have migrated to other countries and have been successful.

She said that her dreams would come true, that moving is a new chapter in her life, and that she now has a better future.

High hopes are noticeable from their stories.

Zuzanna’s story displays very positive things that teachers are doing to ensure the academic success of their students of immigrant backgrounds: She is happy in school because schools are accommodating and welcoming.
She is eventually learning Icelandic and in no time she will be able to master it or that is what she hopes.

(51, graduate).

However, she also wrote a very contrasting story: Like every immigrant coming to a first world country, she is in bubble until she will see reality that it is not easy to be in different country with different language.
Nevertheles, many immigrants make it but to make it and get a good job, she will need to be reely be good in Icelandic and get a degree here because if people with degree in their her contry, it is not easy in Iceland to be accepted 46 the degree you finish so you get good job.

But she is yung and she is dugleg [hardworking] so she has time.

Zuzanna (51, graduate) tells us that not having academic skills parallel to that of Icelandic students can negatively affect the self-confidence of some immigrants.
From this story, Zuzanna thinks that even if she can finish school in her country or in Iceland, there is no guarantee that she will get a good job.

A similar perception was also found in Somsak’s story.

She explained that she does not feel equal because she is not Icelandic, and because she does not understand everything in school.

She was put in a class with other immigrants where it was impossible to learn Icelandic.
Her solution to this was that she would have to wait to get a good job and then learn more Icelandic.

When that time comes, she said that she will then feel happy and finally feel like she is doing something.

Somsak explained what she thought was a good job: Utlendingar [Foreigners] work in good jobs but not in offis jobs good life like Icelnadic.

The same but young childnre.

Born here, they speak from little baby Icelandic and they get good jobs in offis when they grow.
Elizabeth, too old or maybe young.

(56, vocational).

Similar to what Zuzanna wrote, Somsak said that younger children, especially those who were born here, are the ones who will eventually get better job opportunities because of how fluent they are in Icelandic.

Somsak thinks that younger children have better chances of attaining higher educational levels and landing white-collar jobs.

Most have the intention to do well, and they put a lot of value in their education.
However, they face the barrier of still having to learn Icelandic, which is an academic disadvantage.

Nevertheless, most of them see that this is just something that they will eventually get over with time.

Adria's story is a wake-up call for teachers to find more ways to help immigrant students: She cries every night, and no one knows but she feels very bad because she is overwhelmed with not being able to understand everything when in class.

She feels dumb but she knows she is not.

(23, vocational).
(23, vocational).

Some stories tell us that they feel as if they are falling behind in their studies and are worried about not getting the necessary grades to move further with their education.

They are aware of the problem, but they do not know who to turn to since they do not know anyone.

They feel that they do not belong in their surroundings when they are in school.

They are aware what obstacles that are preventing them from getting better jobs.
These stories show that finding friends and feeling assimilated is essential.

47 4.2.3 The importance of flexibility in finding teaching methods that work Here is a collection of stories that show how important it is to have teachers who understand the different needs of their students.

Sandra wrote that she has not been shown understanding with her situation.
She should be told that even though her situation is unique because her experiences are unique, there will be trials and tabulations, but all of that is part of the learning process.

And if we are struggling, we should speak to someone and ask for help.

There is no shame in admitting that we are having a difficult time.

(anonymous).

Sandra's story tells us that she might face problems with her studies as a newcomer because she lacks the support she needs.
At school, she is not given any special attention or shown understanding.

One teacher has tried to help, but the administration did not collaborate with this teacher.

Despite her teacher's best intentions and effort, she could not help.

Other children have not been helpful as well.

She has no friends at school and no one to play with after school.

(anonymous).

The writer of the story above tells us that unless immigrant students get the help, they need it would be difficult for them to study.
Feeling incompetent can lower self-esteem, which eventually leads to deep doubt about oneself.

Accommodating the needs of newcomers and helping students overcome their insecurities and fears concerning their academic performance is very important for teachers to address.

However, this story tells us the opposite.

There is an apparent lack of willingness from the school administration to help, even though her teacher tried to do what she could.
Aurora (39, undergraduate) wrote that she enjoys going to school in Iceland because teaching is not dependent on teachers alone.

She said that they have no structure, they go with the flow, and they have the expertise necessary to carry out high-quality teaching.

Her teachers know what they are doing, and they help her make sense of her education.

She explained that Icelandic teachers do not only talk to the board but speak to their students and have good relationships with them.
They find ways to give their students room to grow and to say what they want, and not have to be silent all the time.

She said that she is outspoken so she will not have a problem at school.

She can tell her teachers if she needs help, and she is sure that her teachers will find ways to help her.

She is happy because of this.

Adria’s story tells us many positive things about the school system in Iceland.
It tells us that the teaching style here is not entirely authoritative and that it does not lie solely on the hands of the teachers: 48 Teachers have lesser authority in their class and students test limits and become disrespectful.

This has affected Elizabeth and she feels that teachers need to have a more forceful approach in their teaching.

Especially, the new teachers.

Sometimes, for students like Elizabeth, she is needs a more controlled guidance in her learning.
She cannot just be expected to be able to take control of her own learning when the school environment already needs to be more disciplined.

Teachers are helpful but they have no authority over their class and this makes Elizabeth feel very anxious.

(23, vocational).

In contrast, Diego (37, doctorate) wrote about how a less authoritarian teaching approach could easily be misunderstood.

It can eventually cause students to become disrespectful towards their teachers.
However, this can be argued by the following stories that show that a less authoritative teaching style can still give teachers complete control over their classes.

This teaching style can also engage students to participate and make them feel like they are being given more attention.

Millie (33, graduate) has been pleased with school ever since she started it in Iceland.

However, she feels alone and needs help with her studies.
She does not know who to ask because she has no Icelandic friends, but she needs to catch up.

She sees that her teachers understand different learning abilities, needs, and interests.

She feels good at school and has been receiving lessons catered to her needs.

Her teachers are flexible and can connect to the class, and they make sure that everyone is engaged and participating.

Millie feels that in the classroom, no one is left out.
However, she is worried that if she is getting a lower curriculum and that she will fall behind with her studies.

Sandra's (anonymous) story tells us that she is well-received by her fellow students and is given guidance by her teachers.

The school principal was kind enough to provide her with an assistant who helped her understand the lessons better and helped her do her homework.

The assistant has shown understanding and patience and has guided her on what study techniques work best for her.
Sandra's teachers are pleased with her progress and are optimistic that she will continue her education independently.

However, none of them are in a hurry to push her towards her independence as they know that every student is different and has their own pace during the adaptation and assimilation process.

Here are stories that show that some teachers are perceived to be accommodating to the students' needs.

They are described as flexible and are aware of different learning abilities and interests.
They provide guidance, give personalized attention, and encourage every student to participate.

If needed, help is provided so that students do not feel pressured and can take their time to learn.

Furthermore, the following stories acknowledge 49 the importance of flexibility from teachers in finding teaching methods that work.

These stories show how teachers can ensure the academic success of students of immigrant backgrounds.
Amara's (42, doctorate) story shows that she is happy because her school welcomes diversity and shows patience in her progress.

She mentioned a program for international students, and she feels that the school has adjusted educational practices according to student needs.

Fluency has been a barrier for her, but her teachers show a lot of understanding.

Even though she is reluctant to speak in class, they always try to make her feel comfortable.

She finds Icelandic teachers to be accommodating.


She is also happy that she can talk to them and that they are very laid back.

She has a proactive academic behavior even though she still cannot fully engage in her studies.

Her motivation is always complimented, and she feels that she is her worst critic.

She expects too much of herself even though her teachers help her according to her needs.

She likes that there are not so many assignments, and she can use her time doing something else.
She has never felt so at ease at school, and she does not want her lessons to stop.

She feels that her teachers do everything to help their students, even though they seem so relaxed.

She considers the teaching style in Iceland to be relaxed but very effective.

Luna (44, doctorate) wrote a similar story telling us that she feels glad going to school in Iceland as a newcomer.

She has heard so much about Icelandic schools, such as how enjoyable it can be.
She said that, like other students, she is also brilliant.

Iceland is a multicultural country, and she feels that teachers are accommodating to curious minds.

They have good programs with a loose structure that allows discussions.

She further explained that teachers are not rigid in their teaching, and that they give out information in different languages.

Two stories show that schools in Iceland are accustomed to diversity and international students and that the country itself is multicultural.
They show that student motivation and their attitude towards their studies play a big part in their progress.

Learning breaks are provided so that there is more time for leisure purposes.

Both stories offer similar perceptions that the teaching style in Icelandic schools is more relaxed but that this does not lessen its effectiveness in teaching.

Both stories also mention that teachers do their best to provide a comfortable learning environment.
From my data, students feel good at school and understand that being a newcomer has challenges.

Still, with time, motivation to improve, and constant studying, they will become better assimilated.

50 4.3 Findings from the student group Through the analysis of the findings from the student group, three themes emerged.

The first one is that students have a positive outlook on their education.
The second one is about anxiety, and the third one tells us that students think more about their present situations and less about what their future holds.

4.3.1 Positive outlook The following stories tell us that six out of the twelve participants from the student group think positively about their studies here in Iceland.

Here is a collection of stories that show how students feel.

Mateo (male, 16) wrote that he does not understand much of what is taught.
He said that although it will take him time to learn, he will eventually find his place.

With patience, he will have complete control of his studies.

Santiago's (male, 18) story shows that he is a good student.

He studies every day, and he understands what is being taught at school.

He has a lot of confidence, and he thinks of himself as an intelligent, hard-working student who is always looking for ways to improve himself at school.
Matías' (male, 18) story shows that teachers have an interest in their student's educational progress.

He wrote that his teacher regularly inquires how he is doing at school.

Like Santiago and Matías, Eleuterio (male 21) feels motivated in his studies.

He also said similar things as Matías.

He said that it is evident to him that his teacher is involved in helping him with his academic progress.

Her teacher ask her how she is getting along with her studies and she says very well!
She is doing very well.

(male, 18).

On a similar note, Amancio (gay,16) wrote that success is achieved one step at a time with constant motivation.

As with most immigrants who are met with challenges in their studies in Icelandic, Cielo (female, 18) feels that she will be fine and that having many difficulties at school is just a phase.

This is very positive because she says that she is ready to face challenges and believes that it will eventually be better for her.
From these stories, students have very positive outlooks and attitudes towards their learning.

They show enthusiasm and know that even though learning takes time, they will reach their full potential.

51 4.3.2 Anxiety In contrast to the first theme, six out of twelve participants in the student group also felt some level of anxiety.

Here is a collection of stories that show students' different struggles that cause them to become anxious with their studies.
These stories show a lot of anxiety due to the possibility of not catching up with their studies if they endlessly fall behind.

This was obvious in the following stories, such as Liceu’s: Catherines explains to her teacher that she wants to do well in shcool and has talked to her teacher never to call her in class because she will frees and faint.

She can do homework instead, which her teacher agrees with.

She tell teacher to call his friend in class, he is not frees and is calm like a tree.

(male, 16).
(male, 16).

This story shows that this student dreads being at the center of attention but is active in his learning.

He would rather seem to be passive than be asked to participate because he feels uncomfortable when all eyes are on him.

Amancio (gay,16) wrote that with tiny steps, success could be achieved.

However, he also wrote about his worries.

He shared that he does not remember how education was in his country because he moved to Iceland at a very young age.
This was evident in what he wrote: Catherine does not remember how education in her country was because she came her very little but now she is in school here and she worries that she is not learning the same as in her country.

She worries that she will be called dumb by her relatives because she want to make proud her mother and prove eberyone wronf.

Amancio's story is very interesting because he mentioned that he practically grew up here, so it can be assumed that he knows the local language very well.
This then confirms that he has no problem with his Icelandic language skills.

However, he also shared that he is worried that he is given an inferior curriculum than what would be appropriate for his grade level in his home country.

He further makes me think that he has not fully integrated into society, despite coming here at an early age, because he is worried that he might be called dumb by his relatives.
He wants to learn what is essential in his inner community and feels that he will not be accepted as an equal in his family unit because he is growing up outside of his birth country.

Even though he grew up here, he has most probably been socializing solely with people from his own country, and he wants to be like them.

Potentially, the community he has been surrounded with while growing up does not have a positive perspective towards the educational system in Iceland.
52 Marikit (female 16) shared that she feels a lot of pressure that makes her very anxious.

She wrote that when her teacher asks her how she is getting along with her studies, she usually does not say anything.

She prefers to talk to her friend instead, and she confides in her.

She tells her the truth, but she goes back to school the next day, pretending everything is fine.

She feels that she is wasting her time pretending that she is happy, but she is scared to tell her teacher.
She thinks she is more than ready for the next level, but her teacher does not believe it.

Marikit feels that she is different than other immigrant students.

This is because she thinks she is doing very well, even though it looks like she needs to improve.

The truth is that she does not want to sound arrogant.

That is why she does not mention anything to her teacher and hopes that her teacher will notice that she is brilliant.
She wants to ask her teacher about this, but she feels nervous when her teacher is nearby.

This student thinks her lessons are too easy for her, and she needs something more challenging.

However, she feels that her teacher has not noticed that she already knows what is being taught and can proceed to a higher level.

She feels anxious to approach her teacher about her concerns.

Marikit’s story shows that she is very anxious.


She thinks that this is the result of not having many friends to help her with her struggles.

Being a new student and not having enough support makes her feel that her struggles are piling up.

Unlike Marikit, who has not talked to her teacher about how she truly feels, Tadhana (female 17) tells her teacher directly and is more open about her emotions.
Assuming the character as Catherine, Tadhana wrote this: Catherine explains how she feels, and she says to her teacher that she feels she is not learning because she does not understand half of what her teachers say, and the class is boisterous.

She explains that she is worried that she will not learn anything for the rest of the year, but it is not her fault.

She worries that if her classmates find out she complained, maybe they would not want to be with her anymore, but she has to tell her teacher.
She is scared to lose friends tomorrow.

Another student, Diwata (female 18), said that she is very anxious to repeat her class because she is struggling.

4.3.3 Thinking about the present This theme tells us that some students take their studies lightly and do not worry too much about their future.

They are enjoying their lives and getting the best out of them.

This theme contrasts with the second theme because the following stories do not exhibit any form of anxiety.
It tells us that students do not worry so much about their studies.

Liceu (male, 16,) said that he feels like he is enjoying his life.

He learns, goes to school, and is happy with the 53 present.

He thinks he is enjoying himself too much and does not want anything to change.

He wrote that: Catherine feels that she enjoys life.

She learns, goes to school, and is happy now with her life and doesn’t want to change anything.
Santiago (male, 18) shares the same idea and said that it is best to live in the moment and enjoy his youth.

He wrote that he is young and has time to learn.

Eleuterio (male, 21) also told us that being content with the present is the way to live.

This is very similar to the Icelandic mentality that says that everything will eventually fix itself.

Eleuterio wrote that he feels that his academic journey has been challenging but points out that everyone has academic struggles.
Hallveig (female, 17), said that she will complete her studies in her own timeframe and that there is time for everything.

She said that she has so much to do right now, and she wants to travel and see the world.

Her studies can wait, but she will eventually do them.

These stories show that some immigrant students are not worried about their education in Iceland.

They have a relaxed attitude towards it, and they do not allow a fixed timeframe to control them.
54 5 Discussion The purpose of this research was to understand how upper secondary school teachers work with students with diverse language backgrounds in order to construct a pedagogy that responds to immigrant students.

Furthermore, the aim was to investigate how upper secondary teachers employ the multicultural teaching approach with their students with diverse language backgrounds.
The main question leading this research was, "How are upper secondary teachers responding to students of immigrant backgrounds in their lessons to ensure their academic success?"

In this section I will discuss my main findings in the context of the literature presented in section two.

The discussion is organized into three parts.

The first part is about challenges including stress factors, anxiety, and lack of academic skills.

The second part discusses opportunities and positive discoveries.
The final part covers positive outlooks, which includes the importance of Icelandic, student suggestions of what is needed, and the positive outlook of students.

Teachers can play a crucial role in improving student academic outcomes, especially as Iceland becomes more culturally diverse.

To address the growing number of immigrants, it is critical to acknowledge the importance of well-trained teachers.

Without qualified teachers, students´ opportunity to learn is at stake.
Teacher shortages can also make it more challenging to implement effective teaching plans.

Teacher shortage inevitably harms students, teachers, and public education.

It is not enough for the government, municipalities, and schools make policies for immigrant students.

Teacher shortage and professionalism on handling a diverse group of students should be addressed.
The immigrant participants were an important element of this research because they presented stories directly inspired by their cultures, making it intriguing to learn about their perspectives on the Icelandic education system and teaching methods.

The richness of their views was aided by the diversity of their backgrounds.

Their suggestions could help upper secondary teachers respond more effectively to their students.
Their participation was essential because they were individuals who somehow had a connection to upper secondary school students.

They were either parents or relatives, or they had been former students.

Some of them had children in the compulsory school level and were anxious about their children's transition to upper secondary school in the future years.
The student group was also very important for this research because their stories were mostly about their feelings 55 on being in school and their attitudes towards furthering their education.

Knowing these, programs can be better planned to help keep them in school and minimize dropouts.

5.1 Challenges The main findings of this research show that social and cultural differences can bring a school community together but can also create challenges because of stress and misunderstandings.
It seems that teachers' challenges, anxiety, and lack of support need to be addressed more.

One of the main obstacles of upper secondary students is that teachers have a hard time connecting to their students using the Icelandic language, and it gets worse as they are older (Magnúsdóttir, 2010).

This was clear when the immigrant group emphasized that the only way to succeed in this country is to have an appropriate level of academic Icelandic which can take several years to learn (Cummins, 2019).
This research highlighted the importance of learning Icelandic, one of the core subjects taught in upper secondary school, alongside mathematics and English (Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture, 2012b).

Although the findings imply that teachers' attitudes towards their students encourage and support more participation, their ideas or solutions were limited.

However, they knew how to provide immigrant students with a sense of ownership of their involvement through presentations.
Many of the stories shared challenges related to language skills.

For this reason, having the presence of multicultural teachers can help motivate immigrant students to succeed in their studies (Banks, 2019).

Teachers in Iceland sometimes feel unprepared to teach diverse students (Tran, 2018).

Nevertheless, they give it their best to accommodate these students, similar to what they shared in their stories for this research.
Employing foreign or a diverse set of teachers can also be a good idea to inspire and motivate immigrant students to learn.

This is because immigrant students can then see that these teachers have similar language learning experiences and can understand their struggles.

They can be able to have some sort of similarity to those teachers and feel a sense of belonging.

Nevertheless, whatever backgrounds teacher have, all can benefit from taking further education (Teacher´s Union, 2021a).
Some immigrants from this research felt incompetent in their studies and only because of the language barrier.

This relates to what Einstein said about different kinds of intelligence (Klug, 2014).

Everyone has something to contribute with or without full command of the Icelandic language.
According to the Rights of Students in Secondary School, there must be a reception class for the individual curriculum that considers not just language skills but also students' backgrounds (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2018).

56 Furthermore, it is increasingly relevant for teachers to communicate with their students and parents due to cultural differences.
Lack of relations between home and school creates adverse incidents of prejudice from teachers because they might not fully understand cultural differences (Gunnþórsdóttir, Barillé & Meckl, 2017).

Parents' prejudice can also create obstacles to getting the best out of the education service provisions available.

Immigrant parents could also have unrealistic educational expectations for their children who are still adapting to their new country.
They might not fully understand that reaching an academic level of language proficiency is essential for academic purposes.

With good communication between the school and home, teachers can avoid misinterpreting parental views towards education as negative or non-existent.

Misperceptions exist when teachers do not understand the parents' perspectives.

The same can be said from parents to teachers.


The more immigrant parents understand the Icelandic educational system, the more they will be able to see what it has to offer.

They will expect fewer unrealistic outcomes with a better understanding of the system.

Iceland being a different country, can provide various opportunities for their children, and students feel safe taking unconventional career paths.
This was evident by the findings where students were more concerned about the present than their future.

They likely seemed relaxed because they already know that there are other ways to succeed, such as vocational degrees that consider practical work experience.

These jobs rarely require students to master academic Icelandic and are highly respected career paths in Iceland.
This can be something that parents misunderstand because, without proper cultural orientation, they can assume that unconventional career paths are not synonymous with being successful.

5.2 Opportunities Training in multicultural education is essential for practitioners who encounter diversity issues.

Improved multicultural awareness through staff development must include opportunities that genuinely attempt to enhance multiculturalism.
Opportunities should be made available for guided, open dialogue that examines campus issues and personal introspection, as well as encourages a change in behaviors towards better inclusion of diversity components (Banks, 2019).

With increased migration, teachers can implement the philosophy of multicultural education, which celebrates cultural differences and incorporates all students, regardless of their gender, social class, ethnicity, religion, ability, and cultural characteristics (Banks, 2019).
This research shows that teachers care about their students' learning because some of them took courses so that they can learn new skills and can be better at work.

Furthermore, bilingual teachers sometimes spoke to their students using their mother tongues.

They did 57 this to connect to them on a more personal level.

It could be argued that it would have been better for teachers to speak only in Icelandic because being at school might be the only place where they can use Icelandic.
However, following a study conducted by Cummins (2017) () proficiency in the first language (L1) helped develop the second language (L2).

Cummins (1979) used the term developmental interdependence to describe this observation.

It could be argued that because these students were in their upper secondary level, they were probably already proficient in their first languages.
Therefore, the teacher who tried to speak in Spanish to her students only wanted to have a more personal connection to her student and was not trying to develop language proficiency.

Determining if learning difficulties came from more than just the language barrier depended on teacher expertise and professionalism in determining strengths and weaknesses.

This was clear because all the teachers looked for ways for immigrant students to progress.
This is connected to a teacher's role in recognizing learning problems.

This is essential so that students can get the right kind of academic support they need.

As mentioned under BISC and CALP, the latter academic language proficiency takes years to achieve.

Cummins (1986) observed that there is a specific timeline for CALP to develop.

Bilingual students were fluent in their second language from 0–2 years after arriving in their new country.
However, it took 5–7 years for bilingual children to reach CALP (Collier, 1987).

Upper secondary students are in the age range of 16 to 20.

Although these students are all second language learners, each of them is different.

Teachers should be careful of categorizing them as simply second language learners (Frodesen & Holten, 2018).

Teachers in this study took their responsibilities seriously.
Even though they did not receive support from their school director, they continued to improve themselves professionally.

A positive personal academic attitude between teachers and students is likely the key to student academic progression.

However, this alone is not enough since teacher quality matters and is the most important school-related factor influencing student achievement (European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, 2017).
This study showed that teachers were very professional in finding equal opportunities for immigrant to learn.

Teachers made sure that they developed good relationships with their students to make them feel comfortable in class, which they acknowledge is an integral part of a student’s learning process.

Students' motivation to learn is impacted by how teachers introduce tasks that motivate their intrinsic autonomy and competence to flourish and engage in deeper learning (Niemiec & Ryan, 2009).
The main findings of the stories gathered from this research showed that the immigrant participants wrote a lot about feeling incompetent in their studies.

They lack inner motivation, which is a result of not knowing where to get help.

If students do not get the right amount of individual support that they need, they can fall behind in their academic journeys.

58 It was commonly assumed that immigrant students could fend for themselves after acquiring essential academic fluency.
However, writing for educational purposes requires more skill than everyday conversations (Gibbons, 2002).

Without opportunities to strengthen the foundation of their academic proficiency, wider job opportunities in the future could be at stake.

Teachers can help strengthen this foundation in the classroom.

Activities such as group works, and presentations are chances for students to talk and communicate in Icelandic.

This can also pave a pathway for possible friendships with Icelandic students.
This further reaffirms that teachers in Iceland are becoming more skilled in handling diversity (Teacher´s Union 2021a).

Determining if learning difficulties came from more than just the language barrier depended on teacher expertise and professionalism in determining strengths and weaknesses.

This was clear because all the teachers looked for ways for immigrant students to progress.

This is connected to the teacher's role in recognizing learning problems.
This is essential so that students can get the right kind of academic support they need.

Previous research has shown that immigrant parents think that Icelandic schools lack structured programs and that this can hinder their children´s learning (Ragnarsdóttir, 2008).

This is partly supported in the findings from this research because some immigrants said that they are impressed with how Icelandic teachers achieve autonomy in implementing their lessons Some of them had positive comments.
From the combined stories collected, immigrants see that the Icelandic educational style is holistic and sensitive to the needs of their students.

They further expressed that they are given high-quality education and that the learning environment confirms that teachers have invested in professional development.

Teachers were described as having a solid, inclusive ideology and showing support for different learner abilities and interests.
An essential aspect of the findings is that teachers were seen as experts in their profession because they showed expertise in implementing teaching methods that catered to all students.

Multicultural education is an educational philosophy that focuses on celebrating cultural differences and incorporates all students.

It allows equal learning opportunities (Banks, 2019).

This is because students are fully engaged in their learning process.
Many immigrants described the Icelandic teaching style as engaging and offered opportunities for students to participate.

The Icelandic school system trusts teachers to find and independently re- evaluate teaching techniques that work for their students.

Teachers are responsible to develop effective strategies to meet the needs of different learners.
Collaboration with the school administration rather than working in isolation was mentioned several times to be very important in helping immigrant students.

This is in relation to the UNESCO Salamanca Statement (1994), which was implemented into mainstream education to adapt to student’s 59 needs and to respect the rights of all learners, regardless of their strengths and weaknesses in any area.
5.3 A look to the future Quality teachers are a prerequisite for sound instruction and a good school (Icelandic Teacher's Union, 2021).

This was evident from the findings because teachers showed a lot of resilience even when they were overwhelmed working in complex and challenging settings.

This feeling of being overwhelmed was the direct result of not getting the support they needed from the director.
However, it did not stop them from incorporating ways to engage and sustain deeper learning from their students.

Based on teachers' combined stories, it was clear that a unified goal was to help immigrant students to be better engaged and motivated in their education.

Teachers acknowledged this as essential in directing the proper flow of student success in their academic journeys.
Connecting prior knowledge to their current lessons could not have been possible without teachers' interest in their students’ professional development.

Only through the reflection of their teaching methods paralleled with further education was it possible for them to meet the demands of the diversity of their current student groups.
Some of the stories from the teacher group in this study showed that teachers trusted themselves to use their knowledge and skills, which they must do to succeed (Walters, 2002).

It is mentioned in the Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for Upper Secondary Schools (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2012b) that teacher professionalism is based on their special vocational education, knowledge, and welfare.
Teachers are responsible for guiding students to acquire knowledge and skills, encouraging their joy of working, and nurturing creative thinking.

This can only be possible when teachers are willing to improve themselves, which is precisely the case from the findings gathered from this research since teachers opted for professional development to become better in their work.
The Icelandic Teacher's Union (2021) also supports this by supporting further education that strengthens teachers’ competence to meet new challenges.

This is essential because students can then be better met with a teaching approach that considers their cultures and diversity (Tran & Ragnarsdóttir, 2016) even though implementing curricula that cater to diversity is challenging.

There will be fear, uncertainty, and discomfort for many teachers (Van Hook, 2002).
Humility and professionalism from experienced teachers are crucial for adjusting teaching methods and approaches that may not be working anymore.

Awareness that academic success can improve when teachers investigate how to adjust approaches is extremely relevant for re-evaluating if former teaching methods are interrelated to new ones or if they must evolve.
Sometimes understanding that change must occur to meet 60 individual differences may be an issue of disagreement which could hinder the growth and advancement of the whole school.

However, the findings from this research tell a different story since teachers show mutual respect regardless of the length of their teaching experiences.
Finding ways to incorporate immigrants who have teaching backgrounds or those who are interested in going into the teaching profession in Iceland can also benefit society (Gay, 2010).

Immigrants from this research emphasized how important it is for teachers to understand how immense their roles are.

They further pointed out that teachers have the power to influence a student´s life for better or for worse.
Teachers should constantly ask themselves how they can better ensure that the learning experiences their immigrant students are receiving can serve as the foundation for a better future in Iceland.

Some factors that have increased the risk of dropout in Iceland are the availability of lifelong learning to complete studies and the broad employment opportunities for youth (OECD, 2016).
Gathered stories for this research have shown that immigrants and students have concerns about grasping a certain level of Icelandic to be able to have good work opportunities.

However, what differed between the immigrant and the student groups was that students were very concerned about having an active social life.

They seem to enjoy their independence and did not worry so much about their future.
Iceland has many work opportunities for young people, which enables them to earn their own money so that they can travel and see the world.

I see this as something very positive so that young people can begin to build their own lives independently without having to rely so much on their parents.

This is something that is not a reality in many countries.

However, this can also encourage dropping out of school and not seeking further education.
This can be very inviting for immigrant students who have a hard time at school because they see that there are easier ways to end their academic struggles and still have a means of living.

It could also be that these students still do not have financial responsibilities because their families still support them.

It is understandable that they may have emotional and integration issues in having to adapt to studying in Iceland.
Knowing when to make the move with children to ensure their future academic success and face minimal educational hurdles is unpredictable.

There will always be hurdles but choosing employment rather than schooling could be a temporary fix in disconnecting from academic struggles.

This could help their struggles in the present but looking into their future is a different story.

In this study, immigrant students expressed a carefree attitude towards delaying their studies.
Many students do a gap year before they enter higher education so this should not be a problem.

However, academic achievement is also one of the strongest predictors of school dropouts (OECD, 2016).

If immigrant students already need help and are not getting 61 the right support in school, then taking time off from their studies could be a bad idea because they might lose interest in coming back.
However, taking time off can also be advantageous to their academic and personal growth and could be used as preparation time to enter higher education.

Nevertheless, the ones who drop out or in this case, take time off from school, are the ones most likely not to seek further education or training later in life than those who have finished school (Rumberger & Thomas, 2000).

Looking into the future highlights that school curriculums need to be supportive and encouraging towards independence.
Teacher expertise in handling a diverse group of students is needed to find ways to develop students’ confidence and eventually unlock their full potentials.

Keeping them in school is a fragile and complex challenge for teachers.

62 6 Conclusion Based on the findings of this study, it is clear that philosophical ideas that promote equality, justice, and equity in education must be realized.
The stories gathered for this research revealed that a multicultural teaching approach needs to be implemented because of the increasing diversity of student groups in Icelandic schools.

Teachers expressed willingness to do everything possible to integrate their students into their classrooms.

A clear understanding of how to facilitate multicultural education can promote positive changes and address academic issues.
Student struggles were obvious, but there was also a lack of teacher support from academic administrations.

Nevertheless, based on this research, failure to keep these students in school must not continue.

Findings from this research have provided new contributions that confirm that continuing education can broaden teachers' knowledge and develop the skills they need in handling the diversity of their student groups.

This can also improve classroom experiences.


It is a sad truth that the teaching group in Iceland is older than their peers in other countries.

This can eventually lead to teacher shortages (OECD, 2016), which is already an issue.

On the other hand, multicultural education is a modern approach that effectively integrates students of immigrant backgrounds.
For this reason, knowing that teachers are willing to become better prepared to receive these students, educating teachers can further help foster principles of equity in their classrooms.

The educational system knows this.

Therefore, teachers need to gain the necessary skills to use the multicultural teaching approach.

Collectively the teacher, immigrant, and student groups discussed that lack of language ability was the main reason for limited student participation.
This research disapproves of this idea.

With clear implementation of the multicultural teaching approach, focus on helping students move forward with their education in Iceland should not solely rely on language acquisition but on other factors such as teachers acquiring the skills to identify the strengths that their students bring into their classrooms.

The immigrant and student group had the ability to learn in many cases but were unable to academically communicate in Icelandic.
Based on the stories collected for this research, we now know that language barrier is one of the biggest obstacle that they think hinders academic progress.

It is therefore vital that more emphasis should be done on creating opportunities for students to develop their language skills, but learning should not only focus on that alone.

Conducting this research has led me to believe that future research on teacher development is needed.
It is essential to find unified ways to accommodate students of 63 immigrant backgrounds appropriately.

Simply having the intention to do well without having the right skills can lead to inconsistencies in teaching these students.

Therefore, this must be addressed with further education.

This is because classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse, which has posed new challenges for teachers.
When teachers can learn more about their students' backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, they will feel more comfortable understanding how to approach their students and can find better ways to support them.

For this reason, I suggest that knowledge about different cultures, communication styles, and learning approaches be included in further education for teachers to better understand their students in a multicultural classroom.
Because of the small number of participants, the results of this research cannot be generalized for all teachers, immigrants, and upper secondary students.

However, the high volume of responses when I looked for participants suggests that further research related to teacher development is interesting to the public.

Furthermore, it also indicates that the use of the story completion method is effective in doing qualitative research not only in the field of psychology, but also in the field of education.
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70 Appendix A: Introductory letter in Icelandic Introductory message in Icelandic: Kæru öll, Ég er að gera eigindleg rannsókn sem ég er að vonast til að ná til eins margra og kostur er.
Vinsamlegast sendu mér einkaskilaboð ef þú vilt taka þátt í rannsókn minni svo ég geti útskýrt fyrir þér hvers konar gögn ég er að leita að.

Bara stuttur texti um hvað það er sem ég ætla að skrifa um: Af þeim 187 innflytjenda nemendum sem höfðu skráð sig í framhaldsskóla á ísland á árunum 2012 til 2019 höfðu 155 af þeim hætt.

Aðeins 32 héldu áfram námi.

Þetta gerðist á 4 ára tímabili eftir komu þeirra til Íslands (Hagstofa Íslands, 2020).

Þetta er ótrúlega mikill fjöldi brottfalla.


Þetta eru börnin sem eru ekki ennþá fullorðin og standa einfaldlega frammi fyrir ákvörðuninni út frá aðstæðum í fjölskyldulífi sínu um hvers vegna þau velja að flytja til Íslands.

Með hliðsjón af því að þessi börn koma eru með mismunandi tungumála bakgrunn og kennsla á Íslandi er öll byggð á íslensku verða þessi börn venjulega hluti af félagslegri flokkun nemenda sem hafa ekki tungumálakunnáttu til að taka virkan þátt í tímum sínum.
Með þessari rannsókn verður sýnt fram á að með jákvæðu viðhorfi er hægt að sameina fjölmenningarlega kennsluaðferð og nám í íslensku sem mun hafa áhrif á árangursríkt nám framhaldsskólanema.

Að skilja hvert frá öðru eykur hættuna á að nemendur hætti í skóla vegna þess að kennsluaðferðin kom ekki til móts við þarfir þeirra.

Þú getur skrifað mér á Tagalog, Cebuano íslensku, ensku eða spænsku.

Mér er sama.

Ég þarf bara gögnin.


71 Appendix B: Introductory letter in English I am doing qualitative research and I´m using the Story Completion Method.

I have asked my supervisors if it was ok that I´ll use FB as well to be able to gather data.

They told me that it is ok and this is why I am writing to you because I would like to ask permission to write something on the wall about my research.

I need to reach as many foreign upper secondary teachers, students, and immigrants.
Just a short text on what it is that I am going to be writing about: Out of the 187 immigrant students who have entered upper secondary education in Iceland between the year 2012 to 2019, there have been 155 of them who have dropped out.

Only 32 students have continued their studies.

This happened in a span of 4 years after their entry to Iceland (Statistics Iceland, 2020).

This is a staggeringly high number of dropouts.


These are the children who are not yet adults and are most simply faced with the decision based on the circumstances of their family lives on why they choose to move to Iceland.
Considering that these children come from different language backgrounds and the local educational context in Iceland is all based in Icelandic, these children usually become part of the social categorisation of students who do not have the language capital to actively participate in their classes.
Throughout this study, it will be presented that a positive perspective to combine multicultural teaching approach and learning Icelandic will influence successful academic journeys for upper secondary second language learners and that this must be taken into consideration.

Separating one from the other will put these students at risk of dropping out because the teaching method will not be able to cater to their needs.

You can write to me in Tagalog, Cebuano Icelandic, English, or Spanish.

I don´t mind.
I don´t mind.

I just need the data.

72 Appendix C: Introductory letter in Spanish Estimados amigos, sabían ustedes que, según las Estadísticas de Islandia, de los 187 estudiantes inmigrantes que ingresaron a la educación secundaria superior entre los años 2012 y 2019, 155 de ellos la abandonaron.

Sólo 32 estudiantes han continuado sus estudios.

Es decir, sólo el 17.1 % logró culminar con éxito el proceso Educativo.
Es por ello que deseo invitarles a participar de la investigación que está realizando mi amiga y colega Candace Alison.

Desarrollando una metodología con enfoque multicultural de los procesos de aprendizajes para inmigrantes, lo que seguro derivará en mayores herramientas y oportunidades para alcanzar esta meta educación superior, especialmente para las generaciones emergentes.

Esta participación tendrá la facilitas de ser llevada a cabo de en varios idiomas, y con la debida reserva.
Message was written by the help of my friend, Nura Sarmiento.

73 Appendix D: Formal message to participants in English "Many times, in the various immigration processes, its intrinsic complexity is omitted.

Especially how it faces these new realities, people, or groups of people, before a dominant culture very different from its own, generating uprooting and processes that make it is complex to settle appropriately.
Therefore, the research being carried out will be based on the Story Completion Method, which is a form of narrative inquiry that involves inviting the research participants to complete a narrative from the opening of a story or "root".

This document is divided into two stages.

The first stage where you must write how you would end the hypothetical stories that are presented.
These are in three different scenarios: - one is a teacher's point of view, - a new student, who is starting high school, and - a student who is finishing high school and must decide whether he goes to university.

And in the second stage you must answer direct questions about the stories raised.

All the answers will have great reception because we want to know your perception of these situations (this from the emotional, mental, cultural point of view) so, there are no wrong answers.
You will have the freedom to describe from your own point of view each situation, that many faces every day."

Message was written by the help of my friend, Nura Sarmiento.

74 Appendix E: Formal messages to participants in Spanish “Muchas veces en los diversos procesos migratorios se omite su complejidad intrínseca.
Especialmente cómo se enfrenta a estas nuevas realidades, personas o grupos de personas, ante una cultura dominante muy diferente a la propia, generando desarraigo y procesos que hacen que sea complejo asentarse.

Por lo tanto, la investigación que se lleva a cabo se basará en el Método “Story Completion Method”, que es una forma de indagación narrativa que consiste en invitar a los participantes de la investigación a completar una narración desde el inicio de una historia o "raíz".
Este documento se divide en dos etapas.

La primera etapa en la que debes escribir cómo terminarías las hipotéticas historias que se presentan.

Estos se encuentran en tres escenarios diferentes: - uno es el punto de vista de un maestro, - un nuevo estudiante, que está comenzando la escuela secundaria, y - un estudiante que está terminando la escuela secundaria y debe decidir si va o no a la Universidad.

Y en la segunda etapa debes responder preguntas directas sobre las historias planteadas.
Todas las respuestas tendrán gran acogida, porque queremos conocer tu percepción de estas situaciones (esto desde el punto de vista emocional, mental, cultural) No hay respuestas incorrectas.

Tendrás la libertad de describir desde tu propio punto de vista cada situación, que muchos enfrentan todos los días".

Message was written by the help of my friend, Nura Sarmiento.
75 Appendix F: Permission letter for teachers and students Kæru kennarar og nemendur, Mig langar til að biðja um kennara til þátttöku í rannsóknum mínum um nemendur í framhaldsskólum.

Samkvæmt gögnum frá Hagstofu Íslands 2020 voru 187 innflytjendanemar sem skráðu sig í framhaldsskólanám á árunum 2012 til 2019.

Af þessum fjölda hafa 155 nemendur hætt og aðeins 32 hafa ákveðið að halda áfram með námið.

Allt þetta gerðist á fjórum árum eftir komu þeirra til Íslands.
Þess vegna hef ég áhuga á að gera rannsóknir á þessu efni.

Tilgangurinn með rannsóknum mínum er að skilja hvernig framhaldsskólakennarar vinna með nemendum með fjölbreytta tungumálabakgrunn.

Markmið mitt er að kanna hvernig kennarar beita fjölmenningarlegum kennsluaðferðum með nemendum sínum með fjölbreyttan tungumálabakgrunn.

Ég er meistaranemi í Uppeldis og menntunarfræði, Fjölmenningarfræði við Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands.
Um þessar mundir vinn ég að M.Ed verkefni mínu sem er eigindleg rannsókn á „Að beita fjölmenningarlegri kennslu í kennslustofunni“.

Sú gagnasöfnunaraðferðin sem notuð verður kallast sögulokaaðferð (á Ensku Story Completion Method).

Í þessari rannsókn eru þátttakendur beðnir um að ljúka frásögn af ímynduðum aðstæðum.

Birt er upphaf að frásögn sem þátttakendur eru síðan beðnir um að halda áfram með og rekja hvað gerist næst.

Það eru engar réttar eða rangar leiðir til þess að ljúka frásögninni.
Þáttakendur geta verið eins hugmyndaríkir og þeir vilja.

Ég hef eingöngu áhuga á hversu mismunandi sögur fólk skrifar.

Megin tilgangur rannsóknarinnar er að kanna þær aðstæður sem framhaldsskólakennarar og nemendur standa frammi fyrir og hvernig þeir bregðast við ímynduðum aðstæðum.

Söguþræðirnir verða sendir í tölvupósti.

Leitast verður við að fá þátttakendur með ólikan bakgrunn er varðar menntun, aldur, kynþátt, kyn og hugsanlega kynhneigð.
Þetta gerir mér kleift að rannsaka hvernig ólikir þjóðfélagshópar bregðast við mismunandi aðstæðum.

Nú leita ég til ykkar ágætu kennarar og nemendur og óska eftir leyfi til þess að geta sent söguþræðina og byrjað rannsóknina.

Söguþræðirnir verða skrifaðir í 3ju persónu þannig að þáttakendur þurfa ekki að eigna sér söguna eða að réttlæta sögur þeirra eins og ef þau væru spurð beint út um efnið.
Leiðbeinendur mínir eru Edda Óskarsdóttir eddao@hi.is og Hafdís Guðjónsdóttir hafdgud@hi.is, doktorar við Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands.

Athugaðu að þú ert ekki skyldugur til að taka þátt í þessari rannsókn.

Þú getur hætt hvenær sem er án fyrirvara eða skýringa.

Með fyrirfram þökk og kveðju.


Candace Alison Loque 76 Appendix G: Permission letter for parents and guardians Ágætu foreldrar/forráðamenn, Ég heiti Candace Alison Loque og er meistaranemi í Uppeldis og menntunarfræði, Fjölmenningarfræði við Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands.

Um þessar mundir vinn ég að M.Ed verkefni mínu sem er eigindleg rannsókn á „Að beita fjölmenningarlegri kennslu í kennslustofunni“.

Sú gagnasöfnunaraðferðin sem notuð verður kallast sögulokaaðferð (á Ensku Story Completion Method).
Í þessari rannsókn eru þátttakendur beðnir um að ljúka frásögn af ímynduðum aðstæðum.

Birt er upphaf að frásögn sem þátttakendur eru síðan beðnir um að halda áfram með og rekja hvað gerist næst.

Það eru engar réttar eða rangar leiðir til þess að ljúka frásögninni.

Þáttakendur get verið eins hugmyndaríki og þeir vilja.

Ég hef eingöngu áhuga á hversu mismunandi sögur fólk skrifar.
Megin tilgangur rannsóknarinnar er að kanna þær aðstæður sem framhaldsskólakennarar og nemendur standa frammi fyrir í skólastarfi og hvernig þeir bregðast við ímynduðum aðstæðum.

Söguþræðirnir verða sendir í tölvupósti.

Leitast verður við að fá þátttakendur með ólikan bakgrunn er varðar menntun, aldur, kynþátt, kyn og hugsanlega kynhneigð.

Þetta gerir mér kleift að rannsaka hvernig ólikir þjóðfélagshópar bregðast við mismunandi aðstæðum.
Nú leita ég til ykkar ágætu foreldrar og forráðamenn og óska eftir leyfi til þess að geta sent söguþræðina og byrjað rannsóknina.

Söguþræðirnir verða skrifaðir í 3ju persónu þannig að þáttakendur þurfa ekki að eigna sér söguna eða að réttlæta sögurnar eins og ef þau væru spurð beint út um efnið.

Leiðbeinendur mínir eru Edda Óskarsdóttir eddao@hi.is og Hafdís Guðjónsdóttir hafdgud@hi.is, doktorar við Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands.

Með fyrirfram þökk og kveðju.


Candace Alison Loque 77 Appendix H: Permission letter for students over 18 years of age Kæru nemendur í framhaldskólu, Mig langar til að biðja ykkur þátttöku í rannsóknum mínum um nemendur í framhaldsskólum.

Samkvæmt gögnum frá Hagstofu Íslands 2020 voru 187 innflytjendanemar sem skráðu sig í framhaldsskólanám á árunum 2012 til 2019.

Af þessum fjölda hafa 155 nemendur hætt og aðeins 32 hafa ákveðið að halda áfram með námið.
Allt þetta gerðist á fjórum árum eftir komu þeirra til Íslands.

Þess vegna hef ég áhuga á að gera rannsóknir á þessu efni.

Tilgangurinn með rannsóknum mínum er að skilja hvernig framhaldsskólakennarar vinna með nemendum með fjölbreytta tungumálabakgrunn.

Markmið mitt er að kanna hvernig kennarar beita fjölmenningarlegum kennsluaðferðum með nemendum sínum með fjölbreyttan tungumálabakgrunn.

Ég er meistaranemi í Uppeldis og menntunarfræði, Fjölmenningarfræði við Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands.
Um þessar mundir vinn ég að M.Ed verkefni mínu sem er eigindleg rannsókn á „Að beita fjölmenningarlegri kennslu í kennslustofunni“.

Sú gagnasöfnunaraðferðin sem notuð verður kallast sögulokaaðferð (á Ensku Story Completion Method).

Í þessari rannsókn eru þátttakendur beðnir um að ljúka frásögn af ímynduðum aðstæðum.

Birt er upphaf að frásögn sem þátttakendur eru síðan beðnir um að halda áfram með og rekja hvað gerist næst.

Það eru engar réttar eða rangar leiðir til þess að ljúka frásögninni.
Þáttakendur geta verið eins hugmyndaríkir og þeir vilja.

Ég hef eingöngu áhuga á hversu mismunandi sögur fólk skrifar.

Megin tilgangur rannsóknarinnar er að kanna þær aðstæður sem framhaldsskólakennarar og nemendur standa frammi fyrir og hvernig þeir bregðast við ímynduðum aðstæðum.

Söguþræðirnir verða sendir í tölvupósti.

Leitast verður við að fá þátttakendur með ólikan bakgrunn er varðar menntun, aldur, kynþátt, kyn og hugsanlega kynhneigð.
Þetta gerir mér kleift að rannsaka hvernig ólikir þjóðfélagshópar bregðast við mismunandi aðstæðum.

Nú leita ég til ykkar ágætu framhaldsskóla nemendur og óska eftir leyfi til þess að geta sent söguþræðina og byrjað rannsóknina.

Söguþræðirnir verða skrifaðir í 3ju persónu þannig að þáttakendur þurfa ekki að eigna sér söguna eða að réttlæta sögur þeirra eins og ef þau væru spurð beint út um efnið.
Leiðbeinendur mínir eru Edda Óskarsdóttir eddao@hi.is og Hafdís Guðjónsdóttir hafdgud@hi.is, doktorar við Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands.

Athugaðu að þú ert ekki skyldugur til að taka þátt í þessari rannsókn.

Þú getur hætt hvenær sem er án fyrirvara eða skýringa.

Með fyrirfram þökk og kveðju.


Candace Alison Loque 78 Appendix I: Story stems intended for teachers English version Icelandic version Taty is a dedicated schoolteacher, but she has been finding it very difficult to cope with the language diversity of the students in her class, so she finally decided to go and talk to her school director.
As she walked towards the office, she met the school director who very happily told her that because their school has a very high number of immigrant students, the news station was coming by to interview them and they are very interested to know about her work.

Taty´s first thought was: What an idiot!

Please complete the story explaining about what happens next.

Extra questions: Kindly as well answer these questions: Taty er kennari.
Henni hefur reynst erfitt að takast á við margbreytileika nemenda í bekknum sínum svo hún ákvað að fara og ræða við skólastjórann sinn.

Er hún gekk í átt að skrifstofunni sagði skólastjórinn henni glaður í bragði að vegna þess að skólinn þeirra væri með mjög mikinn fjölda innflytjenda væri fréttamaður frá fréttastöðinni á leiðinni til að taka viðtöl við þau og að þau hefðu mikinn áhuga á að vita um starf hennar.

Fyrsta hugsun Tatys var: Þvílíkur hálfviti!


Vinsamlegast kláraðu söguna og útskýrðu hvað gerist næst.

Auka spurningar: Vinsamlega svarið einnig þessum spurningum: Why did Taty react in such a way?

Af hverju bregst Taty svona við?

What have been the challenges she faced and what has she tried to do in her class?

Hvað var að reynast henni erfitt og hvað hún hafði reynt að gera í kennslunni sinni?

How would you describe Taty?

Hvernig myndir þú lýsa Taty?

How would you describe the school master?


What would have been done better to assist Taty?

Background question: Hvernig myndir þú lýsa skólastjórann?

Hvað hafði geta verið gert betur til þess að aðstoða Taty?

Bakgrunns Spurning: Hvernig myndir þú skilgreina kyn þitt?

How would you describe your gender?

Hver er menntunargráðan þín?

What is your academic level?


79 Appendix J: Story stems intended for immigrants English version: Icelandic version: Elizabeth, a newcomer, has been very happy ever since she started going to school in Iceland....

Please complete the story explaining about what happens next.

Extra questions: Kindly as well answer these questions: How would you describe Elizabeth?

What should be done to continue assuring Elizabeth that going to school will always be a good experience?
Elísabet nýliði hefur verið mjög ánægð síðan hún byrjaði í skóla á Íslandi Vinsamlegast kláraðu söguna og útskýrðu hvað gerist næst.

Auka spurningar: Vinsamlega svarið einnig þessum spurningum: Hvernig myndirðu lýsa Elizabeth?

Hvað ætti að gera til að halda áfram að fullvissa Elísabetu um að skólaganga er alltaf góð reynsla?

Background question Bakgrunns spurningar How would you describe your gender?

Hvernig myndirðu lýsa þínu kyni?

What is your academic level?

Hver er menntunargráðan þín?


Elizabeth, a newcomer, has been feeling very anxious going to school and her anxiety level has increased every single day.... Elísabet, nýliði, hefur verið mjög kvíðin við að fara í skóla og kvíðinn hennar hefur aukist með hverjum degi sem líður....

Please complete the story explaining about what happens next.

Vinsamlegast kláraðu söguna og útskýrðu hvað gerist næst.

Extra questions: Auka spurningar Kindly as well answer these questions: What is your academic level?
How would you describe Elizabeth?

What would have been done better to help Elizabeth?

Background question: How would you describe your gender?

What is your academic level?

Vinsamlega svarið einnig þessum spurningum: Hvernig myndirðu lýsa Elizabeth?

Hvað hefði verið gert betur til að hjálpa Elísabetu?

Bakgrunnsspurning: Hvernig myndir þú lýsa kyni þínu?

Hver er menntunargráðan þín?


80 Appendix K: Story stems intended for students English version Icelandic version I would like to kindly ask you to not us to much time thinking when writing your story.

It is best that you write down right away what comes into your mind first.

To ensure that I can get enough information to work with, I would like to ask you to write at least 10 sentences/200 words.
When you are finished writing your story, there are as well extra questions and a question about your background.

Catherine is a new student in an upper secondary school in Iceland.

She has been struggling to get the grips with her academic journey.

A lot of the struggles she is facing have not been as she expected they would be.

Many aspects of the study style in Iceland are very different to what she was used to in her home country.

She does not understand much of what is being taught.
Her teacher asked her how she is getting along with her studies.

Catherine tries to explain how she feels.

Ég vil biðja ykkur að eyða ekki of miklum tíma í að hugsa þegar þið klárið sögurnar.

Það er best að skrifa það sem fyrst kemur upp í hugann.

Til að tryggja að ég fái nægar upplýsingar að vinna með ætla ég að biðja ykkur um að skrifa að minnsta kosti 10 setningar/200 orð.

Þegar þið eruð búin að skrifa frásögnina koma nokkrar frekari spurningar um söguna og loks spurningar um bakgrunn.
Catherine er nýnemi í framhaldsskóla á Íslandi.

Hún hefur verið í erfiðleikum með að ná tökum á sínu námi.

þeir erfiðleikar sem hún er að berjast við hafa ekki verið eins og hún bjóst við.

Það er margt í náminu á Íslandi er mjög frábrugðið því sem hún var vön í heimalandi sínu.

Hún skilur ekki margt af því sem kennt er.

Kennarinn hennar spyr hana hvernig henni gengur í náminu.

Catherine reynir að útskýra hvernig henni líður.

Please complete the story explaining about what happens next.
Vinsamlegast kláraðu söguna og útskýrðu hvað gerist næst.

Extra questions: Kindly as well answer these questions: Auka spurningar: How would you describe Catherine?

How would you describe the teacher?

Vinsamlega svarið einnig þessum spurningum: What would have been done better to assist Catherine?

Hvernig myndir þú lýsa Catherine?

Hvernig myndir þú lýsa kennaran?

Background question: How would you describe your gender?

Hvar hafði geta verið gert betur til þess að aðstoða Catherine?
What is your academic level?

Bakgrunns spurning: 81 Elizabeth is a new student coming towards the end of her upper secondary studies.

She is still on her initial stages of learning Icelandic.

She looks back on her last year.

All her classmates are excited about university life and that has been the main subject being talked about.

One of her friends asks her how her academic journey has been and what her plans are.

Please complete the story explaining about what happens next.
Extra questions: Kindly as well answer these questions: What do you think she might have done or might have happened to her?

Hvernig myndir þú skilgreina kyn þitt?

Hver er menntunargráðan þín?

Elizabeth er nýnemi sem er á loka ári framhaldsskóla.

Hún er enn á fyrsta stigi íslenskunáms.

Hún lítur til baka til síðasta árs.

Allir bekkjarfélagar hennar eru spenntir fyrir háskólalífinu og það hefur verið aðalviðfangsefnið sem talað er um.
Ein vinkona hennar spyr hana hvernig námið hennar hafi verið og hverjar fyrir ætlanir hennar séu.

Vinsamlegast kláraðu söguna og útskýrðu hvað gerist næst.

Auka spurningar: Vinsamlega svarið einnig þessum spurningum: Hvað heldurðu að hún hafi gert eða gæti komið fyrir hana?

Hvað heldur þú að henni How do you think she feels about learning and continuing towards studying at university?

finnist um nám og áframhaldandi nám í háskólanum?

Hvernig myndir þú lýsa Elizabeth?

How would you describe Elizabeth?


Hvernig myndir þú lýsa kennaran?

How would you describe the teacher?

What would have been done better to assist Elizabeth?

Hvar hafði geta verið gert betur til þess að aðstoða Elizabeth?

Bakgrunns spurning: Background question: Hvernig myndir þú skilgreina kyn þitt?

How would you describe your gender?

Hver er menntunargráðan þín?

What is your academic level?

82