Negotiating Multilingual Education Amidst Neoliberal Constraints and Colonial Logics: A Comparative Case Study of Public and Private Schools in Ghana

Video Arts & Humanities 2025 Graduate Exhibition

Presentation by Edwin Dartey

Exhibition Number 522

Abstract

Most students who enroll in elementary education in Ghana and other African contexts are proficient in multiple languages even before they start their formal education (Heugh, 2002). However, educational policies in the Ghanaian context are geared towards disregarding students' home languages and using English as the sole language of instruction (Ansah, 2014). These policy decisions underscore a complete disregard for the linguistic repertoire of students, and they ultimately affect students’ ability to properly transition to a foreign language medium of education. The problem with transition also poses significant challenges to student retention, academic achievement, and the need for a skilled labor force for the economy. This study explores how societal factors such as coloniality, socio-economic status, cultural norms and indigenous knowledge systems impact multilingual practices and educational outcomes in Ghanaian schools. The dissertation project draws on African philosophical concepts, Southern theories and decolonial pedagogies to explore the above-mentioned societal factors in two Ghanaian schools (i.e. a public and private school). The study adopts these theories because they critique coloniality and challenge the position of colonial languages as superior entities in language studies. The project also employs a qualitative comparative case study approach to examine multilingual practices in the two Ghanaian schools. Multiple sources of data are used for this project, including transcripts of audio-recorded classroom interactions, field notes, reflective memos, teacher interviews, interviews with parents, and interviews with school officials. The dissertation will provide insights into the crucial role language plays in education in developing countries such as Ghana.

Importance

Although there are several studies on multilingual practices in the Ghanaian context, there is limited discussion on how multilingual practices in education can be decolonized. The current project will theoretically and methodologically contribute to ongoing calls for equity, social justice, and decolonization in Applied Linguistics. The dissertation will also contribute to the understanding of multilingual education and language planning in African contexts. In particular, the study will show the extent to which the prioritization of colonial languages creates social inequalities and marginalizes indigenous knowledge systems which affects Ghanaian languages and culture. Findings from the project will provide insights into how educational policymakers should intentionally provide teachers with training on multilingual instruction methods to meet the educational needs of learners.