Bridging Multilingual Policy and Classroom Practice: The Impact of Teacher Professional Development in Lebanese Public Schools

Abstract

This study examines the impact of a structured teacher professional development programme on multilingual instructional practices and student experiences in Lebanese public schools. A mixed-methods pre-test-post-test control group quasi-experimental design was employed with 68 teachers (34 intervention, 34 control) and 312 students. The six-week intervention focused on translanguaging, differentiated instruction, and scaffolding strategies. Results revealed significant and large gains in instructional self-efficacy (d = 1.02), differentiated instruction (d = 1.15), translanguaging practices (d = 1.28), and scaffolding strategies (d = 1.19). Student-reported instructional clarity improved significantly, t(155) = 10.42, p < .001, with gains in inclusion (d = 1.03) and academic support (d = 1.03). Classroom observations confirmed meaningful changes in teaching practices following the intervention. The findings provide quasi-experimental evidence that a structured, practice-oriented PD model can help bridge the policy-practice gap in multilingual public school contexts.